The Collaborative IEP

How do you make sure your voice as a parent is truly heard at an IEP meeting? In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, I talk about parent participation as a strategy rather than something that just happens in the room. With so many of you heading into fall IEP meetings, I want you to start thinking about how you communicate before, during, and after the meeting, instead of walking in and...

How do you handle your own stress as a caregiver, especially when your body seems to be working against you? In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, I'm talking about caring for the caregiver and why it matters for co-regulation with our children. Parents of kids with disabilities carry an extra layer of stress on top of everything else life brings, and our bodies keep the score. I share...

Trying to get more minutes of specially designed instruction into your child's IEP? Or fewer, so there's more room in the general education classroom? In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, I explain why the real question is never actually about minutes at all, and how building the IEP in the right order gets you closer to what you actually want. In this episode, I explain: • Why reques...

What is the one thing that can turn a productive IEP meeting into a standstill in a matter of seconds? In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, I talk about how easily a meeting can get derailed, not because anyone was unkind, but because someone tried to summarize a hard topic quickly and left too much unsaid. I share a story from my years doing family law negotiation that shows exactly...

What do you do if you don't like the language in your child's IEP? In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, I answer a question that came in from a Down syndrome association and applies to almost every family I work with: what to do when the wording in an IEP or evaluation feels off, unfair, or just plain wrong. Parents are not only allowed to weigh in on how an IEP is written, they are s...

How do you actually get more minutes in your child's IEP? In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, I'm answering one of the questions I hear most, whether that means more special education minutes, more time with a related service provider, or more of a specific intervention. It's a question that comes up constantly at intake, and it deserves a real answer. In this episode, I explain: • T...

Is my IEP good, and is the school doing everything it should be doing? In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, I take on a question I hear all the time, one I gathered from parents at the Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action Conference: is this IEP good, and is the school doing everything it should? I think we're asking the wrong question, and today I explain why that matters. In this epis...

This episode publishes on the first day of school in my district, and I am starting the year with a thank you to teachers. In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, I highlight the people who make a school a community. I tell you about my fifth grade science teacher, who was also my neighbor and my mom's colleague, and what watching her taught me about advocacy long before I ever sat at an...

We're back, friends, and we're back right on time for back to school season. In this episode, I'm sharing my tried and true method for getting your child's team ready for the new school year, and it starts with something you already have in your house: one of those barely used notebooks that came home in June. I'll walk you through exactly how I use it, what to jot down over the next two or three...

Can a private therapist come into your child’s school to support their IEP or 504 plan? In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, we continue the conversation around navigating complex IEP situations by answering one of the most common questions parents and advocates ask: whether an outside provider can or should be brought into the school setting. In this episode, I explain: Whether you c...

In this episode, I share a personal reflection on stress, caregiving, and advocacy, along with what I’ve learned about recognizing when pressure and intimidation are affecting your ability to advocate clearly. In this episode, I discuss: How stress affects our bodies, decision-making, and advocacy Why caregiving and advocacy roles can create significant pressure What it feels like when meetings or...

Have you ever walked into an IEP meeting and felt like the room was stacked against you? In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast , I talk about something many parents and advocates experience but don’t always know how to name: the stress and intimidation that can happen when schools bring large teams of staff into special education meetings. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for havi...

Have you ever brought up something at an IEP meeting — and the team simply didn’t know what you were talking about? Sometimes the issue isn’t disagreement. It’s a lack of knowledge. In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast , we explore what to do when your IEP team lacks training or familiarity with the research, practices, or concepts you’re raising. Whether you’re discussing the science...

Do you ever leave an IEP meeting thinking, “That one test score does not tell the whole story”? In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast , we tackle what happens when schools rely on a single data point — a MAP score, an iReady number, one behavior report, or one teacher comment — to justify denying services or changing placement. This installment in the “Seven Simple Solutions to Solve Yo...

A Simple Special Education Advocacy Strategy for Parents Do you ever leave an IEP meeting feeling frustrated, unheard, or completely misunderstood? If you’re a parent navigating special education, you are not alone. In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, we break down a simple, practical advocacy strategy you can use when school staff don’t seem to understand your concerns, your child’s...

Have you ever walked into an IEP meeting and immediately felt it? The tension. The forced smiles. The “we’re fine” energy that is very much not fine. In this episode, we talk about what to do when the room feels hostile before the first agenda item is even mentioned — when people look uncomfortable, defensive, or already annoyed… and you’re trying to advocate without getting pulled into the emotio...

Advocating for your child can feel isolating, exhausting, and deeply personal. Even when you understand the system, there are moments when the stress, emotion, and stakes make it nearly impossible to do it alone. In this episode, I share a candid look at what it really feels like to hit that point — including my own recent experience navigating an IEP challenge for my family. We talk about the sig...

We’ve all hit that moment in an IEP meeting where the conversation just… stops. No agreement. No movement. Just two sides locked in place. That’s impasse — and when it happens at school, walking away isn’t really an option. In this episode, I go back to the foundations of advocacy and negotiation to talk about what to do when discussions stall and you’re stuck in that uncomfortable space between w...

Okay, "bullying" may be a strong term, but we've all been there. Advocating for your child can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re being told “this is just how it is.” In this episode, in which I again take us back to the roots of The Collaborative IEP, we refocus on the advocacy and negotiation skills parents need when school teams hold the power and control the narrative. While we often foc...

Advocating for your child can feel overwhelming—even when you know a lot. In this episode, I come back to the roots of The Collaborative IEP and refocus on the advocacy side of special education. I revisit the three skills I believe are essential to advocating successfully for your child: understanding special education law, understanding special education practice, and having strong advocacy and...

Advocating for your child can feel overwhelming—even when you know a lot . In this episode, I go back to the roots of The Collaborative IEP to break down the three essential skills every parent advocate needs to navigate special education with more confidence and less burnout. Along the way, I share a very real “life lately” check-in, including the challenges of an unstructured holiday break, the...

If you’ve ever looked around at your life and thought, “Why does everything feel so hard and why am I handling it better than I expected?” — this conversation is going to feel like a long exhale. Today, I’m joined by my friend Kara Riska , host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast and a seasoned coach who helps mothers navigate the emotional load of raising children with disabilities. What started as...

If you’ve ever looked at your child and thought, “How can someone so smart fall apart over a planner, a backpack, or one tiny assignment?” — this episode is going to feel like a deep breath. Today I’m talking about something I’m seeing everywhere right now: executive functioning struggles that masquerade as motivation or behavior issues. Between advocacy work, school visits, and conversations with...

If you’ve ever sat in an IEP meeting thinking, “How on earth are multilingual families supposed to navigate this?” — this episode is going to feel like a deep breath and a flashlight. I’m joined by Colleen, a speech-language pathologist turned advocate who spends her days doing two things most people only talk about: supporting bilingual learners in early intervention and showing up at the IEP tab...

If you’ve ever wondered whether your child’s struggles with reading are actually connected to ADHD, learning differences, confidence, or all of the above , this episode is going to feel like a giant exhale. I’m joined by Megan Penrod, founder of Developing Readers Academy, who brings a fresh, whole-child approach to literacy. Yes, she teaches phonics. Yes, she uses Orton-Gillingham. But she also t...