One of the less-commonly discussed items in special education is when to hire a special education advocate. Most parents call us when they hit a roadblock with their child’s school district. Often the parent is not being heard at an…
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The role of a special education advocate is very specific, even if it incorporates a variety of different skills. Every IEP is different and advocates will not take the same approach for any two IEPs. There are so many ways…
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IEP goals need to be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic, and Time-sensitive. Let’s define measurability in SMART goals. We sit in a lot of IEP meetings where the teacher or therapists say “We were not sure what this goal…
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There are many elements to a well-written IEP. Two of the most important are SMART goals and well-written baselines. SMART Goals When creating a child’s IEP, it is important to have the team collaborate on SMART IEP goals. SMART is…
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When you choose between school districts for your child with special needs, remember that each school district offers a different level of special education services. It is important to thoroughly research schools before moving to an area! Qualifying criteria for…
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Goals drive services, supports, and placement when properly integrated into your child’s IEP. Goals give parents and educators a way to measure the student’s progress. Clear and specific baselines, combined with measurable goals, tell the IEP Team if the student…
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I used to believe that if I called an IEP meeting and explained what my concerns were, that would be enough to get things moving again. Sometimes this worked, and sometimes it didn’t. I lived in a district that was…
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Just when we think we have seen it all . . . nope! A district goes and surprises us. Here are some more “creative” IEP comments we’ve heard from our local school districts, along with what it means for you…
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For more context around these terms and information about mainstreaming, read part one of this series. What is “inclusion”? “Inclusion” is educating each child, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the regular education school and classroom he or she would…
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Many parents think the terms “mainstreaming” and “inclusion” mean the same thing. In the San Francisco Bay Area, they do not. What is “mainstreaming”? “Mainstreaming” is the term that most districts use to describe the selective placement of special education…
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