Can an IEP Meeting be Held without a Parent?
Inside: Can an IEP meeting be held without parents? What does IDEA say about this, and what should you do if the IEP team is…
Trending: Become a Special Education Advocate
Inside: Can an IEP meeting be held without parents? What does IDEA say about this, and what should you do if the IEP team is…
Inside: It’s best practice, but not required, to have an IEP Meeting Agenda. Here are some samples and templates for IEP Meeting Agendas for you…
Inside: Learn what Visual Motor Skills are, how they differ from Visual Motor Integration and how to improve both; especially if your child has an…
Parent-Teacher conferences can look different for Special Education and IEP students. Here’s what to ask and what to know.
Imagine this, parents. Imagine you are envisioning your child’s future, and the different pieces of his/her future are trading cards. And you say, “Ok, I will give you this card for safety, and in exchange, I get to keep all the cards for food.”
I am just steamed this morning. Nothing like waking up to see 250k special needs moms being ableists and wallowing in ableism. Have you seen…
Inside: Learn what IDEA says about the required components of an IEP. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written plan that outlines the unique…
What are we doing to our kids that so many of them are either a) having breakdowns and mom has to be called to come get them b) melting down after school to the point it interferes with normal household activities or c) refusing to go to school.
How to Write an IEP for Special Education, step by step.
Inside: Learn the key differences between a 504 and an IEP, so you can make the right decision for your child. Quite often, parents in…
Inside: Yes, an IEP is a legally binding document. Understand the framework and laws behind IEPs and what to do if you have a legal…
What Qualifies a Child for an IEP? What is an IEP student? Is it only for learning disabilities, and what are they? All explained by a Special Education Advocate.
A discrepancy model may be used to determine IEP eligibility. Some states still use the RTI model. Learn what the difference is and how it applies to your child.
What to know about getting a 1:1 aide or para on your child’s IEP. From what qualifies a child for a 1:1 aide to getting the para on the IEP.
Is your head spinning at IEP meetings because of all the acronyms? Here are some of the most commonly used Disability and Special Education Acronyms. Free printable!
What to do if you are denied an IEP because “his grades are fine!”
Perfect Attendance Awards Perfect attendance awards are a terrible idea. I get it–I get why they were developed. To encourage kids with chronic absenteeism to…
You don’t find failing public schools and charter schools in wealthy neighborhoods.
Autism and Age-Appropriate Interests “Who gets to decide what is an age-appropriate interest for a disabled or autistic child?” This is an issue that has…
How do I know if the IEP is working? Your child getting an IEP is not the final step in your IEP journey. It is…
Parents, you need to take ownership of the IEP transition goals and process for your child. Here’s how to start.
Parenting a Disabled Child This might be the biggest decision you’ll ever make as a parent. I’m talking about the decision to be happy. No,…
FBAs and Behavior Plans FBAs and Behavior Plans are a common component of IEPs. And, after 12 years of advocacy, I’m seeing the same issues…
One Mom’s Perspective of the IEP Process. I have always made clear that my interest is in my child, his well-being, and his functioning on…
Citizen and Parent Advocacy I think we’re in this for the long haul. I wrote this right after the 2016 election, in hopes of inspiring…
Special Needs Mom Burnout On Tuesday, when my son came home from school, his newly revised IEP was in his backpack. All 54 pages of…
How to Write IEP Parent Concerns. I’m going to wag my finger at you–from this day forward, you do a Parent Concerns Letter for your…
8 Ways the Special Education System Really is Stacked Against Parents. The special education system is stacked against parents. It’s not your imagination. It is…
I know they mean well. People. They ask. But the holiday season just ended and I.am.exhausted. Mentally, not physically. Emotionally. My son has significant health…
Questions about Disability A few weeks ago, my younger son (non-disabled) had a friend over to play. We’ve known this family for about 6 months….
Public Education Reform I call myself a Public Education supporter. I advocate, I lobby, I educate myself on the issues. Public education benefits our society,…
Questions for School Board Candidates “I’d go, but what would I ask?” I always encourage IEP parents to attend candidate forums. But that is the…
You should tell the media about this! It’s a really common piece of IEP advice. And, I get it. Our kids are treated horribly sometimes….
Become an IEP Educational Surrogate Have you heard of being an IEP educational surrogate parent? Many times parents ask me how they can give back…
Hey, Special Needs Moms-You complain too much! Really, you do. I mean, c’mon already. Aren’t you tired of all the complaining? I am. No, really,…
The Special Education Battle. I woke up this morning and put my armor on. I am weary and broken, but there is still a war…
How do you introduce your Disabled Child? Do you know what an elevator pitch is? I attend lots of workshops for bloggers and PR stuff,…
Me too. You’ve seen this, right? The “me too” campaign going on right now in social media? If you’ve been sexually harassed, you’re to put…
Ah, Sunday mornings. I love them. I often try to feed my dogs later and let them out later than usual on Saturday evenings, so…
 “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi. I’m taking a year long training program to become a Certified Special…
In a post I did yesterday, I highlighted a bit of history from the Disability Rights movement and how we got to where we are…
Like many parents, while my kids are young I am trying to introduce them to a variety of extra-curricular activities. It can be tough when…
Today I testified before our state’s Special Education Funding Commission. This group of individuals has been charged with the responsibility of evaluating the special ed…
It’s hard to believe, but over two months have passed since I went with my boys and Kevin’s TSS over to Bucks County for the…
Yesterday was such an exciting day for me and Kevin. We were invited to join the Education Law Center and Arc of PA in Harrisburg…
Most of you have already seen this Letter to the Editor that I wrote to the Daily Local. I’m putting this on here more for…
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