About MDG
Melinda Davis-Gillinger comes to special education advocacy from a very personal place, as the mother of a child with special needs. Her daughter, Krysta, was born profoundly deaf in the early nineties, before newborn hearing screening had become standard practice in hospitals.
Melinda knew something wasn’t right, knew that her daughter could not hear her, but she couldn’t get anyone to listen. No one – not her pediatrician, her family, her friends – would believe that her concerns were anything more than the worries of a new mom.
For this reason, Melinda was drawn to return to school to achieve her Master’s in Special Education, found Melinda Gillinger & Consultants, and thus began her mission to help both families and the system learn how to support this new group of DHH children.
Because Melinda had to find her own voice, forge her own path, and make herself heard, it is extremely important to her that no other parent face what she did. Her advocacy comes from her mission to meet parents where they are, whether they are confused, worried, or are facing the kind of dismissal she remembers all too well.
Melinda presents her vast knowledge of special education law and educational systems from this deeply empathetic place. Her focus is always on the child and on finding solutions rather than looking for a fight. People who have worked with her or who have benefited from her assistance say that:
Talking to Melinda for just a few minutes instantly made me feel better. She shared her child’s story with me and it felt like I finally had someone in my corner who understood what I was going through.
We now had an expert on our side who would be proactive in advocating for our son to get the appropriate services that he needed.
Melinda’s story, like that of so many others, is one of struggling against a system not designed to support them. Her determination and persistence in the face of overwhelming opposition is an inspiration to anyone who is facing similar challenges on their own journey.
