Frugal Living
How to Clear the Visual Clutter | Improve Mental Health and Make Money.
How I Conquer Clutter in my home. According to a recent survey, the average American home is over 2600 square feet.
Want Better IEP Meetings?
Your IEP Meeting | What to Bring | What to Expect
What to Expect at an IEP Meeting My first IEP meeting did not go well. Well, wait. Kevin has been
Want Better IEP Meetings?
How to Prepare for an IEP Meeting | Checklist | Be a Better Advocate
IEP Meetings This is a really old post that I have been meaning to update for ages. I see the
Disability Resources for Families
Legal Guardianship for Adults | How to Get Guardianship for Adults with Disabilities
Guardianship of Developmentally Disabled Adults Let’s face it. This is what keeps us up at night. Nothing has a
Activities for Kids
Movie Night Ideas | 7 Themed Dinner Nights and Movie Night Themes
Movie Night Themes With longer nights upon us, I don’t know about you but I am in full hibernation
Holiday Fun for Everyone
50 Super Simple Elf Ideas with Easy to Follow Pictures | Teens too!
Easy Elf Ideas The other morning, when I walked out into our kitchen, my 7-year-old exclaimed, “Mom! Elf is playing
Disability Resources for Families
PA Access Card | Medicaid for Disabled Children | Understanding the PA Loophole PH 95
Medical Assistance PA When I moved from Canada to the Philadelphia area, I was a bit confused as to what
Disability Resources for Families
Making a Daily Routine Easy on the Kids and You | 13 Tips to Stay Sane
Easy Daily Routines “Come ON! You’re going to miss the bus!” you scream up the stairs. Or, you answer
Activities for Kids
8 Benefits of LEGO | Best LEGO Sets for Creativity | LEGO Without Instructions
Benefits of LEGO Lego bricks are an excellent way to encourage creativity in our kids. You can purchase Lego bricks
Holiday Fun for Everyone
Christmas Tree Worksheet | ASL Printable Worksheet | Matching | Free
Free Christmas Tree Printable for Kids! How super cute is this ASL Christmas Tree Worksheet?! This is the best free
Holiday Fun for Everyone
25 Elf on the Shelf Ideas | Disability | Wheelchair | Sensory | Service Dog
Wheelchair and Hospital Elf Ideas I’ll admit, when Elf first came out, I loved him. Then I hated him.
Disability Resources for Families
Free All About Me Worksheet | Template | Printable | PDF
All About Me Worksheet Sending any young child out into the world is scary. Meeting new teachers can be nerve-wracking
IEP Goals, Accommodations and Strategies
37 Measurable IEP Goals for Functional Money Skills.
Functional Money Skills Remember when we were little, and we thought nickels were worth more than dimes, just because they
Special Education
IEP at a Glance Template | Free | Printable | Editable
IEP at a Glance When I was a special educator in Maryland, we provided an IEP Snapshot to all of
Activities for Kids
Kid-Friendly, Fun, Family Farms Near Me | Maryland
Fun Farms to Visit in Maryland We just love visiting farms. Both of my kids love animals, Kevin in particular.
Activities for Kids
Kid-Friendly, Fun, Family Farms Near Me | Delaware
Fun Farms to Visit in Delaware We just love visiting farms. Both of my kids love animals, Kevin in particular.
Activities for Kids
Kid-Friendly, Fun, Family Farms Near Me | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia area
Farms Near Me for Kids to Visit We just love visiting farms. Both of my kids love animals, Kevin in
Holiday Fun for Everyone
50 Awesome Non-Candy Advent Calendars | Teens | 2020
Non-Candy Advent Calendars I am so done with candy. I feel like from Halloween to Easter, it’s a non-stop
Holiday Fun for Everyone
25 Free Christmas Apps | Games | Music | Hallmark | Kids 2020
Free Christmas Apps Are you looking for Christmas apps that are both fun and educational? Well, I was and found
Holiday Fun for Everyone
Have a Zero Waste Christmas | Gifts | Tree | Kids | Ideas
Zero Waste Christmas Ideas I’m sad that we’re not going to see some family members this Christmas. But
Acceptance, Advocacy and Activism
Raising Charitable Children | 6 Ways to Raise a Socially Aware Child
Tips for Raising a Socially Conscious Child I started discussing being charitable last holiday season. My son was then three
Disability Resources for Families
When to Worry about the Flu | Flu Warning Signs in Kids | Tips from Aria Health
Flu Warning Signs Extra worries about the flu this year, right? But so far, due to social distancing, flu numbers
Disability Resources for Families
My Child is Newly Diagnosed with a Disability | Now what?
For the Newly Diagnosed With a Disability. Welcome! None of us expected to be here, but here we are. And
Special Education
How Long Can a Child be on a School Bus? + Tips for IEP Issues.
