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Moving to Florida From a Different State? Get your child’s IEP reviewed before you relocate and before you have your first IEP meeting in Florida.
A free collection of hand-picked resources for parents who want to learn how to create a solid IEP or 504 Plan and get the school to approve it. Learn how to advocate for your child with more confidence and better results.
A free collection of hand-picked resources for parents who want to learn how to create a solid IEP or 504 Plan and get the school to approve it.
All you need to know about IEPs and 504 Plans.
Florida McKay & Gardiner Scholarship information.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) explained.
What to keep in mind while communicating with the school and attending school meetings.
Placement and disciplinary actions: FAQ.
Providing student services during COVID-19: FAQ.
…and much more.
A collection of printable (and editable!) PDFs that help you keep track of your child’s progress and hold the school accountable in case they don’t follow the IEP as they should.
Among other things, IEP Success Tracker helps you track:
Communication with the school and the outcomes of each encounter.
IEP weekly goals and objectives.
IEP services the school has committed to and the exact days they were provided.
What works well for your child (and what doesn’t).
Your child’s grades.
It depends on your individual situation. In some cases, there are fixed deadlines set by law that districts have to comply with. In other cases, there is no official timeline.
Based on our experience:
It’s only natural that you’d like to learn about the IEP process and try to talk to the school yourself first.
But from every 10 parents who come to us, 8 have tried doing it on their own but only ended up wasting valuable time.
Here are the three most common reasons why you may not be able to successfully negotiate an IEP without an advocate.
1. You don’t fully understand the game the school district is playing.
You think the school wants the best for your child and is doing as much as they can. Unfortunately, very often, it can’t be further from the truth.
The main goal of the school district is to spend less money. Providing your child with the help they need means additional expenses. So, the school representatives often try to deceive or manipulate you to get out of providing your child with the support they have the right to. Sad, but true.
2. Free resources may give you the tools but not the strategy to use them effectively.
You read some articles. You watched a couple webinars. You talked to your friends. And you get a feeling that you’ve understood how it works.
Then, you go into the school meeting… and still feel powerless.
Free resources may give you a general understanding of the IEP process. But only an experienced advocate knows how to create a successful strategy in your particular situation. And, most importantly, how to get the school to act.
3. Your emotions may get in the way.
It will be impossible for you to ignore your emotions during the school meetings. The school has been dealing with parents like you for years. They know how to manipulate your emotions and will make you frustrated, angry or scared to take away your ability to think and speak clearly.
The school’s tricks won’t work on us.
We know exactly how to make them do what we want. Because we are the master negotiators who can’t be intimidated.
“Put the right thoughts in my heart, the right words on my tongue. Remind me that I am just a vessel, Lord, to carry your word to others. Let me be strong for this child and this family. When it seems difficult To voice opposition or to be firm in a request, help me not to waiver…”
I taught special education for 25 years. I had no idea how much the schools were supposed to help kids who were struggling. I thought I knew, but I didn’t. Toward the end of my teaching career, I really started to see changes in how the schools were reacting to children who needed help. In short, it seemed to me they were working harder to avoid giving services than actually trying to help the child. It was sickening. You opened my eyes to so much.
Pam Lindemann has an incredible ability to take very complex principles and break them down into simple language that any parent can understand. I loved all her personal stories about different meetings she attended and how she handled real-life situations. It helped me remember the concepts better. These were some of the most enlightening, educational and inspiring sessions I’ve ever taken.
I have fought the school for two years to get my daughter an IEP. The school always said she wouldn’t qualify, but she kept getting worse. I have only taken two sessions of the course so far, but you have changed my life and my daughter’s life. I did everything outlined in the training to get the school to evaluate my daughter. I wrote the letter exactly how you recommended. I emailed the principal exactly how you said, and I left the exact phone messages you suggested. The result? The principal called me within two hours after getting my letter and phone messages and asked me to come to the school the next morning to sign the paperwork to get the IEP process started. Incredible! I wish I could hug you right now!
As a parent, I was always intimidated by IEP meetings. I hated them. I felt stupid, lost and frustrated because I never felt like anything was accomplished in the meetings. I didn’t understand the terminology, the process, none of it. This course changed it all. I realized that a lot of things the school should be doing for my son, they actually weren’t! I learned that they lied to me about a lot of things. How I wish I had taken this course several years ago. It would have saved me a lot of frustration and allowed me to help my son even more.
The IEP Advocate, Inc.
P.O. Box 618308
Orlando, FL 32861
Contact
The IEP Advocate, Inc.
P.O. Box 618308
Orlando, Florida 32861
Call: 407-342-9836
Email: info@theiepadvocate.com
Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
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