Rooted Beginnings, LLC

12/13/2025

✨ A Year of New Beginnings & Becoming: 2025 in Review ✨

I opened Rooted Beginnings in 2023 with a vision—and a lot of heart. It has not been easy. Building something that is relationship-based, neurodiversity-affirming, and rooted in dignity within systems that often prioritize compliance and outcomes over humanity never is. But Rooted Beginnings exists because families deserve something different.

Rooted Beginnings was created to support children and families exactly where they are, honoring nervous systems, developmental differences, and the belief that learning and growth happen through safe, attuned relationships—not pressure or punishment.

2025 marked one full year of new beginnings in a shared space with Connecting Kids OT, and it has been one of the most meaningful years of my professional and personal life. Sharing space and vision with Kathy has reinforced how powerful collaboration can be when it is grounded in trust, shared values, and genuine care for children and families.

Here’s a look back at what this year held:
🌱 January – I rang in the new year alongside Kathy from Connecting Kids, beginning what has grown into a truly special and supportive partnership.

💍 February – My husband and I celebrated 20 years of marriage, a milestone that grounded me in gratitude and reflection.

🏛️ March – I began the formal, months-long appointment process to become a member of the New York State Autism Spectrum Disorders Advisory Board, stepping intentionally into systems-level advocacy.

🧠 April – During Autism Acceptance Month, we formed a subcommittee of the board to move beyond “Light It Up Blue” in NYS and toward authentic, neurodiversity-affirming action. We began developing a resolution to “Light It Up Red, Gold, & White,” centering autistic voices and lived experience.

👶 May – I welcomed my first grandchild and experienced the joy of watching my daughter blossom as a mother, while learning how to navigate the evolving role of parenting a parent.

🏕️ June – Kathy and I collaborated on our first Extended School Year Programming Camp, supporting children who needed consistency during the transition between the school year and summer programming. This was part of a summer filled with ongoing, inclusive programming.

☀️ Summer (June–August) – We held countless Stay & Plays, welcomed many new families, and offered programming throughout the entire summer.

During this time, I also celebrated meaningful wins in my private consulting work, including working with districts to revise IEP goals to be neurodiversity-affirming and collaborating with school districts to secure 1:1 aides, allowing children to remain in their neighborhood and community schools alongside their siblings with appropriate supports in the least restrictive environment.

🏡 July – I hosted multiple open houses, continuing to build a space where families felt seen, safe, and supported.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 August – I ran my first teen group, affirming how deeply teens thrive when they are trusted, respected, and offered autonomy.

📚 September – I launched my first homeschooling groups, meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays, offering families a low-demand, inclusive, child-led learning environment grounded in relationships.

🎓 October – I facilitated an intensive, week-long training for a local nonprofit on neurodiversity, trauma-informed care, and the importance of a developmental, relational lens for sustainable success.

📘 November – We welcomed a local author Amber Partisano (Our Fox Rocks) for a book reading and signing at Rooted Beginnings, launched a partnership with Sensational Fun, and began raising awareness about the Beige Box Safe Foods Pantry Initiative, which focuses on access to safe, predictable foods for individuals, particularly those with limited diets.

That same month, the New York State Autism Spectrum Disorders Advisory Board voted on the resolution to campaign for all New York State state buildings and landmarks—including Niagara Falls and the Empire State Building—to light up Red, Gold, & White each April for Autism Acceptance Month.

📄 A major shift in practice (2025) – This was the year I began writing comprehensive, neurodiversity-affirming narratives for families. Traditional evaluations often focus narrowly on deficits, test scores, and eligibility. These narratives capture the full picture of a child—including strengths, sensory needs, communication styles, regulation patterns, interests, and the conditions under which they learn best—supporting real, sustainable success in the classroom.

📰 Advocacy & Media – I was featured on Channel 2 news and in the Clarence Bee for the Beige Box Safe Foods Pantry Initiative, amplifying community-based advocacy.

