Join me for a FREE Facebook Live! SWOT Analysis Q&ASaturday, June 22, 2019 at 9 am PST Join my Special Ed Mom Facebook Group to participate! It’s FINALLY the end of school year. Was it worth it? In the early years, my family couldn’t wait for the relief that...
You may have read about me in Special Ed Mom’s Survival Guide. I’m Bonnie’s husband Steve, otherwise known as the dad who had a hard time letting go of my dreams for a typical son. Those days are behind me. As a professional mediator, I thought I could handle IEP...
In all my advocacy work as a parent, and all the individual work with students, I have found self-advocacy to be one of the most important skills that a student can develop. Self-advocacy is the ability to ask for the support that is needed in order to be successful...
I feel really fortunate to be interviewed by Michael Boll at California Special Needs Law Group. Michael is working on putting together a network of special education advocates so we can get to know advocates in different regions of California. Since we each work in...
Getting ready for an IEP meeting can be really nerve wracking, but it doesn’t have to be. If you know how to prepare and how to plan, the process can be easier than expected. I created the attached IEP Preparation Checklist with 20 different tasks you need to...
We all know that in the world of special education, if it isn’t in writing, it may not have happened. As Special Ed Parents, we need to remember that all requests and responses need to be done via email or printed letter. Optimally, multiple people will be...
Guest Post by James Lambka You know that public schools just aren’t equipped to give every child exactly what she needs; and, while you’d desperately like to, you just can’t do it all at home on your own either. There are, however, some proven...
Starting a new school year is a big chore for many teachers. They often have to create new curriculum and schools introduce new methodologies, and then of course all teachers get a new group of students. They may hear about your student from other teachers, but they...
The IEP Team is suppose to help support your child, but sometimes their approach can be misleading. Knowing the law is key when advocating for your child. In my book, Special Ed Mom Survival Guide, I spend considerable time helping you learn about the law and how to...
One of the most important things you can do when advocating for your child is to organize IEP paperwork! That is why I created the Ultimate IEP Binder Tool Kit, so parents like you can get all the information in one place. Why organize IEP paperwork? In chapter 33 of...
There seems to be a lot of confusion about IEP vs 504 plans. While both are covered within special education, only IEPs (individualized education programs) are covered under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). IDEA is the federal law that governs how...
Has your child been denied an IEP or 504? It is so common for schools to say that a child is not eligible for special education because the child has good grades or is too smart. The truth is, this is not a valid excuse for denying special education support. Sec....
A lot of time and effort goes into choosing the exact right accommodations to help your child in the classroom. Sometimes you even have to fight for them, even though they usually don’t cost the school any money. Even with all this careful consideration, they...
When providing an IEP, least restrictive environment (LRE) is an important concept for parents to understand. It relates to where they put your child for the daily classroom, and how much structure there is in your child’s educational day. IDEA defines the LRE...
I know how overwhelming and IEP meeting can be, and it is very difficult to know if they are covering everything they are suppose to. This is especially true if you do not have a special education advocate to help ensure everything is done properly. Not all IEP...
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