Beyond SPED Cuts: How GiftedBecoming™ Was Built for the Crisis We’re In

by Lisangelee Velazquez, M.S. | Founder of GiftedBecoming™

This past week, families and educators across the country were shaken by the news:

Massive layoffs in the U.S. Department of Education’s special education division. Oversight weakened. Protections uncertain.

And one haunting question echoing across communities:

“If the system can’t protect our kids… who will?”

I’ve been asking that question for years.

Not just as a professional in behavior analysis.

But as a mother. Of a gifted, neurodivergent child.

And as someone who knows what it feels like to be overlooked — by systems, labels, and assumptions.

⚠️ The Truth Behind the Headlines

Yes, it’s true that the federal special education infrastructure is under unprecedented strain.

Budget cuts. Office shutdowns. Layoffs in the very agencies that monitor IDEA compliance and civil rights for students with disabilities.

And while the law itself (IDEA) remains intact, its enforcement is now weaker, its oversight quieter, and its staff thinned to the core.

But here’s what no headline is saying clearly enough:

The system was never enough.

Especially not for twice-exceptional students, emotionally complex thinkers, and overcontrolled learners labeled as “too much” or “not enough.”

🔍 The Overlooked Were Always Overlooked

Before the layoffs, the gifted overthinker was already invisible.

• Too “bright” to qualify for SPED.

• Too “behavioral” to fit in gifted programs.

• Too emotional, too sensitive, too misunderstood.

That’s why I created GiftedBecoming™ — not as a response to this crisis, but as a foresight of it.

I saw what was coming.

Because I lived it.

Because my son lives it.

Because hundreds of families I’ve supported live it too.

🌱 A Framework That Doesn’t Wait for Permission

GiftedBecoming™ is powered by the Behavioral Neurodivergent Learning Model (BNLM) — a framework I designed to do what the system can’t:

• Identify and support gifted overthinkers

• Regulate emotional-cognitive momentum

• Build sustainable, independent learning habits

• Empower students through emotional safety, not just academic goals

And most importantly?

🎯 It works outside of diagnostic gatekeeping.

🎯 It works without needing a district to approve it.

🎯 It works because it’s grounded in lived experience, neuroscience, and radical behaviorism — not bureaucracy.

🔑 If You’re Asking “What Now?” — Here’s What:

Parents:

You are not alone. We’re building tools — starting with a 80+ page workbook, training materials, and emotional regulation guides — that you can use even if your school falls short.

Educators:

You don’t have to choose between burnout and inaction. GiftedBecoming™ offers plug-and-play supports, emotional insight frameworks, and tools you can start using now.

School Leaders & Institutions:

Our licensing model is flexible, evidence-aligned, and scalable. If you’re losing SPED support, we can help fill in the gaps ethically, strategically, and immediately.

Funders & Innovators:

If you believe in future-ready education, we’re looking for aligned partners. This is not a one-time toolkit — this is a movement.

💙 This Wasn’t a Reaction. It Was a Calling.

I created this framework long before SPED was under federal threat.

Because I knew we couldn’t wait for institutions to notice us.

The system may shrink.

But support for our most complex, brilliant learners?

That’s only just beginning.

—

Lisangelee Velazquez, M.S.

Founder of GiftedBecoming™

RBT. Mother. Overthinker turned Innovator.