✨ December – I received formal recognition from Erie County for this work, affirming the importance of relationship-based, neurodiversity-affirming advocacy at the community level.

💛 Throughout the year – I had the privilege of supporting many families by consulting with district teams, navigating complex systems, and helping caregivers advocate with clarity, confidence, and compassion.

🧠 A personal milestone – In 2025, I received my formal diagnoses of ADHD and Autism. Being a late-diagnosed AuDHD adult deepened my commitment to “Nothing About Us Without Us.” My work is informed by both professional expertise and lived experience.

✨ Looking ahead to 2026 ✨

I’m excited to expand inclusive, accessible programming rooted in DIRFloortime® principles, nervous-system safety, and relationships.

Most of Rooted Beginnings future programming will align with Self-Direction requirements.

I’m also looking forward to exploring next steps with Kathy that feel natural, organic, sustainable, and aligned with our shared values.

About Me
I’m Kate Coffman, founder of Rooted Beginnings. I am a New York State Certified Special Education Teacher, a DIRFloortime® Practitioner, and a member of the New York State Autism Spectrum Disorders Advisory Board. I provide neurodiversity-affirming support through individual sessions, groups, family consultation, advocacy, professional training, and systems-level collaboration.

Rooted Beginnings is grounded in the belief that development happens in relationship, that behavior is communication, and that every person deserves to be understood beyond a test score or diagnosis.

Thank you to every family, colleague, and community member who was part of this year. I can’t wait to continue growing alongside you. 💛

11/12/2025

Sensational Fun is a nonprofit organization in WNY with the mission to empower children and adults with diverse abilities. Our therapeutic play center provides sports, clubs, respite, open play, a sensory gym and more. We adapt to create an inclusive and safe environment for all to be themselves.

11/12/2025

Democratic socialism is pro-human flourishing.

11/11/2025

Truth!

I’m so confused why people think a Degree in Child Development taught me the secrets to making children happily compliant.

90% of the comments and DM’s I get are from parents wanting to know how to gain compliance from their child. If I offer anything but a simple, logical solution, they often become defensive and sometimes say hurtful things. People don’t realize that a Degree in Child Development does not teach us how to get children to comply. Why? Because that is not a goal that supports healthy holistic child development.


My children are feral… Like… they are often not compliant. Do I often wish they would just LISTEN?! Oh yes but then I usually realize that’s more about my unmet needs, than their needs. If you want to know how to get your child to obey you, happily, this not the place for you. This is a place for people who want to grow alongside their children. This place is for people who want to embrace their child’s imperfect uniqueness. No you can’t have both; autonomy and control, secure attachment and fear. You need to choose what’s more important to you, as a parent.

Do you want your child to fear you or do you want them to feel loved by you?

Responsive Parenting is not about compliance. It’s about connection. It’s a relationship. And yes this relationship requires you to care for something that can be hard to care for sometimes. The job is nurturing, not controlling. We are so focused on the immediate results of compliance that we’re missing the bigger picture of the relationship with our child.

J. Milburn



Do you enjoy my posts about parenting? This post made the cut for my latest book. It’s a concept I’ve never seen before and I’m excited to be the first content creator to do this. I’ve taken my posts and created a book. The book is visually appealing and easy to read, just like when we scroll online or read a book to our child. You can read one post or a whole section. I know I’m bias but it is a must have for all parents who enjoy this page. It is also a way to pass on the knowledge you have gained from this account, to someone else.

Link in comments

Title: Love Grows: A Collection of Works By J. Milburn

11/09/2025

🌱💚🌱

Sensational Fun is a nonprofit organization in WNY with the mission to empower children and adults with diverse abilities. Our therapeutic play center provides sports, clubs, respite, open play, a sensory gym and more. We adapt to create an inclusive and safe environment for all to be themselves.

11/09/2025

This is why inclusion should be a basic human right. This is what happens when we take the most vulnerable humans in our community and isolate them. Parents should not accept this as status quo. Children deserve access to education in their own community with their siblings and neighbors.

