Does the eligibility category matter? My knee-jerk reaction is "NO!" BUT...there are several reasons why it can sometimes relate to what services and supports your child receives.  Listen to this episode if you have an iniital eligibility meeting or a re-evaluation meeting coming up! BLACK FRIDAY DEAL! New Course! If you are new to the IEP process and want to kickoff your advocacy on solid ground, check out The IEP Basics Mini-Course! From now until Saturday (11/26/2023) the course is 50% off with the code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout!  For just $44 you get an overview of the legal basics, the eligibility and re-eligibility process, the IEP process, and the IEP Paperwork! Learn more and snag your deal at https://TheIEPLab.com/Basics  BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE Add a month of The Parent Advocacy Club on at checkout and receive 50% off your first month as well! Get the support you need as a parent advocate so you can help your child get supported this year! PODCAST GUIDE  Need a guide to find the episodes most helpful for your situation? Download the free Podcast Listening Guide! https://TheIEPLab.com/LISTEN 

Ever wonder what these "dyslexia schools" are all about? How do you find one? Get into one? How much do they cost? And will your current district pay for them? Today our guest, Lisa Parnello of Parnello education, has all the answers for us (including outside placements that aren't for dyslexia challenges, too!) Connect with Lisa: https://ParnelloEducation.com  Dyslexia Devoted Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-74-the-iep-process-with-beth-from-the-iep-lab/id1628010878?i=1000633113014 Shownotes: https://TheIEPLab.com/episode151  Download your Free IEP Process Step-By-Step Guide: https://TheIEPLab.com/IEP  Check out all the free resources through The IEP Lab: https://TheIEPLab.com/freeresources 

Are you stairing at your child's progress reports and wondering what the heck is happening and trying to figure out if they are actually making progress? Tume into this episode to get a behind the scenes peek at progress reports and some common challenges.... ...as well as a discussion on HOW to fix those progress reports and goals both in the short term as a quick-fix, and in the long term! This is essentially how you ensure your child is learning...so a little on the important side! PLEASE take time to rate and review the podcast! This helps other parents just like you find the podcast! Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/365033878323074/?mibextid=oMANbw  Free podcast listening guide: https://theieplab.com/listen  Goals episode with Matt (episode #58): https://theieplab.com/episode58  

Are you tired of everyone talking about self-care and how important it is to be level-headed when advocating... ...but needing help in having some tools to actually DO that? It's so much harder to put into practice.  Today, Denise Kleinman is helping to introduce an actual tool you can use to process your advocacy emotions to have them stop getting in the way of effective advocacy.  Topics we address on this episode: 1) Why advocating is so emotional 2) How using tools (similar to tapping) help you advocate with more clairity 3) A real-time tapping example that directly relates to school meeting stress! New to the podcast? Download free tools at https://TheIEPLab.com/freeresources  Shownotes: https://TheIEPLab.com/episode149  Connect with Denise and have a fee tapping experience: https://tapintuition.com/fatigue

It's time we talk about 504's... Because this under-rated and often misunderstood learning plan is pretty amazing when it works and it's being implented!  ...but pretty useless if it's not.  Topics we cover today are:  1) 504's vs IEP (let's review the difference!) 2) Can you have BOTH an IEP & 504? (hint: I see this answered incorrectly alll the time!) 3) Common issues with 504's (ex: it not being implemented).  FREE Accommodations 101 Guide: https://theieplab.com/accommodations shownotes: https://theieplab.com/episode148 

The #1 thing I help parent advocates do is to focus in on WHAT their advocacy should be focused on.  SO! It's not suprising that we have to back up and ask ourselves some questions about the plan in place, and how it's working and how it isn't!  This is the recording of the free webinar we held last week to help parents answer 3 questions to determine if their child's IEP/504/other learning plan was effective, and YOU can listen to it today! Join The Parent Advocacy Club before Thursday: https://theieplab.com/CLUB  Free Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/365033878323074/?mibextid=oMANbw  Shownotes: https://theieplab.com/episode147

