I recently had a conversation with a family and was guiding them on their school refusal issues with their child. Their situation had progressed to the point where they found themselves in truancy ...

School refusal is a behavior. It might seem controversial for me to state that, but I don’t think so, and here’s why. I’ve been a vocal critic of poorly done FBAs and behavior plans, and pointing out ...

School refusal is often treated as the problem to solve. But in most cases, it is a signal and not the root issue. That’s where many families and schools get stuck. The focus stays on attendance: how ...

If you’re a parent navigating the IEP waters in Illinois (and let’s face it, you are), knowing your state’s regulations is going to be essential going forward. The federal law, the Individuals with ...

I’ve been a special education advocate, professionally, for 15 years. I am well aware of the tension or contentious nature of IEP meetings that exists. Sometimes downright hostile. Of course, no one ...

In Your IEP Playbook: A Parent’s Guide to Confident Advocacy, disability parent and special education advocate Lisa Lightner delivers a practical guide for parents and caregivers of children with ...

Ok, so social media has been in a tizzy for the past week over this. Here’s what we know so far, as far as the possible OSEP shutdown and the Special Education Layoffs. This is longer than I had ...

You’ve been told you have parents rights in special education. At every IEP meeting, someone slides a thick booklet across the table: Procedural Safeguards, Parents’ Rights, Notice of Action, whatever ...

When parents first hear the phrase Specially Designed Instruction (SDI), it can feel overwhelming and abstract. You might wonder, “Okay, but what does that actually look like in a classroom?” The ...

You know that moment when you realize your kid has been “getting support” for months (or years), and still can’t decode a simple word or solve a basic math problem? Yeah. That. It’s one of the most ...

Do your students ask you how to spell “because” three times a week, even though it’s on the word wall? It might be time to dust off those dictionary skills. And yes, I included the answer keys with ...

Additionally, we are reviewing the entire Don’t IEP Alone course catalog to determine which sessions are appropriate to be added to the CEC/PD offering. In particular, the recorded sessions from ...