Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

                         

[Image Description: There is a graphic with a center-aligned enlarged gray question mark with several decreased scattered gray, charcoal, and black question marks surrounding it. My First Former Buddy Club President logo is in the bottom left corner.]

1. How did you come up with your influencer handle name?

    I was the first ever President of Lower Moreland High School's Buddy Club in eleventh and twelfth grade. In twelfth grade, I started and managed a Facebook page for Buddy Club. After my term was over after high school graduation in 2016, ownership of the page was transferred to the next Buddy Club President. As a result, I missed spreading awareness, acceptance, and inclusion of the disability community publicly on social media other than doing so on my personal social media accounts. So, in April 2017, I started my own disability advocate influencer page and named it First Former Buddy Club President because being the first president of my high school's Buddy Club is something special that I will hold onto forever and take pride in. This leadership role has played a huge role in my career as a disability advocate and the aspiring Life Skills Support teacher who I was back then.

2. Where do you think of and make all of your ideas for content creating?

    My ideas to come to my mind spontaneously based on past and recent experiences that have been my own, that I have witnessed, and heard about. They are also based on my own philosophies and the facts that I have learned through my past and continuing education as a disability advocate, teacher, person who stutters, and what I see on social media from the people I follow and even some things that I have seen on TV and in movies and discovered through online and offline research. I also create all of my graphic design content on Procreate!

    In addition, when sharing anyone else's content, ALWAYS give credit to the creator by tagging them in the post/story and letting their logo/social media handle stay showing!!! Anytime that I share content from influencers, companies, and organizations, I always tag them. This is because the creator owns the content and deserves credit for their ownership. If you are a content creator/social media influencer, make sure to put your own logo or sign your name on the content creation to prevent other people from stealing (Luckily, in my almost 8 years of being a social media influencer, I have never experienced this at least yet; unfortunately, however, I have seen too many influencers have their content creations be stolen by people who do not give them credit for their work by not mentioning their name and/or removing their logo from the creation. I know that it sounds horrible, but I am being real to protect you.)

3. How often you upload blog posts?

    Expect to see a new blog post from me every Saturday uploaded at around 11AM EST, if not then later in the day if I am behind (which is only every now and then). Every now and then, I also post blog posts on Sunday if I am behind.

4. Why is the text so large on your website?

    Recently, I started providing a naturally larger font size on my website because most people in the blind/vision loss community have difficulty with reading standard-sized print. Providing a naturally larger font size in posts gives individuals in the blind/vision loss community the opportunity to access and read content more easily. I have the font size set to "Largest." In addition, any readers can resize text by zooming in on websites or clicking the control-plus (ctrl-+) shortcut "if they find they still need a larger or smaller font" (Lewis 2024).

5. Why do all of your posts with pictures and/or graphics have Image Descriptions (ID)?

    Image Descriptions (ID) are written details about any visuals in images. IDs provide access for social media users in the blind/vision loss community to use screen readers, large print, or screen magnification to access images and other visual content that can connect them to information and facilitate communication.

6. Do you provide Closed Captioning (CC) in all of your videos?

    Yes! Closed Captioning (CC) also known as subtitles provide access to read what someone is saying in videos instead of needing to only listen to verbal information. CC was originally created to support the deaf/hard of hearing community in order to interpret what people in videos are saying; however, CC has become universally designed over the years. CC can also make videos accessible to people in the Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) and ASD communities along with people of all abilities who are sensitive to sound as well. Many people in the ADHD community benefit from using CC to follow along with the audio in the video as well. CC also makes videos accessible for people of all abilities who are sensitive to sound or who cannot turn on the sound to listen to your story for different circumstances and still would like to watch the video with the sound muted by reading what you and other potential parties are saying.

    In addition, before posting, I always make sure that the CC matches exactly what is being said in all of my videos and edit the CC when any words are picked up inaccurately.

7. Do you provide Trigger Warnings (TW)/Content Warnings (CW) in all of your posts about sensitive content?

    Yes! I always provide a TW or CW at the beginning of posts with any sensitive content. It is important to discuss important issues, such as suicide, addiction, self-harm, trauma, violence, illnesses, global pandemic, bullying, discrimination, abuse/neglect, death or near-death experiences, graphic descriptions (in some cases), etc. to have a strong sense of social justice; however, there is also a need to protect people who may be triggered by these topics. Not everyone is in the headspace to be able to listen to or talk about these really upsetting topics. If they cannot discuss or read it at the moment, always let them pass; it is the respectful thing to do out of protection of their mental health and for the purpose of boundaries. Clear TWs or CWs give people the option to skip reading, viewing, or listening to the content or know what to expect for their own protection of their mental health.

    I also provide a TW/CW before videos with bright, flashing, flickering, and/or strobe lights, rapid moving objects, or loud noise. Bright, flashing, flickering, and/or strobe lights, rapid moving objects, and loud noise can affect individuals in the disability community in the following ways:

• Trigger epileptic and non-epileptic seizures
• Photosensitive migraines
• Sensory overload in autistic individuals/individuals on the autism spectrum/individuals with autism/ASD, and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and ADHD communities
• Aggravate chronic pain and reduce the strength to do essential tasks
• Eye pain
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Motion sickness
• Dizziness
• Discomfort
• Flicker Vertigo
• Disorientation
• People with neurological conditions
• People in the Chiari Arnold Malformation, blindness/low vision, and Visual Processing Disorder (VPD) communities

8. What do you teach?

I am a paraeducator/Personal Care Assistant in 4th-6th grade Intensive Care Support at Murray Avenue School within Lower Moreland Township School District where I went to school!

9. How long have you been teaching?

I am in my seventh year of teaching!

