An IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, is a complex document with many different parts. Understanding each part will help you be a better IEP advocate for your child.
I’ve spent over a decade as a Special Education Advocate, attended hundreds of IEP meetings and more conferences and workshops than I can count.
If you are looking for the Don’t IEP Alone Academy, you can click that link.
Denied an IEP or 504 because Grades are Good I had this client one time who has a phenomenal memory. I mean it, like nothing you’ve ever seen. His memory and recall were almost savant-like. In fact, he could memorize and recall so much information, he was tested and labeled as gifted at a young…
Can you Suspend a Student with an IEP? It happened again. You were at work, in the middle of…working. And the phone rings again. You look and see the dreaded phone number-it’s the school. And you know what is ahead. You have to go pick up your child because they’ve been suspended. Again. Here is…
AR Reading Levels The other day I did a post on the OG Approach and I thought that talking about AR Reading Levels would be a good complement to that. Because, in my experience, AR is great and useful tool. However, much like Orton Gillingham, it is misunderstood and misused. I think Accelerated Reader is…
Your Child’s Strengths Sometimes we get so wrapped up in getting our kids’ needs met, we forget to address their strengths. And, IDEA is pretty clear about this. It’s even first on the list! In some sections, IDEA lists ‘strengths of the child’ as the first item. But again, we often go into IEP meetings…
When does an IEP end? When does an IEP end? How do you end an IEP? What is the IEP age range?I know what you’re thinking. “21!” is what you want to yell out. And that’s what I thought. Then a friend asked me about this. She is a knowledgeable and well-respected advocate. And I…
We don’t do that here. I got two inquiries recently that are very similar. Both parents asked for something on their child’s IEP and both were told, “We don’t do that here.” It happens often, actually. Can a school say that? Can they deny a service based on “we don’t offer that here?” Short answer,…
What IEP Parents Want You to Know A few weeks ago, a newish teacher tweeted at me. She asked what we wanted her to know. I’m never one to pass up an opportunity, so yeah! We answered. I put the query in the Facebook group for a week or so, and here are the responses….
IEP Timelines How long does a school have to: respond to IEP email? schedule an IEP meeting? evaluate my child? begin services in a new school year? send me the final draft of the IEP? All those questions and more are answered below. I’ve compiled the common questions that parents ask about IEP timelines below….
I don’t want that IEP goal. I know I’ve told the story several times. The story of my first IEP meeting with my school district. Kevin was 4 and we were meeting about possible kindergarten transition. The overall meeting was one of the worst I’ve ever experienced. So much wrong with it from start to…