For Daniel Inglis the call to special education as a profession was the culmination of numerous experiences — early struggles with math, a diagnosis of ADHD, his family’s advocacy on behalf of people with Hansen’s disease — slowly coming into focus as a connected whole. For wife Sandra it was a single moment.

Her two children from her previous marriage attended a Hawaiian immersion school. Sandra already adored being closely involved with her children’s school and getting to know all of the students and teachers.

Then one day she was asked to participate in a career-day presentation. Working in the insurance industry at the time, she decided to share a lesson on the concept of interest. Each child was given a quarter, which they could exchange for a piece of candy if they wished. Those who managed to hold onto their coins were given additional money — interest.

“I did it all in Hawaiian,” said Sandra, who was born and raised in Buckinghamshire, in southeastern England. “And it was then that I realized that I love to work with kids. I love getting them excited to learn.”

But whether it was the slow break of dawn for Daniel or the proverbial flick of the light switch for Sandra, the end result has been two parallel careers that have made an enlightening difference in the lives of special-education students at the Hawaii Technology Academy.

The public charter school has found success with a blended learning approach that offers face-to-face instruction at learning centers around the state, virtual instruction via electronic devices and independent home learning. For students in its special-education program, the Inglises are the key component for coordinating the different forms of learning and preparing students to make the most of the program’s flexibility and adaptability. Sandra is the designated special-education instructor for HTA’s middle school; Daniel is the special-education division leader for the high school.

Both value personal engagement, trust, communication and empowerment as the foundation of working with students whose educational needs might not be fully served in the traditional classroom setting.

“We have the same philosophy,” Sandra said. “The biggest thing is to get to know the student.”

And in true Socratic tradition, the couple understands that to know others first requires knowing themselves.

For Daniel that has meant reflecting on a personal journey not so different from those of his students.

The child of two accomplished English teachers, Daniel earned good overall grades but often struggled with math, which he attributes in part to having ADHD.

“It would take me longer to learn certain things, and I usually had to work harder than other kids to get the same thing,” he said. “In some classes the teachers would move on without me. If I didn’t get it, too bad. And I was too shy to ask for help.”

Daniel understood that he was different from others in his class. But thanks to his upbringing, he understood that “different” didn’t have to mean “not as good.”

He said his parents worked with him and supported him at every stage. Beyond that his family was also involved in the ongoing struggle for patients’ rights at the Hale Mohalu state facility.

“Many of my uncles and aunties had Hansen’s disease, and I learned about acceptance and compassion at a very early age,” Daniel said. “I remember thinking that although my uncles and aunties looked different, they were still beautiful people.”

After high school Daniel worked in restaurants and attended Kapiolani Community College for several years before deciding to pursue a degree in education. Transferring to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, he enrolled in a special-education training program that covered part of his tuition and set him on a path to his current career.

“As a teacher, I knew I could be flexible and that I could take something that a kid has trouble learning and put it another way that makes sense to them,” he said. “I love it when the light goes on and they get it.”

Daniel met Sandra shortly after he joined the program, and found in her a person with a similar desire to help students overcome challenges to their learning.

She had previously spent a year as a paraprofessional working one on one with students with disabilities and was ready to pursue education as a career.

“I saw that these students needed more support and often were not treated the same as other children,” she said. “I wanted to make things more equal for them. In my mind I wanted to right these minor injustices.”

Daniel and Sandra say they have the freedom at HTA to build meaningful, ongoing relationships with students and to work closely with their parents to ensure a complete circuit of instruction in and out of the classroom.

Sandra, for example, will text or call parents when their child has had a breakthrough, even if it is something seemingly small.

She said she is constantly thinking about her students when she is away from school, always looking for new things to share and new ways to make connections. Even when she’s with her two grown sons, she catches herself referring to her students as “my kids.”

The couple is relentlessly positive, both by nature and by practicality. The emphasis on what kids can do versus what they cannot helps to build the students’ confidence and self-esteem, making them more receptive to instruction. It also helps to build rapport among teachers, students and parents, which in turn makes it easier to turn the focus to challenges when necessary.

For Daniel the value of trust between himself and his students has more than academic implications.

“I want our kids to be good, loving, kind, compassionate people,” he said. “If that’s the only thing I do, I’m happy. If I help them academically but don’t help them with that, then I’ve really failed.”

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.