Sober Curious Moms
How to Stop Drinking Wine on your Own | 11 Tips for the Sober Curious
Want to Stop Drinking Wine every day? I did too. Since beginning this series three years ago, I’ve heard
Special Education
How Geraldo Rivera was Important in the History of Special Education.
When was IDEA passed? IDEA was first passed in 1975 as Federal legislation. However, its history began much before that. The
Don’t IEP Alone
Understanding the Emotional Disturbance IEP Category | Criteria | Accommodations | Strategies
Emotional Disturbance Emotional Disturbance Category on an IEP is one of the most misunderstood categories. In my professional opinion, it
Pandemic Parenting
IEP and 504 Accommodations for Online/Virtual Learning.
Online and Virtual Learning Accommodations This came up today in our Facebook Live chat, as an OT/Sensory question. Some
Don’t IEP Alone
Yes, a School can put IEP Parents on a Communication Plan.
Communication Plan for Parents I remember I was working with this client one time. We had held an IEP meeting,
Special Education
How and When to Write to your IEP Team | IEP Letter Templates | 504
How to Write a Letter to School You will definitely want to bookmark or pin this post. I have often
Special Education
What Are the 14 Categories of Disabilities? Does it Matter Which Box is Checked?
14 Categories of Disabilities in IDEA There are 14 categories of disabilities listed in IDEA. Autism (and yes there is medical vs
IEP Goals, Accommodations and Strategies
504 Plan Accommodation Ideas for ADHD | IEP Goals
IEP or 504 for ADHD? It is estimated that 5-12% of all American kids have some type of ADHD. If you
Don’t IEP Alone
Does my child have to ride the Special Ed Bus to get Transportation on our IEP/504?
Special Education Transportation “It’s the bus. It’s always the bus!” My former supervisor used to say that so
Acceptance, Advocacy and Activism
25 Racist Microaggressions heard in IEP Meetings
Microaggressions Against Black IEP Students Most of you know I’m all in, as far as working harder to educate
Frugal Living
How to Save $20 a Week.
An Extra $20 a Week? Sounds good, doesn’t it? Yesterday I laid out a plan to begin stockpiling for the
Pandemic Parenting
How to Stockpile for the Pandemic on a budget.
Stocking Up for a Pandemic My first disclaimer is this: I am not the person taking all the toilet paper.
Don’t IEP Alone
IEP Cover Page | Double-Check This Item on the Front Page of your Child’s IEP.
IEP Cover Page Imagine for a moment that you are a teacher and it’s the first day of class.
IEP Goals, Accommodations and Strategies Section 504 Plans
Juvenile Arthritis | 504 Plans and IEP Accommodation Ideas
Juvenile Arthritis | IEP | 504 According to the Arthritis Foundation, over 300,000 American children have Juvenile Arthritis. The most common type of arthritis
Disability Resources for Families
5 “No Tears” Tips to Remove Medical EEG Glue from Hair.
Surgical and EEG Glue Removing EEG glue from your child’s hair-is there anything worse? I cannot believe that we
Acceptance, Advocacy and Activism
39 Ableist Microaggressions You Might Encounter at an IEP Meeting | Think Before You Speak!
Ableist Microaggressions Microaggressions have been getting a lot more attention recently, and with good cause. It’s very easy to
Special Education
Should your Child be in a Life Skills Classroom? Is that the Same as a Resource Room?
Life Skills Classroom | Special Education Resource Room I really hate the term life skills. I mean, after all, we ALL
Special Education
IEP Data Tracking | IEP Progress Monitoring, for Parents | Free IEP Goal Tracker
IEP Data Tracking IEP data tracking and progress monitoring in special education is one of the most important things about
IEP Goals, Accommodations and Strategies
100 Independent Functioning IEP Goals and Functional Life Skills Goals.
Independent Functioning IEP Goals for Life Skills Before I get started with this list of Life Skills Functional Goals for
Don’t IEP Alone
ABA Therapy in Public Schools | How to Get ABA Therapy in your IEP.
ABA Therapy in Schools “I want my child in an ABA program.” ABA therapies are very popular (and controversial). Many
Special Education
Yes! Parental Consent is Required to Change an IEP.
Can an IEP be changed without parental consent? For the purposes of this post, it assumes that you (parent) already
Don’t IEP Alone
What is OHI on the IEP? | Understanding Other Health Impairments | ADHD
OHI on the IEP IDEA has 14 eligibility categories for an IEP. One of them is OHI. I find that OHI
Want Better IEP Meetings?
What does LEA stand for in Special Education? Explained by an IEP Advocate.
What does LEA stand for? LEA is one of those special education acronyms that is more complex than it needs
Don’t IEP Alone
Parent Training on your IEP | Yes, it’s a thing!
