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 ...

What is an SDI on an IEP? Specially Designed Instruction (SDI is the acronym) might sound like a dry, technical phrase, but it’s actually one of my favorite parts of the IEP to talk about. The name ...

IEP guidance and resources, and advocacy-informed tools to support stronger IEPs and better outcomes for students. Created from years of real-world experience in IEP and 504 meetings.

Kids can be pretty hard on themselves. One mistake on a math worksheet, one spelling word they can’t remember, or one activity that doesn’t go as planned, and suddenly they’re saying things like: “I’m ...

What happens if a parent doesn’t sign an IEP? In many states, refusing to sign an annual IEP does not stop the school from implementing it. However, parental consent is required before a child ...

IEP guidance and resources, and advocacy-informed tools to support stronger IEPs and better outcomes for students. Created from years of real-world experience in IEP and 504 meetings.

I’ve attended more IEP meetings than I can count. Or even care to count. I get it–parents only call in a Special Education Advocate when there’s trouble. If you were happy with things, you wouldn’t ...

Teaching kids which group has more and which has less sounds pretty simple. Until you put five jellyfish on one side of a worksheet, eight fish on the other, and a child confidently tells you they’re ...

October 16, 2026 Update: Oregon School Shooting Yesterday, a gunman opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. Three children and a teacher were killed, and two others were injured.

Veterans Day is one of those school holidays where I think the activity needs a little more thought than “color the flag red, white and blue.” There’s nothing wrong with coloring a flag, of course.

Functional math goals often show up in IEP meetings as an afterthought, or worse, as a point of disagreement. You may see vague language about “real-world skills,” goals that sound appropriate but can ...

Inside: Yes, an IEP is a legally binding document. Understand the framework and laws behind IEPs and what to do if you have a legal dispute. Is an IEP a legal document? The short answer is yes. Yes, ...