Maximum Length of School Bus Ride Did you know that some school students, particularly those in rural areas such as
Special Education
Manifestation Determination Meeting | What It Is | How to Prepare | Examples
Manifestation Determination Speaking to you as a parent, I hope that you never have to know what a Manifestation Determination
Disability Resources for Families
23 Books about Siblings with Disabilities | Autism | Down Syndrome
Books About Siblings of Special Needs Children Yesterday was not a great day. It wasn’t terrible, just not great.
Holiday Fun for Everyone
Best Christmas Tree Farms | Delaware | Prices | 2020
Christmas Tree Farms in Delaware There is just something about the smell of a fresh real tree in your home
Holiday Fun for Everyone
Best Christmas Tree Farms in PA | Cut Your Own | Prices | 2020
Christmas Tree Farms in PA If you are planning a traditional holiday season, then you’ll want to know more
Holiday Fun for Everyone
Best Christmas Tree Farms | New Jersey | Prices | 2020
Christmas Tree Farm NJ New Jersey may be a small state, but it packs a ton of great Christmas tree
Disability Resources for Families
Adaptive Clothing | Special Needs | Adults | Kids | Abdominal Access and More
Special Needs Adaptive Clothing Accessible and Adaptive Clothing for kids and adults with Special Needs is really having a moment,
Don’t IEP Alone
When does an IEP end? IEP Age Range
When does an IEP end? When does an IEP end? How do you end an IEP? What is the IEP
Special Education
What are IEP Related Services in Special Education | Definition | Eligibility
What are Related Services? According to IDEA, these are the related services in Special Education. audiology counseling services early identification
Don’t IEP Alone
When your IEP Team says, “We don’t do that here.” | Next Steps for Parents
We don’t do that here. I got two inquiries recently that are very similar. Both parents asked for something
Don’t IEP Alone
What Parents Want New Special Education Professionals to Know
What IEP Parents Want You to Know A few weeks ago, a newish teacher tweeted at me. She asked what
Want Better IEP Meetings?
How Long Does the School Have to Respond to an IEP Meeting Request? What about an Emergency?
Parent Request for IEP Meeting Timeline IDEA does not define this. Some state special education regulations have set a time
Don’t IEP Alone
Special Education Timelines | When Should the School Respond to IEP Requests or Evals?
IEP Timelines How long does a school have to: respond to IEP email? schedule an IEP meeting? evaluate my child?
Want Better IEP Meetings?
Requesting an IEP Meeting | Who | How | Letter Templates
How to Request an IEP Meeting This one should be filed under “blog posts I never thought I’d have
Don’t IEP Alone
What to Do if you Disagree with your IEP Team about Goals.
I don’t want that IEP goal. I know I’ve told the story several times. The story of my
Acceptance, Advocacy and Activism
Why Every Parent Should Get Involved in Special Education Lobbying | IDEA Re-Authorization
Citizen and Parent Advocacy I think we’re in this for the long haul. I wrote this right after the 2016
Don’t IEP Alone
What if an IEP Goal is not Met?
What happens if your child does not meet their IEP goals? Ah, progress monitoring. I find it to be one
Don’t IEP Alone
How to Build a Meaningful IEP for Autism | Goals | Sample
IEP for Autism For almost 10 years, readers have been asking me questions about an IEP and autism. It’s quite
Special Education
Educational Autism | What’s the difference between a Medical and a School Diagnosis of Autism?
Educational Autism I’m sure if this has happened to you, it sure felt like a gaslighting moment. You have
Don’t IEP Alone
4 Phrases that Create more Chaos than Cooperation in IEPs.
Confusing Legal IEP Terms There are some words in the IEP process that seem to create more chaos than cooperation.
Don’t IEP Alone
{FAPE Waivers} Should Parents Sign Them? | Special Education
FAPE Special Education? “My district wants me to sign away FAPE! Why would I do that?!?!” I often get emails
IEP Goals, Accommodations and Strategies
57 Functional Communication IEP Goals | Transition | Vocation | Recreation
Functional Communication Goals One of the biggest obstacles that some IEP students have is lack of appropriate, functional communication. A
Don’t IEP Alone
How to Prevent and Get Out of Truancy Charges | IEP | 504
School Truancy I looked at the mom/client sitting next to me in at truancy court, and gave her hand
Want Better IEP Meetings?
Should I Bring Food to the IEP Meeting? | Pros and Cons
Should I bring donuts to the IEP meeting? I understand you want to be nice. You want to be the “
Want Better IEP Meetings?
Are You Being Gaslighted at School or IEP Meetings? {Spoiler Alert: Probably!}
Gaslighting at School I remember the first time I was gaslighted at an IEP meeting. It probably wasn’t the
Want Better IEP Meetings?
What to Wear to a Parent Teacher Conference or IEP Meeting
Does it matter what you wear to an IEP meeting? Yes. “I have an IEP meeting tomorrow, should I dress
IEP Goals, Accommodations and Strategies
{Study Skills} IEP Goals | Accommodations | Note Taking
Organization/Study Skills IEP Goals I’m a good learner, but I’m terrible at studying. Always have been. Other