Parent Counseling and Training on an IEP One little-known feature of IDEA is the section on parent training. Parents are
Frugal Living
How to Rock No-Spend November | No Spend Challenge
No-Spend Challenge Rules I have this friend. And I’m not judging, just using her as an example. But she
Acceptance, Advocacy and Activism
It was never just about Trump. (Why I won’t remain neutral or quiet.)
It’s who I am. When I was in high school in the 1980s, during the summers my friends and
Frugal Living
5 Secrets to Grow Anything in your Hydroponic Aerogarden.
Best Things to Grow in an Aerogarden I was an early adopter of the Aerogarden. I got one of the
Disability Resources for Families
25 Free Sign Language Flashcards | Getting Started in ASL | Printable ASL Cards
Basic Sign Language Maybe it’s because my kids are teens and tweens now, but I feel like I don’
Section 504 Plans
Can I get an IEP in College? What to know about 504 Plan Accommodations.
IEP in College? No, there are no IEPs in college. That’s a statement of fear that I hear from
Disability Apps and Books
10 Free Text to Speech Apps | Voice to Text
Text to Speech This past year has had our kids accessing technology more than ever before. Even those who didn’
IEP Goals, Accommodations and Strategies
Building a Trauma-Informed IEP or 504 Plan | Goals | Accommodations
Trauma-Informed IEPs It’s amazing how we go through life, just doing what we do, not knowing what we don’
IEP Goals, Accommodations and Strategies
Inference for Kids | Definition | IEP Goals and Objectives | Resources
Inference Definition for Kids “Mommy, is that Lady Gaga?” When my youngest was a toddler, he LOVED Lady Gaga. I
IEP Goals, Accommodations and Strategies
Community-Based Instruction CBI | IEP Goals | Data Collection
CBI on your IEP Since my son has had CBI on his IEP for almost a decade, I can always
Special Education
Understanding Severe Discrepancy vs RTI Models, for Parents.
Severe Discrepancy Model You can file this under “the knowledge base I wish I didn’t have to have.” But
Pandemic Parenting
How to Host a Trunk-or-Treat (and save Halloween in the age of COVID!)
Will Trunk or Treat Save Halloween? Trunk or Treating is a growing trend that has been popping up around the
Activities for Kids
How Fantasy Football Can Teach Executive Functioning Skills.
Learning Executive Functioning Skills My husband has been in a family Fantasy Football league for several years. In recent years,
Section 504 Plans
23 Accommodations to Include in your 504 Plan for Food Allergies.
504 Plans for Food Allergies On this website, you will find many articles that discuss the overuse of 504 plans. They were
Frugal Living
Why I left Flodesk and went back to Mad Mimi.
It was too good to be true. Running a blog and all that goes with it takes much more time
Pandemic Parenting
9 Essential Tips for Supporting Your Child’s Learning at Home During COVID-19.
Will your distance learning be successful? As we face the reality of having to do long-distance learning with our children
Pandemic Parenting
5 Ideas for a Safe and Fun Halloween during the Pandemic.
Halloween Looks Different this year! No matter how you like to celebrate Halloween, there is no denying that it is
IEP Goals, Accommodations and Strategies
40 Sample IEP Counseling Goals | IEP Counseling Related Services
Should your Child Have Counseling IEP Goals? Student counseling is listed as a Related Service in IDEA. Actually, Parent Counseling
Acceptance, Advocacy and Activism
Race and Representation in Children’s Literature | Recommended Reading List
Today I had the pleasure of doing a Facebook Live Chat with Pam Margolis. We talked about race and representation
Special Education
IEP Laws and Regulations for all 50 States | Spreadsheet with Links
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Several years ago, I was at a fundraiser. It was for an agency that
Disability Resources for Families
7 Best Noise Cancelling Headphones for Kids with Autism | ADHD | Anxiety
Best Noise Cancelling Headphones The world is a noisy place. Heck, sometimes I wish I had noise-cancelling headphones. But if
Don’t IEP Alone
How To Write a Parent Concerns Letter for your IEP that Gets Noticed | Templates
How to Write IEP Parent Concerns. I’m going to wag my finger at you–from this day forward, you
Pandemic Parenting
Trick-or-Treating in the Age of COVID-19 | Free Printable Checklist
COVID-19 and Halloween If there is one thing that doesn’t get canceled this Halloween season, I hope it’s
Pandemic Parenting
Back to School 2020 with an IEP | Q and A with Attorney Laura Heneghan.
Back to School With an IEP I’m sorry that it took me almost a month to get this video
Activities for Kids
8 Unusual and Educational Board Games for Older Kids
Educational Board Games Board games are a great way for children to learn skills without even realizing that they’re
Acceptance, Advocacy and Activism
8 Ways the Special Education System Really is Stacked Against Parents.
8 Ways the Special Education System Really is Stacked Against Parents. The special education system is stacked against parents. It’s
Don’t IEP Alone
Understanding Common IEP Assessments | IEP Eligibility
For me, both as a Special Education Advocate and a Parent, I find the hardest part of the IEP process