Catherine Whitcher, M.Ed

There's an Instagram post that is driving me crazy... actually 3 posts. So I had to speak out, even if I hardly had a voice from my cold. 

If you want to continue the conversation and get more details on how to write IEP goals that make sense (and help your child make progress).... START HERE.

Mentoring IEP Coaches is EXCITING! Knowing that IEPs across the country are going to be changed by people (like you) who want to dig in and work with IEP teams, while keeping the child first makes my heart full.

One of the first questions I get when someone is considering Becoming and IEP Coach is... what will I do all day?

Let me share that you will never lack for things to do. It will be up to you how busy you want to be. How many families you want to help. How many IEP coffee talks you want to host... its YOUR practice. You design your days for what works for you.

Here's a little of what works for me...

1. I start my day with coffee... I actually didn't begin my coffee habit until my 30's, but my warm mug, my planner, and starting my day with intention is a MUST for me now!
   
   
2. IEP Reviews - going over IEP documents parents have sent to me along with the parent telling me their top 3 concerns for their child's education. I'm reading and taking notes on how we can use their child's IEP...

I've always liked experiences vs things, but when my daughter suffered from severe seizures and I turned into an official "special needs mom"... experiences and living days to their fullest became even more important to me.

So this year, as my oldest graduated 8th grade and we couldn't think of anything material that she really wanted, we started to plan a trip.  It was decided that I'd take only her with me for a mom and daughter trip to hang out before the big years of high school begin.  I'll do the same with my youngest when she graduates next year.

As a special needs mom and single mom, there are so many things to consider when traveling! Where can we stay that is kid-friendly, access to everything, including our dietary needs and let's us feel safe as women traveling. 

We decided to head to New York! My daughter, Julianne, LOVES photography and I knew she'd struggle to put her camera down on this trip. Which is exactly what I wanted.

My biggest decision was how...

A few months ago I was speaking at a local Down syndrome organization's monthly meeting and they gave away copies of this book! I've fallen in love with the simple message, the bright colors and the modern day "differences" that we are seeing in ALL families. 

So often parents and teachers are looking for books that teach inclusion in an easy way through real life examples... this book does just that!

Get your copy on Amazon HERE

PARENTS, NEED IEP HELP? START HERE

MORE IEP HELP FOR PARENTS INSIDE THE IEP HELP CENTER: CLICK HERE TO ACCESS

It was great meeting you this past week!

Here are the resources we discussed... Please let me know if you have any questions, you can reach my team at [email protected]

Online IEP Help Center - This is the BEST place for us to work together and get results FAST!  LEARN MORE HERE

Become an IEP Coach - This mentorship walks you through EVERY piece of the IEP process and shows you how to start your own IEP Coaching practice to help others in your community. LEARN MORE HERE

ACCOMMODATIONS & MODIFICATIONS CHECKLIST: GET IT HERE

Books I shared that can be bought on Amazon:

Parents, Teachers and IEP Teams, It's time to ask...

What is the child's schedule?

It wasn’t until I worked on the inside of the school system, as a special education teacher, that I realized what a balancing act it was to coordinate everyone’s schedule. I had a classroom of 5 students that were my responsibility all day and each of those students had at minimum 3 different therapies each. Then add in inclusion time, recess, bathroom breaks, and the individual needs of each student and it turned into organized chaos. Every child received their minutes of services from me and their therapists, but was it done in the most effective way? Honestly, I don’t know. I hope so. I made the best effort to make sure the schedule was working, every day, but in reality… nobody ever questioned me.

A child’s schedule was barely touched on between teachers, admins & parents, in my district. However, it was an everyday concern between me and my support staff in the...

I'm sitting with my cup of coffee, on a snowy spring morning and catching up on my emails when I come across some advice that is being given to parents... and it's not sitting with me well.  It's encouraging "game playing" when advocating for your child. That's not going to work... not "these days".

I've been coaching parents, teachers, and IEP teams for over 20 years. I've worked on the "inside" as a teacher and have worn about many different hats on IEP teams from the "outside". I can tell you one thing with certainty... The Special Education "Game" has changed and old school "us vs them" strategies don't work for good long term outcomes.

Leadership is what is truly being craved by our special education teams. This includes EVERYONE on the team, parents, teachers, therapists, admins and yes... the child.

We need LEADERS on our teams who will do these 4 things:

1. Listen - Really open up our ears and our minds to what the root of the conversations and concerns are about, without...