Ever wonder what evaluation test questions are like? Ever wonder if your child's knowledge is being truly captured in the evaluation report? Dr. Tinita Kearney, a speech language pathologist and PhD, discusses the importance of culturally relevant and dynamic evaluations and what that actually looks and sounds like. Here are some keys to the epidoe: 1) Find out why evaluations should go beyond standardized testing, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of your child's language and social skills. 2) Tinita outlines 4 aspects to an evaluation to look for in the report to truly repesent your child well 3) She discusses how evaluations naturally flow into good accommodations, goals, and services! Register for the FREE training this Friday! Come get support for deciding if your child's IEP/504 is working or not and what to do about it! https://TheIEPLab.com/FREE  Follow Tinita on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.t_slp/  Tinita's Website: https://www.tinitakearney.com/  Shownotes: https://TheIEPLab.com/episode146   

I overheard some teachers talking in a coffee shop a while ago...and I while I sat listening to them...offended...I also thought about how we (meaning you...and me!) can persuade them to think a little deeper. So today on the podcast, it's a bit different-because it's story telling time! Both in how staff learns behavior management (-or not-), and my own story of creating some change with a kiddo with "behaviors." We also tackle: -Why ABA in the schools is such a big deal. -What is PBIS? -And how we can actually have changing ideals from behavior being "dealt with" to changing the perspective to equal more and unique support needs? So is this week's episode excusing the archaic nature of schools and behavior? Absolutely not! Will it create an "ah-hah" moment that allows you to craft your questions and support requests in a way that makes staff question if "what they've always done" is really the best way? I sure hope so! Sign up for the FREE October 13th Parent Training: Is My Child's IEP/504 Working? https://TheIEPLab.com/FREE Shownotes: https://TheIEPLab.com/episode145 

In this episode, we dive into the topic of advocating when you are in a separated or divorced situation, and we have a fantastic guest joining us, Billie Tarascio of Modern Law. 5 keys that you'll learn: Understanding your child's educational rights: We'll discuss the concept of educational rights, both at the federal level (think IDEA!) and in terms of legal decision making rights for parents. Navigating consent for evaluation and services: Learn how to handle situations where one party in a separated or divorced situation may be resistant to seeking evaluations or accessing services for a child. Dealing with the emotional impact: Discover how the emotional turmoil of separation or divorce can affect your perception of your child's struggles and the challenges that arise when both parents are in conflict. Strategies to overcome challenges: Gain insights into effective ways to advocate for your child's needs, even in difficult circumstances, such as obtaining an independent evaluation when the school declines, and potentially seeking legal intervention if necessary. Building a strong support system: Learn the importance of seeking support from professionals, such as attorneys and advocates, as well as from other parents who have gone through similar experiences. And now, for a fun fact from the episode: Did you know that our guest, Billie, is not only an experienced attorney but also a mom to four kids, three of whom have IEPs? Her personal experience adds a unique perspective to her expertise in family law. LAST CHANCE to sign up for Penny Williams' summit happening THIS WEEKEND https://TheIEPLab.com/schoolstrugglessummit  FREE Empowered Parent Bundle (yep-more free resources!):  https://TheIEPLab.com/bundle Billie of Modern Law: https://mymodernlaw.com  Shownotes: https://TheIEPLab.com/episode144     

We all hear that we need to have our child's strengths in the IEPs...but what does that actually look like? Here's the main topics we are covering today: -Explanation of why IEPs are typically negative Importance of incorporating a child's strengths into the IEP Frustrations with Current IEP Practices How trengths can be pulled down into accommodations, goals, and services Three Steps for Promoting Strength-Based IEPs School Struggles Summit: https://TheIEPLab.com/schoolstrugglessummit Parent Advocacy Club: https://TheIEPLab.com/CLUB  Shownotes: https://TheIEPLab.com/episode143