OLV Human Services has placed three employees on leave due to allegations of physical mistreatment of students at Victory Learning Center. 🔗 to story in the comments

11/08/2025

🟫 The Beige Box Initiative
Rooted Beginnings is proud to partner with Sensational Fun to launch the Beige Box Initiative — an inclusion and awareness campaign born from lived autistic experience. 💛

For many autistic children and adults, “safe foods” are not about being picky — they’re about safety, regulation, and survival. Safe foods are those that are predictable in taste, texture, and color — like Cheez-Its, Goldfish crackers, applesauce pouches, or Cutie mandarin oranges.

When these foods aren’t available, it doesn’t just impact what’s on the plate — it affects behavior, regulation, and both physical and mental health. In some cases, the absence of safe foods can even be the difference between eating at all or needing a feeding tube.

Our next step is to identify and adopt 10 families, launch a public awareness campaign, and partner with established food pantries to help them identify families who need beige boxes — and fill in the critical gap in available foods.

We’re asking for your help to make this happen.
Please consider donating to Sensational Fun, our incredible partner, to support this initiative and help ensure every family has access to foods that feel safe and sustaining.

🧡 Donations can be made to Sensational Fun:
🔗 https://www.sensationalfun.org
📍 2881 Southwestern Blvd, Orchard Park, NY
Together, we can build understanding, inclusion, and compassion — one beige box at a time.

Sensational Fun is a nonprofit organization in WNY with the mission to empower children and adults with diverse abilities. Our therapeutic play center provides sports, clubs, respite, open play, a sensory gym and more. We adapt to create an inclusive and safe environment for all to be themselves.

11/07/2025

Hi all happy Friday. We are looking for people to complete our survey. It’s critical so that we can start filling gaps in the community for families who have children on restrictive diets. even if you do not have a child on a restrictive diet , you may have someone on your friends list who does Our goal is to get this out to as many families as possible if you are a special education teacher, please share with your families. If you are a therapist, please share with your families if you work for an agency or a school in any capacity, please share with your families

11/05/2025

🌿 NYS Autism Spectrum Disorders Advisory Board Meeting

🗓️ Thursday, November 6th | 12–2 PM

💻 Public Meeting — All Are Welcome to Join and Comment

This Thursday’s meeting is an important one — for New York State, and for our community. It’s an opportunity for anyone to listen, to learn, and to be heard.

I’m honored to serve on this board, and I hold deep gratitude for the chance to witness this particular moment: a resolution created by a fellow autistic board member will come to a vote. A resolution that represents a long-overdue shift — away from viewing autism through a lens of deficits, and toward recognizing the strengths, brilliance, and humanity of autistic people.

It may sound like a small change, but it isn’t. It’s a turning point — one that begins to move New York State out of old frameworks and into something more truthful, more compassionate, and more just.

But I would be remiss not to acknowledge what still needs to change. Too often, those without lived experience — or even a personal connection to autism — are absent from these meetings. Sometimes physically, sometimes mentally. Many of the “professionals” who fill these seats come from systems that profit from outdated approaches, showing up only when called to speak rather than to listen.

And yet, amid all of this, there is hope. Autistic board members are beginning to be seen and heard. We are here — not to be tokens, but to help reimagine what inclusion really means.

If you can, please join us. You can register at any time and log in, even at the last minute.

🔗https://meetny-gov.webex.com/webappng/sites/meetny-gov/meeting/register/989382a64c4d4008973b46d527e4eb70?ticket=4832534b00000005ff8dcf9fb8ca6f52d2c048231e3b180668703ee536fdee9229a4271745261fbd×tamp=1762348047112&RGID=r1cb0510d9aa6bb8063eb1c53c027d35d&isAutoPopRegisterForm=false

Come witness this shift. Hear the voices of autistic advocates who have waited far too long to be centered. Feel what it means when lived experience finally begins to inform policy.

This is more than a meeting — it’s a moment of change and of possibility.