Tamiko Garrett builds support for families navigating invisible disabilities

Tamiko Garrett, Ph.D., founder of Parents for Transition, is expanding support for youth with invisible disabilities and their caregivers through coaching, education and community partnerships. The Kalamazoo-based educator and nonprofit leader says the work is rooted in her own experience as a parent and aims to reach more families who feel overlooked or unsure where to turn.

Why it matters: - Families navigating invisible disabilities often struggle to get support because the needs are not obvious to schools, caregivers or the broader community. - Parents for Transition is trying to close that gap with coaching, resources and partnerships that can improve access and outcomes for youth and caregivers. - Garrett’s work combines professional experience with lived experience, which can make advocacy more relevant for families facing the same challenges.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Tamiko Garrett, Ph.D., a Kalamazoo, Michigan-based educator and nonprofit leader with more than 20 years of experience in PreK–12 education, higher education and community advocacy. - Garrett founded and leads Parents for Transition, a nonprofit focused on youth with invisible disabilities and the caregivers who support them. - Garrett created Parents for Transition in 2018 after doctoral research at Eastern Michigan University and personal experience raising a daughter diagnosed with ADHD in first grade. - Garrett earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership in 2019. - Garrett left a full-time role in September 2025 to focus fully on expanding Parents for Transition.

The details: - Parents for Transition provides one-on-one coaching, develops resources and builds partnerships with schools and community organizations. - Garrett spent more than a decade in the nonprofit sector, including six years as Senior Director of Site Services at Communities In Schools. - That work included partnering with school districts, strengthening student support systems and implementing programs designed to improve educational outcomes. - Garrett also serves as an adjunct professor in the Teaching, Learning, and Educational Studies department at Western Michigan University. - Garrett is an active board member of ARC Community Advocates. - Garrett is a contributing author to the book THRIVE: Breaking Free From Survival Mode in Education. - Garrett’s chapter focuses on the perspectives of people impacted by invisible disabilities. - Garrett says her leadership style is rooted in empathy, strong communication and listening. - Garrett says structure, stability, calm and peace guide her professional and personal life. - Garrett identifies persistence as a core part of her success. - Garrett advises young women in her field to find a mentor. - Jane Baas, a retired Western Michigan University professor and later board president, supported Garrett’s doctoral research and dissertation process and encouraged her vision for Parents for Transition.

Between the lines: - Garrett’s story shows how personal experience can shape nonprofit leadership and make advocacy more targeted. - The emphasis on invisible disabilities highlights a common barrier in education and caregiving: support needs may be real even when they are not easy to see. - Garrett’s focus on awareness suggests the challenge is not only service delivery, but also helping families feel comfortable asking for help. - Her move from a full-time role to full-time nonprofit work signals a push to scale Parents for Transition beyond a local footprint.

What's next: - Garrett is focused on increasing visibility for Parents for Transition so more families outside her local community know support is available. - She plans to keep building school and community partnerships to expand reach. - Garrett wants to reduce the hesitation caregivers may feel about seeking help by framing support as a strength, not a weakness. - More information is available through Tamiko Garrett’s Influential Women profile and Parents for Transition’s about page.

The bottom line: - Garrett is using education, advocacy and community partnerships to turn a personal mission into a broader support network for families navigating invisible disabilities.