Inclusive Education Project (IEP) Podcast

We were recently featured on Dr. Karen Wilson’s Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast. Today’s episode is a replay of that conversation where we discuss what parents can do over the summer to help prepare their child for a successful upcoming school year. Whether your child has been in a summer school program or on a mental health break over the summer, there are specific things you can do t...

Barbara Arrowsmith Young joins Amanda and Vickie on today’s podcast. Brain plasticity, how brains learn and how they develop, and how we can be better at providing learning environments and programs for not only kids who are differently-abled, but all kids, are the highlights they’ll be covering. Don’t miss this fascinating, cutting-edge insight! Barbara Arrowsmith Young is the Founder of Arr...

We are taking a break over the summer, so this is “goodbye–see you later” for a few weeks. We will return for the 2022-2023 school year, hoping for a smoother and better-executed plan for our students. We hope that we’ve brought some helpful information and inspiration to get you through these challenging times in education. Join us today for a few key takeaways and reminders. *We will be replayin...

Welcome to the official start of summer and to our exciting conversation with author, innovator, researcher,  educator and teacher, and entrepreneur, Barbara Fernandes, as we discuss her involvement in technology.  Barbara Fernandes, an award-winning Brazilian-American Speech-Language Pathologist, immigrated to the United States as an adult with very limited English skills. She went on t...

We made it! This long and awful school year is finally over. It was its own unique beast unlike any other with so many challenges. COVID has disrupted two full school years now, so we have high hopes for a more normal upcoming school year. With that in mind, accommodations are a big part of the IEP for any student, and this conversation takes a closer look. Join us to learn more from today’s guest...

Today’s guest takes us on a fascinating and educational journey into ableism,  the study of disabilities and prejudices of disabilities. Dr. Michelle Nario-Redmond, a social psychologist at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, joins Amanda and Vickie to discuss changing people’s perceptions about disability. Michelle is the author of Ableism: The Causes and Consequences of Disability Prejudice, and...

There is nothing lighthearted about this episode as we come to you with heavy hearts today. Here we are on the heels of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and every parent and teacher has strong emotions about what happened. This fresh tragedy brings to mind the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, and some of us “elder millennials” even remember the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999. Whatever...

In the world of education, we focus so much attention on academic progress and the details of those IEP meetings. One aspect of education that is often overlooked is the role that play and leisure can have in reaching students, improving their communication skills and self-confidence, and learning to engage with others while having fun. Join us to learn more from today’s guest! Rose Griffin has un...

The end of the school year is happening over the next few weeks all around the country. Like us, many parents, teachers, and professionals are involved in IEP meetings galore. We believe that parents need to be empowered to take an active role in the IEP process. Join us to learn more from our expert guest! Beth Liesenfeld is the host of the Elevate Your Advocacy podcast and the founder of Parent...

The pandemic brought many changes to the world of education, including how children with specific needs can access the services available to them. We still have SO far to go, and many changes need to happen to help parents and their children get the help they deserve. Join us to learn more! ToniAnn Loftus is a speech-language pathologist in private practice in Manhattan. After working at the Rebec...

Challenging behavior is a constant problem for teachers and parents in both general education and special education classrooms. Our guest today provides insight into the best ways to collect and use behavior data to formulate workable solutions. Join us to learn more! Christine Reeve is the creator of Autism Classroom Resources, an online community for special educators. Coming from a long line of...

Today’s show is a follow-up to Episode 210 about transitions between learning levels and milestones. In this conversation, we take a close look specifically at the Transition Plan from high school forward. Join us to learn more! Show Highlights: Why transition plans MUST be part of the student’s IEP by age 16 and can include college, employment, and additional life skills Why the options for exiti...

Here we are in April already! Spring Breaks have happened and are happening at this time all around the country. As we move forward in the countdown to the last few weeks of the school year, we want to use this episode to talk about transition IEP meetings that should be happening as a student moves from one setting to another, like from preschool to kindergarten, from elementary to middle school,...

As we are in the final push of the school year, it’s a good time to check in with others and their mental wellness after the pandemic trauma of the last two years. Students, parents, and teachers have all felt the mental and emotional drain, and the toll on learning has been enormous. Social skills and emotions have EVERYTHING to do with how a student learns, and today’s guest is a proven expert....

Inclusion advocate and author, Nate Trainor, joins us on the podcast today to discuss his personal fight for inclusion. Nate shares his personal journal of exclusion along with what his personal mission is today.  Not only are we joined by Nate on today’s episode, but we are excited to also speak to Nate’s mother, Jean Trainor, and his 6th-grade teacher and family friend, Shelby. Nate is an a...

We are so excited to welcome Dr. Angela Jean Louis to the podcast today. Dr. Angela is a political scientist, educational advocate and has designed educational frameworks for academic success. Dr. Angela left academia to start her business, Leadership Concepts Institute, LLC,  a personal growth and professional development company. She works with businesses, educational institutions, and indi...

Here we are, moving right along in 2022! We just attended our virtual annual national conference, which is always very helpful for us. It’s always great to learn what is going on in our field with other attorneys across the country and hear about the current hot topics in special education. Today’s show gives a great perspective on supporting students and families through the IEP process.  We...

As the school year continues in full swing with in-person learning, inclusion has never been a more important topic. Today’s conversation takes a deep dive into inclusion through the eyes of a new documentary film. Join us! Hilda and Olivier are filmmakers and parents of their son, Emilio. Through their documentary, Forget Me Not, they share the personal impact of NYC’s segregated education system...

We are focusing today on one of our favorite topics: inclusion. Our guest shares how he is working with districts across the country to bring more inclusion, along with the most common misconception most educators have about inclusivity. Join us to learn more! Tim Villegas is the Director of Communications for the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (MCIE), the founder of Think Inclusive, a...

We are always interested in how speech and language pathologists are providing their services and collaborating with school districts. Join us for a conversation with today’s guest about her experience working with students.  Suzanne Aldrich has been a speech therapist for over a decade. After starting her career working with adults, she moved into the public school system to work with young...

It’s always interesting to see how things in special education law can be similar from state to state–and yet so different in many ways. Join us for an inside look with today’s guest. Lisa Hernandez is a special education attorney in New Jersey. She is a mom of three who came to this field because one of her children has disabilities. With a background in disability discrimination and employment d...

Today’s show covers the topic of critical disability studies as they relate to creating inclusive early childhood environments. We will take a hard look at what inclusion really means and why it’s not happening in many classrooms. Join us for a closer look! Nicole Eilers lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children. She studied child development and family studies and went on to...

Today’s conversation gives an interesting perspective on speech therapy. Join us to learn why sensory integration is a crucial component for autistic students with learning challenges.    Jessie Ginsburg is a sensory integration-trained speech and language pathologist. From southern California, Jessie ended up working in Washington, DC, where she connected with Jake Greenspan, the co-fou...

With more school closures and changes in quarantine guidelines, there is not much consistency across school districts right now. This timely episode covers more ways to have access to technology and appropriate apps for students of all ages with special needs. Join us to learn more! Zafer Elcik is the co-founder of Otsimo, a platform that provides inclusive apps for students across the world for e...

Today’s show focuses on different ways to deliver educational services and a school district doing it the right way. The key is changing mindset from the established educational culture that has made people believe that “separate is better.” Join us to learn more! Kurt Schneider has served as superintendent of the TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804 for more than six years. Suzanne Sands is the...