10. What are your qualifications and credentials?

I have my Child Development Associate (CDA) certification, Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education PreK-4 from Bucks County Community College, and dual Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood (PreK-4) and Special Education (PreK-12) from Bryn Athyn College.

11. What else have you taught besides Special Education?

• Student teaching in a 3-5 year old preschool classroom when working towards my Child Development Associate (CDA) certification
• 1st-2nd years of teaching: Toddler teacher to 18-24 month olds
• 3rd year of teaching: Toddler teacher to 12-24 month olds; 3-5 year old Autism Support for my Field Experience internship/student teaching towards my Associate's Degree
• 4th year of teaching: 3rd grade for my Field Experience internship towards my Bachelor's Degree
• 5th year of teaching: Infant teacher
• 6th year of teaching: Ninth grade through post high school Life Skills Support for my Special Education Field Experience internship towards my Bachelor's Degree

12. Did you always know that you wanted to be a teacher?

    I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl. I was one of those young children who played school with her stuffed animals and toys in her bedroom. I have always really loved babies and young children since I was a young child myself as well. I was also always passionate about making art and told that I was artistic, which inspired me to want to be an art teacher for some time; however, in seventh grade, I became more interested in becoming a preschool teacher instead because just something about it gave me a change of heart and I felt okay with this career change idea since I knew that I would still get to teach art to preschoolers.

    When I was in ninth grade, I was telling one of my teachers about my plans to volunteer in the dementia unit at St. Joseph's Manor within Holy Redeemer Hospital in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. Since my teacher saw my passion for helping others, she recommended that I join our school's Buddy Club, a club for helping and being a friend to the Life Skills students in the school district. I knew right away that I wanted to join Buddy Club since I have always been an advocate for people of all differences. I was in Buddy Club all four years of high school and continued my membership even while in college. Coincidentally, I never thought about teaching Special Education until the club changed my life forever after only two months. Buddy Club confirmed my career path of wanting to become a Life Skills Support teacher and I have never looked back ever since!

13. If you were not a teacher, which job would you choose to work instead?

    If I were not a teacher, I would probably be a psychologist since I find diagnostic criteria so interesting and insightful or a mental health counselor since Trauma-Informed Care and Education makes such a difference. I also think that I would enjoy being an Early Intervention (EI) therapist, speech-language pathologist (SLP), or child development researcher; however, I have always really wanted to be a teacher and being a Special Educator is the field that I will always stay in.

14. How old are you?

    I am 26 years old. This surprises everyone! LOL😂 When I was an in my early school-age, pre-teen, and middle school years people used to think that I was so much younger than that until high school. People always think that I am younger than I really am.

    I have had students who thought that I was teenager too! In my first years of teaching, sometimes students would not listen to me in comparison to other teachers when it came to classroom management until I had one of those aha! confirmed theory moments where I realized that it was because of my age. When I was a toddler teacher to 12-24 month olds, I asked some of my students with advanced language skills, "Am I a teacher or big kid?" since this language was developmentally-appropriate for their level. The two students that I asked both insisted, "Emmy is a big kid" even after I told them the truth and one of them was devastated to find out that I am indeed not a big kid😂 In summer 2022, I started working as a floater/school-age camp room "teacher" at Schoolhouse Learning Center Southampton (now called Alphabet Garden Childcare Southampton) and one of the very kind PreK children said that he was convinced that I was a kid (but could not put his finger on my age) before he heard another child call me Miss Emily! After he told me this, it all made sense that he had originally thought this when I put all of the put all of the puzzle pieces together about how he had been interacting with me. A few days later, one of the school-agers told me that she thought that I was 13 when she was shocked to hear me say, "Funny that the 9 year old beat the 24 year old in a bike race" on the playground.

    In the 2022-2023 school year, I was teaching third grade at the Bryn Athyn Church School in Bryn Athyn, PA and one of my third graders asked me a few times if I was in high school or college. When the students wanted to guess my age during my birthday week, this same student guessed that I was 15.

    I have so many stories about people being surprised by my age LOL Apparently, I have "a baby face"👶🏻

Bonus Questions! My favorites and other fun facts:

• Favorite color: pink
• Favorite food: sandwich wraps
• Favorite pizza topping: pepperoni
• Favorite fruit: pineapple
• Favorite candy: candy corn, chocolate, skittles, nerds clusters, cow tails
• Favorite ice cream flavor: vanilla with rainbow sprinkles
• Favorite drink: root beer
• Favorite restaurant: Olive Garden
• Favorite holiday: Christmas
• Favorite animal: panda
• Favorite movies: Elf, Mean Girls, Wonder, Lilo and Stitch, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid
• Favorite childhood show: Molly and the Comfy Couch (Fun fact: When I was born, my parents bought me a plush Molly that I still have.) and Clifford the Big Red Dog (Another fun fact: My mom loved the owner, Emily Elizabeth Howard's first and middle name combo so much that she named me Emily Elizabeth when I was born.)
• Favorite childhood toy: My Little Ponies (Fun fact: I had a collection of 60-something My Little Ponies as a child and I STILL have ALL of them packed away.)
• Favorite Disney character: Stitch
• Favorite Disney princess: Belle and Ariel
• Favorite singer: Demi Lovato
• Favorite subject: English Language Arts (ELA), art, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and Cooking and Baking Skills
• Left-handed, right-handed, or ambidextrous?: Left-handed
• Favorite affirmation: "Everyone is going through a rough battle that you know nothing about. So always be kind."
• Are your curls natural? Yes, that's why my hair is so big. It's full of secrets.... IYKYK😂

[Image Description: "FIRST FORMER BUDDY CLUB PRESIDENT" in center-aligned bold italicized black text in a big light blue heart. There are also many dark red hearts with a lighter blue background that the big light blue heart is overlapping.]