Beyond the IEP Team: 6 Tips for Parent Participation at School
Get Involved with Your Child’s Education Beyond Academics Parent participation is crucial, but sometimes it feels like all eyes are on supporting your special needs child at school.
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Whether it’s Your First IEP or You’re a Pro: 10 things to Cover at the Meeting
1. Unveiling Your Child’s Learning Journey: Dive into Present Level of Performance (PLoP) Kick off your IEP meeting with clarity by addressing the Present Level of Performance – how it shapes tailored goals for strengths and needs alike.
Independence + Security Balance: Balancing Independence with Security Guardianship and Its Alternatives
Why Should You Read This? Discover actionable steps families can take today to balance independence and protection for adults with disabilities. Learn about practical alternatives to guardianship that safeguard rights while preserving autonomy, helping you confidently plan ahead.
Know Your Rights in the IEP Process: What Do those Procedural Safeguards Really Mean?
Your Rights Under IDEA: What Should Parents Know? Understanding these key rights under IDEA – the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act – will help you navigate an IEP meeting and ensure your child gets the support they need. First, the law requires schools to give parents a clear notice about their procedural safeguards.
Basic Blue Print for Advocating for Your Child with Special Needs
Discover Your Inner Strength Life isn’t always fair—and it certainly wasn’t when Wyatt entered ours. Discovering we’d need to navigate a new world of special needs parenting changed everything, but also brought unexpected joy and love.
How to Effectively Communicate on Your Child’s Behalf (Parent and Professional Tips)
Why Effective Communication Matters: Navigating Special Needs Education Imagine you’re an elementary teacher, tasked with creating a supportive environment for children from all backgrounds – each coming with unique strengths and challenges. Your mission? To keep parents in the loop about classroom activities while ensuring everyone works together to help every child thrive.
Physical Fitness and the IEP
Physical fitness matters for every student, including those with autism. Yet many IEPs miss the boat on adaptive PE—forcing kids into games they struggle to grasp and excel at. Nate’s story highlights why: while he loves participating, complex rules and quick decision-making leave him frustrated rather than engaged.
IEP Tools at Your Fingertips
Transform your next IEP meeting from daunting to dream team with these easy-to-use voice recorder apps designed specifically for parents navigating special education. Voice Recorder HD (Free!) lets you capture every word of the IEP process, offering long recording time and sharing capabilities—perfect for tracking accommodations or doctor’s suggestions between meetings.
IEP Prep: Using the Mama Bear Strategy
The Mama Bear Way: Unleashing Your Inner Fury for Your Child’s Education When I first faced an IEP meeting with my autistic son by my side, I approached it like any other business negotiation—calm, collected, and armed with all the evidence to support our case.
Organizing Your Child’s Special Education File: Do It Right
Why should I read this? Mastering special education paperwork isn’t just about organization—it’s your key to confident advocacy and empowered participation in crucial meetings. Imagine having every document at your fingertips when it matters most: from medical records to evaluations, progress reports to correspondence—your child’s educational journey captured clearly.