Our Full IEP Agenda
Did you receive your full IEP agenda before your last meeting?
Parents, Teachers & Therapists... did you know what to expect when you walked into your last IEP meeting?
I've sat in on over a thousand IEP meetings in the past decade and one thing I can tell you for certain, there is no "standard" IEP format for meetings.
Every school, every district, every state will run their meetings just a little bit different.
This can be intimidating or confusing to ANYONE at the IEP table!
It's time to eliminate UNNECESSARY stress at your next IEP meeting.
Ask for an IEP meeting agenda.
No matter what your role is on the IEP team, you should know what is being talked about and in what order, when you show up to the IEP table.
We can't serve children well if we aren't all aware of what is happening BEFORE we sit down at the table.
IEP Truth: There's no law that says there needs to be an agenda. There's no rule that says everyone needs to know what is happening before the meeting....
Two Words in Special Education that Need to GO
There are two F's that happen all the time in Special Education... watch the video and hear them loud and clear. (Sorry, I got a little fired up with everyone who was watching on FB when I was teaching. You might need to turn your volume down.)
Are you ready to take the two F's out of YOUR special education experience?
Say yes to one of these next steps and make it happen!
- Become a Master IEP Coach - Parents, Teachers, Therapists, Admins... you are ALL welcome here. Learn More
- Parents - Focus on your own child's education and get everything you need to build the best IEP from the comfort of your home. You'll get your own special education video library and 24/7 access to our private community. JOIN NOW
I can't wait to work with you!
-Catherine
10 Ways to Emotionally Prep for an IEP Meeting
Special Needs Parents & Teachers, It's time to stop drowning in IEP stress. Take these steps and FEEL better in your next IEP meeting!
We all know there are hundreds of things that seem to need to be done before the meeting. Even just thinking about it can cause sleepless nights, high anxiety at home and overwhelm that just keeps building until meeting day.
Here's how I lower stress when prepping for IEP meeting after IEP meeting after IEP meeting... some of these might seem like they are "feely", but they work!
- Get all your IEP papers in one place. Physical papers in one place. All emails organized into folders inside of your email account. You don't have to go through all of it right now, just get it together.
- Write your parent input statement. (Teachers, help your parents build this statement.) It builds desired outcomes BEFORE the meeting. Not sure what I'm talking about? Parents, I teach you exactly how to do this, here. Teachers, you can get the tools,...
Spilled Kindness
Right after this pic, I dropped my vanilla lavender latte and just stood there looking at it splashed all over my shoes and the sidewalk.
My first thought was “ugh, I can’t believe I wasted my money”. (I’ve always been frugal.)
My second thought was “The barista told me to have an awesome Monday. Well, that’s not happening”.
My third thought was “I’m not going to let this ruin my day and start my week off wrong. I’m going back inside and I’m ordering another one.” (Pssst... this should’ve been my first thought, not third.)
I returned to the coffee shop and the barista had already seen what happened. He had my second drink almost ready by the time he asked me “did you have a little spill”.
His kindness of helping me through a little bump in my Monday turned my entire day around. Kindness is a superpower.
I thanked him several times, probably too many times. (Awkward!) I bet he still has know...
Mamma Bears & IEPs
I love this pic of Berny & her mamma bear mug! She recently finished the IEP Coach mentorship and is helping special needs parents in her community. Find out how, here.
Raise your hand if you've ever felt your "mamma bear" instincts when you've been sitting at an IEP meeting!
A little secret... I know teachers and therapists feel that way too. They take the responsibility of their students seriously and often get protective during IEP discussions.
I know because I was a teacher and I am a mom. It happens in both situations. I see it everyday when I'm helping parents and schools.
When a district or a parent brings me into an IEP "situation", it's usually because many of the team members are in "mamma bear" mode.
If you find yourself stuck in an IEP conversation that seems to be going nowhere, try this:
- Write down the end result that you are looking for, such as, "more inclusion time".
- Write down 3 ways that more inclusion could be...
OT, PT & Speech are NOT the same at school
I wish you could've heard the conversation I had last night with an Occupational Therapist who works in both the school system and a private therapy clinic.
I mean it's one thing for me to share with you my experiences as a former special education teacher and decades of special education consulting and it's a whole other level when you hear the experience from someone who is still in the trenches everyday.
First, let me just disclose... she loves her job in both locations, but she had to accept that they serve VERY different purposes.
At school, she's limited to how many minutes she provide, how she can advocate for a child, what tools she can use and what tasks she can tackle.
In her clinic she has opportunities to get creative and serve the child and family in whatever manner is needed to get results.
Now, you'd think this would make her dislike her job at the school, but it doesn't. It's just different. She told me over and over how she wished parents knew the difference of...
Face It to Fix It in Special Education!
| Why can't Special Education be easier?!?! I hear it at every one of my workshops from both parents and teachers. The truth is that most of the time Special Education struggles become 10x more intense because nobody wants to talk about the tough issues. I mean, what teacher really wants to tell a parent that their classroom is not the right fit? (Parents... did you know that teachers often feel like their risking their job if they tell you this?) No matter what "side of the table" you are sitting on, issues are brewing. Concerns are growing. Tension is rising. ACTION STEP: Take a moment this week (today!) and open up the conversation inside of your IEP team about ONE issue that has been keeping you up at night. You don't have to tackle every issue, in every conversation. Parents - maybe you need to finally... |
Special Needs Moms ONLY
Dear Special Needs Moms,
You've been to the support groups and you've researched for hours upon hours on how to make things better for your family.
You sit in the room, listening to other moms, the expert doctor or the IEP team and you think "there has to be more".
You go home to your family and there's still a little piece of you thinking "nobody gets us".
Until now... WE GET YOU!
You are EXTRAORDINARY!
You refuse to settle for yourself and your family, no matter how many labels or limitations others try to put on you.
You are determined to not live less fully just because you're a special needs family.
You just found your people, here, in the EXTRAORDINARY Moms Mastermind.
You don't have be isolated. You don't have to be broke. You don't have to miss out on building the life you've been dreaming of, but have been almost too afraid to share.
I grew up as a special needs sibling and became a special needs mom. I've broken the boundaries of "average" and built a life that makes...
Kindness Bingo - FREE Download!
Chances are either Valentine's day is a huge deal for you and your family or you really don't care. It's ok either way. No judgement here!
No matter what your feeling are about the day, it's always fun to find new ways to connect with your kids (and students)... this week is the perfect chance to play Kindness Bingo!
I've attached a PDF (Download now)
or you can screen shot this pic and play on your phone.
Finish all the tasks with your kids and then TREAT YOURSELF to something special to celebrate.
Remember, kindness isn't just about doing for others, it's also about taking care of yourself. You'll see acts of kindness for both yourself and others... YOU are important!
Have fun!
With Love, Hope & Determination Always,
Catherine
Founder of the Become an IEP Coach Mentorship, Online IEP Help Center & EXTRAORDINARY Moms Mastermind
P.S. If you jumped to the bottom for the good stuff. The EXTRAORDINARY Moms Mastermind is 60% OFF for...