Category: Special Education

As the end of the school year sneaks up, it feels like everyone is suddenly in full end-of-year scramble to make sure nothing important gets left behind. If you’re feeling a little stressed about getting your child’s IEP finalized, signed, and truly buttoned up before summer break, or you’re navigating a tricky transition to a …

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and if there’s one thing many parents know, it’s this: supporting our kids’ mental and emotional health can feel complicated — especially when your child has a disability. Is this a tough day? A tough season? Or something bigger? When your child processes, communicates, or expresses emotions differently, it …

How to support autistic and 2e kids April is Autism Acceptance Month! If you’re parenting an autistic child, chances are you’re already thinking about what helps your child feel comfortable in their own skin, connect with others, and move through the world in a way that keeps them regulated (and true to themselves!). And then …

Most parents these days wouldn’t dream of reliving their tween or teen years. Instead, here we are, guiding our kids through them. And these years don’t come with a roadmap (we wish!). You’re not just navigating puberty and big emotional shifts (which are a lot on their own), but also the added layer of disability, …

How to build supports around your child Have you ever found yourself Googling your child’s diagnosis at midnight, trying to piece together what support should actually look like for your child and what services, therapies, and specialists should be on your radar? Or sitting in an IEP meeting hearing terms, therapies, and acronyms that feel …

What does the law actually say about inclusive Extended School Year (ESY) — and how could it impact your child? In this episode, Lindsay Crain, Head of Content and Community at Undivided, introduces a candid and important conversation led by Undivided’s Karen Cull. Karen is joined by David German, Partner at Vanaman German, and Melinda Bird, …

Knowing your rights in the IEP process isn’t just nice to have — it’s what helps you speak up when something doesn’t feel right. And let’s be honest, even in the most positive, team-oriented IEP meetings, there can be moments where something doesn’t quite sit right. And when you’re sitting across from a full team …

What does “making progress” actually mean? You’ve seen the progress reports, but do you really know what they’re telling you? Behind every “goal met” (or not met) is data that can reveal a lot about whether your child is actually making meaningful progress. The catch? It’s only as good as how it’s collected, and most …

What does it actually take to make inclusion work — not just on paper, but in the classroom? Education and inclusion advocate Karen Ford Cull breaks down how families can move beyond placement and toward true participation in general education. From writing stronger, more inclusive IEP goals to using accommodations, behavior supports, and practical advocacy …

Inclusion — it’s the million-dollar word in any IEP meeting. Whether you’re thinking about the research-backed benefits or simply want your child to have a more typical school experience in a gen ed classroom, it’s what so many of us are aiming for. But here’s the truth: real, meaningful inclusion doesn't just happen by chance. ...