Stephanie Turner

If you've sat through an IEP meeting and left wondering whether you were actually part of the team, or just present for it, this post is for you. "Parental participation" is one of those phrases that gets used a lot in special education and rarely gets explained. Schools will tell you they value it. It's written into the law. And yet plenty of parents leave meetings having said quite a bit, and changed nothing. So what is this concept actually supposed to look like, and how do you tell the...

It looks good on paper, but, What to Do When the School Isn't Following Your Child's IEP

The first day of school photos are taken, the backpacks are packed, and your child is settling into a new classroom, new teachers, and a new routine. But if your child has an IEP or 504 plan, the start of the school year is about more than school supplies — it's your first, and best, opportunity to make sure your child's plan is actually being followed. Too many parents find out something has gone wrong months into the year, after progress has already been lost. The good news is that a few...