Our most-read, most-shared resources of the year!

The resources our families loved most this year

As we turn the page to a new year, we’re taking a quiet moment to pause and look back — not just at everything we’ve done, but at how far we’ve come together. Our team has spent the year listening closely to families, learning from experts, and sharing stories and strategies to help make daily life a little clearer and more manageable. Through it all, we’ve been reminded that the most meaningful progress often happens in small, steady steps.

Before we step into 2026, we gathered 10 of your favorite lessons, insights, and “wish-we’d-known-this-sooner” moments to carry with us into the year ahead. Here’s to everything we’ve learned, everything still to come, and the power of moving forward together.

In 2025, you kept coming back to learn…

1. That algebra can be accessible, meaningful, and fun for EVERY learner — and this includes those with significant cognitive challenges. When we focus on purpose-driven, real-world math, visuals, and hands-on activities (instead of just the traditional curriculum), algebra starts to click in ways that actually make sense.

2. That phonics and the science of reading ARE for students with disabilities. Having our kiddos learn to read by ONLY memorizing whole words instead of sounding them out is a MYTH! Students with disabilities need the same explicit instruction in structured literacy (such as phonics) that benefits all children.

3. That behaviors like PDA and elopement are rooted in a child’s nervous system and unmet needs, not parenting mistakes. Trauma-informed, relationship-first approaches can make a real difference, and understanding the why behind these behaviors helps families plan practical supports with more confidence and far less blame. (Psst…we have visual stories and tips for making an elopement safety toolkit!)

4. What to do when the IEP isn’t working. From checking in and troubleshooting when things like inclusion and placement aren’t working to responding to the worst things parents are told in IEP meetings. We got practical tips and expert strategies from real families and advocates.

5. That inclusion and access aren’t just nice-to-haves — they’re foundational. Accommodations protected by the ADA and 504 plans exist to protect kids with disabilities and make sure they can fully participate in school and beyond. And with a little advocacy, you can confidently make inclusion happen at every stage — from elementary school to middle school to high school.

6. That IHSS can be super confusing, but our members-only workshops with Undivided experts can help. This year, we got their expert answers to your top questions and concerns about IHSS paramedical and personal care services and protective supervision.

7. That while IDEA applies to all children with disabilities, it also includes specific protections for children with low-incidence disabilities. This means that kiddos with hearing loss, low vision, cortical visual impairment (CVI), and orthopedic impairment can get funding for the services they need, such as therapies and equipment.

8. Helpful techniques and adaptive tools to support kids with feeding challenges. We learned how feeding therapy builds sensory, motor, and confidence skills — and why a calm, supportive approach can make mealtimes safer and less stressful for families.

9. How to create a top notch Self-Determination Program (SDP) budget and spending plan. It may feel tricky transitioning from traditional Regional Center services to SDP, but we’ve got 6 tips from an Undivided SDP expert that can help. And speaking of budgets… did you know you can ask Regional Center and SDP to fund your Undivided membership?!

10. Planning for our kids’ futures starts sooner than you think. Because after high school comes college, jobs, maybe even a first apartment, plus healthcare decisions and laws that begin shifting (sometimes as early as age 12!). Knowing the options and supports out there helps you stay connected and advocate like a pro.

🎁 A holiday gift for you and your family 🎁

As we say goodbye to this year and welcome a new one, remember — you don’t have to face all the parent-to-dos on your own. As a holiday bonus, Undivided Navigator members get their own personalized yearly review! It’s our little way of celebrating our amazing parent members. As one member told us, “Thank you so much for this! I really appreciate the personalization — what great reminders of what we’ve accomplished this year.”

To get started with a Navigator, sign up for a free session.

Office hours

Undivided’s experts are taking a short break, so there will be no office hours on Wednesday, December 24 or December 31. Enjoy the holidays with your family, and come back to catch a members-only Q&A in 2026!

Undivided Conversations

• Saturday, December 20, 10:00 a.m. PT – Everything No One Tells You about Raising a Disabled Child. Join us on our Facebook page this weekend for this re-streamed conversation with the amazing Kelley Coleman — author and advocate who has spent over a decade navigating public benefits, insurance, and education for her child with multiple disabilities. Tune in to hear Kelley’s practical tips and advice on how we can advocate to make sure our kids get what they need.