About Understand My Child
Why this service exists — and who is behind it.
Graduate Clinician, Speech-Language Pathology
Columbia University
I started this because I kept seeing the same thing happen to families.
I'm Roshanali Dewji — a graduate clinician in speech-language pathology at Columbia University, where I've trained in interpreting psychoeducational evaluations and IEP documents. Through my training, I've worked closely with children, families, and school teams across New York City. And over and over, I watched the same thing happen: a parent would sit down at an IEP meeting, and the school team would walk through a stack of reports full of scores, acronyms, and professional jargon — and the parent would nod along, not really knowing what any of it meant.
That's not a parent failing. That's a system failing parents. These documents are written by professionals, for professionals. But parents are the ones who have to sign them, follow through on them at home, and show up to meetings ready to make decisions about their child's education.
I built Understand My Child because that gap shouldn't exist. Every parent — regardless of background, education, or familiarity with special education — deserves to understand what a report says about their child. That's the whole idea.
My work on Understand My Child is informed by consultation with faculty in Columbia University's Speech-Language Pathology program. This practice is an independent educational service — it is not therapy, diagnosis, or legal advocacy, and it is not affiliated with Columbia University or any school district. Every parent-facing summary is reviewed for accuracy and scope before it is sent.
Every parent deserves clarity.
Every child deserves an informed team.
Informed parents ask better questions, notice things sooner, and show up to meetings as genuine partners in their child's education. That matters.
Values
Plain language without losing what matters. No dumbing down — just honest translation.
I explain what documents say. I don't tell you what to think or what to ask for. The decisions are yours.
Every family's situation is different. I approach every document — and every parent — without judgment.
Your child's documents are sensitive. They're treated that way — stored securely, never shared, deleted within 30 days.
I know the NYC DOE system — its processes, its terminology, and what parents in this city are actually navigating.
This isn't just for parents who already know the system. It's for everyone — especially those who feel most lost.
From the families I've worked with
Your first parent testimonial will live here. After your first pilot session, ask the parent: "Would you be willing to write 2–3 sentences I could put on the website?"
A second quote rounds out the section. Aim for one that speaks to the meeting prep — what changed for the parent when they walked into the IEP meeting feeling prepared.
A third quote gives the section weight. Ideal: a referral partner (pediatric SLP, advocate, or pediatrician) saying they trust you to translate documents for the families they can't take.