Writing effective IEP goals is harder than it sounds. Parents use progress on these goals to measure their child’s special education placement and services, meaning it is a huge part of how we know whether they are working or need…
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Timing: Ask for what you want Ask for a two-hour IEP team meeting. You will have to take off work, arrange child care, and find parking at a busy school, so you should make it worth your while. We see…
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When you find yourself in the special education world, there are many reasons to hire an advocate. Most parents just want to have an IEP meeting, discuss their child’s needs, create goals and services, and sign the document. While this…
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The beginning of a new school year can be scary for many families whose students have IEPs. Often it means new service providers, teachers, classrooms, peers, and schedules. Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate some of the anxiety and stress…
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Many parents of atypical children want those children to be taught alongside their typically developing peers. Often, parents have an idea of how they want that to look: their child will form friendships and be exposed to age-appropriate lessons, with typical…
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Have you ever: Been in an IEP meeting where it feels like the district’s team is talking at you? Received a thick pile of reports during an IEP meeting? Found information in those reports that surprises you? Had district or…
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Although IEP baselines are critical, they are often overlooked in IEP writing. SMART is a well-known acronym that represents the aspects of a well-written goal: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic/relevant, and time-based. However, some districts still write goals that cause us…
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We often hear from parents who are planning to call an “Emergency IEP” with their child’s school district. This is usually because there are urgent reasons to update their child’s IEP or a crisis that necessitates holding an IEP team…
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We hear some interesting things in our work, and by interesting, we mean not true. Often, these statements are offered with great sincerity and make us stop and wonder, “Did they really say that?” The following statements are things that…
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Extended School Year (ESY), or special education services beyond the usual school year, came about because of IDEA. Students who have IEPs or who qualify under Section 504 have to be considered for ESY services. For this blog post, we will…
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