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Area Education Agencies, or AEAs, oversee services for students with disabilities across the state. That includes 6-year-old Rowan Sievers.Her mother, Heather, said Rowan's life wouldn't be the same without their AEA. For the first three months of Rowan's life, she was talking and cooing and making all the noises that one expects to hear from a baby. Then, one day, Rowan went silent."We couldn't really get a diagnosis for a long time, and so to save money, my husband had to pick up travel work. And so we sold our house and most of our belongings and moved into a camper," Heather Sievers said. "It really was the Heartland AEA that showed up on our camper doorstep and helped really start services right away."She said Rowan struggled to speak for a long time. She also had difficulties walking, eating and swallowing. When the AEA showed up, they brought a communication device that helped Rowan learn to talk. They also helped her learn how to swallow, eat, walk and feel comfortable transitioning into a school setting. Now Rowan's in first grade and is drawing, reading and writing. She said she loves to dance and play outside."There's a lot of kiddos with Smith McGinnis syndrome that, across the globe, really don't learn to read or write or tie shoes or any of that stuff," Heather Sievers said. "Rowan's doing all of those things, so I really can't speak more highly of the AEA and what they have done to help us."But watching Rowan come so far is part of what's made the past two months difficult, after Heather Sievers learned the system that's helped her daughter so much might face major changes."If we break down a system really quickly like this without knowing the impact, our most vulnerable kids are going to be impacted," she said. "Our special education teachers are going to be put under more stress trying to navigate all of these changes and it's really our kids that are going to be impacted."House lawmakers advanced a bill earlier this session, HF 2612, that would still direct AEAs to oversee services to all students with disabilities. AEAs would continue to receive all state and federal special education funding.However, school districts could choose to contract with an alternative provider for general education and media services. Those services, currently provided by AEAs, include mental health support, curriculum assistance and technology delivery. The Senate's bill, SF 2386, would give school districts the majority of special education and general education funding that AEAs currently receive. It allows districts to decide whether to continue working with their local AEA for all or some services or to contract with an alternative provider."Rowan has changing needs, right? She doesn't need physical therapy anymore, but you cannot predict what's next, what services are going to be next," Heather Sievers said. "My biggest concern is, if we break up the system, that maybe a school hasn't planned for a provider and she might not be able to get one easily...If a school can't get access to an AEA provider for that specialty, then we might have to default to less quality services."Heather Sievers has made frequent trips to the Iowa statehouse to share her family's story. She said she plans to continue fighting to stop the proposed AEA legislation. "There is a reason that we are fighting so hard, harder than any other bill that's moving forward, because we care about our kids," she said. "This feels like an attack to our children, which is why so many parents have risen up, and we're going to keep going."