The Collaborative IEP

Dr. Annie McLaughlin joins us today to talk about behavior supports at school.  We’ll learn what behavior analysts do, how they work in schools, and how the involvement of a behavioral analyst can be an asset in an IEP team.  Dr. Annie talks and talk and walks the walk… she works as a special education advocate in Maryland and has so much valuable experience. Even if you’re in the choir,...

When you think “IEP team,” do you think “teamwork?”  The question is also preposterous!  But it doesn’t have to be.  Congress called it an IEP team and required the participation of certain individuals.  Certainly, they wanted us to act as a real, functional team.  We know that when IEP teams actually work as teams, they’re far more effective, which means the student sees...

The #1 question people ask me after consultations is, “How do I become an advocate?”  Tons of parents and educators see the important work of advocacy and get curious!  How do advocates become advocates?  Just like that!!!  Today we’ll hear from Lisa Richer, an advocate that has developed a system called RIPE Ideas, about her advocacy journey!  I bet you’ll be able to pict...

Do you ever feel lonely as a parent in the disability community? Ever feel like the whole world is against you? Just me? JK- I know we all feel that isolation and stress, and I hope this week’s podcast will be a huge help. This week I’m talking to my friend, Shemica Allen, special education advocate, about Red Flags at the IEP Table. This episode will help you understand t...

You might call it filling your cup. I igniting the fire! Networking with people in my community, attending conferences, getting dumped on. These are all reminders of why we do our advocacy. Keeping the children that we love at the center of our advocacy is really the key, and sometimes we just need a little reminder. In today’s episode, we talk about that fire within us and how to fuel it. Transcr...

The first episode I recorded with school-psych-turned-advocate, April Rehrig, has been on my Top Ten list since it launched. It makes sense then that I had her back as my first-ever repeat guest! April delivers again in this episode! Join us as we talk about how to get an evaluation for your child. No, we are not just talking about eligibility and that initial request for an evaluation. We are tal...

Thinking inclusively is not only a mindset for today’s podcast guest; it’s his job. Tim Villegas joins me on today’s episode to talk about inclusive education. Tim founded a company called Think Inclusive, and it’s now the blog for the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. Tim and I will chat about what “inclusion” really means, how to get a more inclusive environment, and much, much more! T...

Every special education advocate has uttered the sentence, “I should go to law school;” and every special education attorney has considered a Masters Degree in special education.  Why?  Because we all acknowledge the 3 foundational skills that all effective advocates – parents, teachers, and other professionals alike – need.  In today’s episode I’ll talk about those three skills and...

This episode is a 2022 Year in Review!!!  I’ll walk you through a few trends that I saw in my own office and in the larger special education advocacy community.  I’ll also introduce you to my 2023 Free Virtual Conference AND a new product that we’re rolling out in 2023!!!  Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/EzpZ6Ia9aSY 2023 Conference: https://ashleybarlowco.com/conference-...

Today we welcome Erin Yolac, an educational advocate from sunny California!  Erin and I explore her advocacy journey through the lens of her own educational experiences.  Erin will talk directly to parents, particularly those whose children have been diagnosed with dyslexia and/or ADHD, and will give lots of tips and empathy to them.  We’ll talk about the importance of early interve...

Christmas Chaos!  It’s so normal and relatable.  But wouldn’t you rather relate to people with a peaceful heart and mind?!  In today’s episode, I give you TEN (yes, ten) tips for surviving the holidays with your neurodiverse family, but let me tell you… these tips support you are caregivers, as well as your other family members, too!  Our first ever BONUS episode is a good one...

Beth Liesenfeld was an OT that provided school-based supports for years.  She observed families that got what they wanted and deserved and families that didn’t.  She made notes of her observations and started helping families advocate more effectively with her experiences and observations!  Join Beth and me for a co-hosted/co-published podcast on Advocacy from the Inside Out. ...

