parenting
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What The Pitt Gets Right About Supported Decision-Making: Becca, Mel, and the Right to Make Your Own Choices
If you watched Season 2 of The Pitt, you may have noticed something that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough: Supported decision-making. And if you are the parent of an adult with a disability, this is one of those things I wish someone had explained to me much earlier. Because when your child turns 18,… Continue reading
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Why College Students / Young Adults Need a POA or DPOA
Your child turns 18. You celebrate. You might cry a little. You might wonder where the last 18 years went. And then, suddenly, something changes that nobody really puts on the giant parenting checklist: You are no longer automatically allowed to handle things for your child. Even if they’re still living at home. Even if… Continue reading
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The Difficult Conversations Disability Forces Us to Have — and Why Every Family Should Have Them
There is something nobody tells you when you have a child with a disability. You are going to have conversations other parents may not have for another twenty years. Or thirty. Or ever. Not because you’re smarter. Not because you’re more prepared. And definitely not because you wanted to. Disability just has a way of… Continue reading
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Birth to 3: What Is Early Intervention?
Your child is under three. You have concerns. What do you do now? If you’re a new parent and you’re worried about your child’s development, you may hear someone say: “Have you contacted Early Intervention?” And if you’ve never heard that phrase before, you might be thinking: What exactly is Early Intervention? Is it therapy?… Continue reading
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Special Needs Services From Birth to Adulthood: A Parent’s Roadmap
If you’ve just received a diagnosis for your child, you might be wondering: “Okay…now what?” And honestly? That’s a pretty reasonable question. Because there isn’t one giant “Special Needs Services” department that follows your child from birth through adulthood. Instead, you move through systems. Birth to 3. Preschool. School. High school. Adulthood. And every time… Continue reading
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Special Education Testing: What Are They Actually Testing My Child For?
Special education eligibility is generally determined through a comprehensive evaluation—not one single test. The school is looking at multiple sources of information to determine: Whether the child has a disability category recognized under IDEA. How that disability affects the child’s educational performance. Whether the child needs specially designed instruction and/or related services. Common types of… Continue reading
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The First Few Weeks of School: Common Special Education Problems Parents Should Watch For
The school year has started. Everyone has new shoes, new backpacks, new teachers, new schedules… And somewhere in the building, a special education parent is thinking: “Okay. Let’s see how this goes.” Because the first few weeks of school can be exciting. They can also be chaotic. For students receiving special education services, the beginning… Continue reading
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IEP vs. 504: The Terms Parents Need to Know — and What to Do When the Plan Isn’t Followed
If your child has an IEP or a 504 Plan, you have probably been handed a mountain of paperwork containing enough acronyms to make your head spin. IDEA. IEP. FAPE. LRE. FBA. BIP. IEE. And then someone says, “We’ll put that in the PWN.” You smile and nod while thinking, What exactly did you just… Continue reading
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School Calling for an “Early Pick-Up”? Why You Need It Documented as a Suspension 🎒
As a parent of a child with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan, you are likely used to working closely with your child’s school team. But there is one common scenario that catches many well-meaning parents off guard: receiving a phone call from the school asking you to come pick up your… Continue reading
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IEPs: A Deep Dive Into Goals, Services, Accommodations, and What Parents Should Know
If your child has an IEP, you’ve probably received a document that contains enough acronyms, educational terminology, numbers, percentages, and legal language to make your head spin. And then someone hands it to you and says: “Let us know if you have any questions.” Um…I have approximately 47 questions. Let’s start with the most important… Continue reading
