Catherine Whitcher, M.Ed

Parents and Teachers... look at these minutes recommended by the Illinois State Board of Ed.

Give yourself grace. Kids aren’t supposed to work for 6 hours at home. Your goal is NOT to replicate school at home.

Your goal is to care for a child as a whole person first and then facilitate additional learning.

Read the whole guide here

Need Help with Special Education & Distance Learning? START HERE

Schools are shut down and IEP teams are in a panic of how to help students with IEPs.

After weeks of trying to use every resource at their fingertips, it's becoming clear that there is a HUGE resource that is being underutilized.  Paraprofessionals!

Every person on the IEP team from teachers to parents to therapists can confirm that aides in the classroom are the glue that hold everything together.

Paraprofessionals take care of everything from bathroom breaks to massive meltdowns. They know how to get through the toughest days and we need them more than ever, right now.

Most of all, students need their support system and often their number one support person is their aide. 

There are dozens of ways that we can help our support team stay connected with students... here are two to get started:

1. Connect the paraprofessional to what the parent needs at home. They are already masters at making visual schedules, positive reinforcement schedules and getting creative on the...

What was appropriate in an IEP yesterday is not appropriate today.

What was appropriate in a child's IEP yesterday may NEVER be appropriate again. 

Want to learn how to change special education together, FOREVER? 

Join me in the Master IEP Coach® Mentorship this summer!
Learn how to become a Master IEP Coach® here.

Schools are closing left and right due to COVID 19 and the stress level of special needs parents is higher than ever.

Allison Sweatman shares 3 easy strategies you can do today to feel more in control and less chaotic as we tackle this uncertain time.

www.allisonsweatman.com
www.masterIEPcoach.com

People ask me all the time how after two decades of working on IEPs I can still be excited, joyful and full of hope.

It's because I refused to get burnt out by all the fighting words and actions in Special Education.

Parents & Teachers, I get why Special Education struggles are real, but if you take these 4 steps... you'll be able to work through those exhausting days knowing that there is a bright future ahead for all of our children and students.

Resources: www.specialedinnercircle.com and www.masteriepcoach.com

Listen on iTunes

Listen on Spotify

Too many IEP goals can lead to chaos inside of a child's school day. Learn steps to Measure What Matters inside (and outside) of a child's school day and see more progress than ever before!

Need more help? www.catherinewhitcher.com

Book Referenced: Measure What Matters by John Doerr

Click Here, Subscribe on iTunes & Never Miss an Episode! 

It's time to think about Inclusion + IEPs differently to help students receive an appropriate education that truly prepares them for further education, employment, and independent living.

Summary:

1. Inclusion is an experience, not a place.

2. Inclusion should be centered on strengths & reflect the real world.

3. Inclusion needs to be a written plan inside of the IEP Ready for more?

Ask Catherine questions & grab a free IEP Checklist at www.catherinewhitcher.com

Enrolling Now: Become a Master IEP Coach® at www.masterIEPcoach.com

Have you ever thought of picking up and moving to a better district? Almost every special needs parent & IEP team member I've ever talked to has had the same dream. But, will IEP progress really improve in a district with more resources? Maybe. Maybe Not.

Click Here and Subscribe on iTunes & Never Miss an Episode!  

Continue the conversation at www.specialedinnercircle.com