Better Speech? Yes please! In today’s episode, I talk with Lenora Edwards, a speech and language therapist, about online speech therapy and language development. You’ll learn how language develops in children as they grow from babies into school-aged children and how to facilitate language as a parent and teacher. Lenora provides virtual speech and language therapy at Better Sp...

You keep the data. You report the data. You’re all about the data. But they still don’t listen! Have you ever tried to capitulate your child’s data in a chart or graph? This simple advocacy strategy can be super helpful and might just make a difference in your child’s next IEP meeting. In today’s episode I’ll walk you through an Excel tutorial… wait! I promise it...

In today’s episode of the podcast, I will review for common pitfalls in progress monitoring. I grabbed these pitfalls from an article, but they are definitely things that I have seen in my practice repeatedly. Of course, you know I will give you strategies and solutions so you can avoid the pitfalls, and address them if errors occur.

In today’s episode, we are going to talk about all of the ancillary information that can impact data. This information is super important to understand and to consider when evaluating data. Incoming weeks we will talk about what to do with this information and how it can, impact, advocacy, instruction, and more. Data feels a little like Bruno. We should probably talk about it, but nobody wants to....

Conflict adverse? This episode is for you! A few weeks ago, I was sitting in an IEP meeting and used a negotiation strategy that I’d just used in parenting Jack. I realized the irony… our children TEACH us skills that help us advocate for THEM! In today’s episode we’re talking about two skills that you’ve probably developed in parenting your children that will immensely enhance...

A couple weeks ago, I was asked to speak on a Hot Topic in special education advocacy at a conference for people with ADHD. Without hesitating, I suggested that I speak about executive functioning – and not only EF – but really HOW to advocate for better supports for students that struggle with executive functioning. Let me tell you--- this is coming up in soooooo many IEP meetings in my...

It seems so simple. Too simple. Unbelievably simple. Like do negotiation experts actually teach this? Do law schools professors actually harp on this? Is it seriously the bane of the mediator’s existence? Friends, in today’s episode I give you THE most simple negotiation strategy. It’s one that you think you know. But wait. You might need to know more a...

In preparing for my new job, I’ve been cleaning my office building and preparing to rent it out. It’s been a real trip down memory lane. As I’ve thought about all of my favorite attorneys and advocates, a few verbs kept circulating through my mind. In today’s episode we dive into the mindset of attorneys and advocates. How do we work? What makes us tick? How do we achieve success for our clients?...

A Book called “The Behavior Code?” Yes please! In today’s episode, I summarize one of my most favorite books, “The Behavior Code,” by Jessica Minahan and Nancy Rappaport, MD. Let me tell you… if you read just the first 26 pages of this book, you’ll be able to talk to your child’s school team so much more effectively! And if you commit to 42 pages, you’ll also be able to suggest...

My dad, our beloved Kurtie, often prays, “God, give me patience, and give it to me NOW!” If you’re a parent in special education, you can relate to this, and you may have whispered, “God, give me resources, and give them to me NOW!” The fact is that there are soooo many resources about special education and advocacy on-line… so many, in fact, that it is hard to determine where the best resources e...

One of the things I use most often in my advocacy is the United States Department of education's policy documents. These documents can help yield learn about a particular topic, turn into what a district might be thinking, and tears out certain elements of special education laws. They can be hard to find, because sometimes they get buried in websites, so in today's episode, I walk you through how...

I see this trend at IEP meetings…. Teams start discussion topics like inclusion or strategies like reading interventions, and they keep getting stuck. The real reason they’re getting stuck is because the child is struggling with BEHAVIOR! If a child isn’t regulated or prepared for learning, the interventions are far less likely to work. So, parents can advocate for better behavior strategies. This...

I had my first IEP meeting of the school year last week, and when my client told me it was the first one that didn’t make her cry in years, it hit me. Parents feel more confident when I am at their meetings, because I help them understand the law. I take time to educate them about special education process, which is founded in the law, and intern, they gain super important confidence. In today’s e...