Category: Special Education

Behavior. Such a small word, yet it can shape so much of our daily lives as parents. If you’re raising a child with a disability, you’ve probably heard it all — “Your child is non-compliant.” Or “Your child wandered off again today.” Or maybe just the frustratingly vague “We don’t understand why [insert “bad” behavior …

If learning to read and write were as simple as surrounding kids with books and letting them soak up the magic, every child would be a natural. But despite what some teaching methods suggest, reading and writing don’t happen by chance — they need to be explicitly taught. And yet, myths about how kids — …

“I can’t wait to do my algebra homework!” said few kids ever. Let’s be real — math, especially algebra, can feel intimidating on a good day and completely overwhelming on the tough ones, especially if your child struggles with it. Many of us grew up memorizing abstract formulas and racing through problems, wondering, “When will …

IEP goals are kind of a big deal, and they’re also one of the hardest parts of an IEP to get right. Many parents share similar concerns, like: “My child has an IEP but hasn’t made any progress,” “How can I tell if my child is actually meeting their goals?” or “Why do they keep …

When your child has complex or higher support needs, it can be hard to know how to prioritize what they need first. These incredible kiddos often face challenges with things like speech, mobility, vision, schoolwork, behavior, and/or daily life skills, and it’s hard not to feel like you’re constantly playing catch-up. A new or co-occurring …

Progress reports, baselines, hard data, service logs, present levels, school metrics, — sounds like a giant word salad, right? It’s easy to wonder — do these numbers and reports really matter? Can’t we just save all the data talk for the annual IEP meeting? But understanding how our kids’ progress is measured and reported, and …

In California, every special education student’s IEP needs to include academic goals that match their grade’s state standards  — sounds serious, right? We all know IEPs are a big deal, but how they connect with Common Core may sound utterly confusing at first — don’t worry, we’ll explain. Think of it like a ladder, where …

At the heart of creating an effective IEP is truly understanding what makes our kids unique — strengths, goals, needs, and everything in between. But navigating assessments can feel like trying to unravel a giant spider web of information — great for Halloween decorations, but overwhelming when it’s about our kids. First, your child is …

The transition out of high school and into adulthood is a big milestone for our children, and in truth, ourselves as well. While we’re watching our kiddos grow up at what feels like a mile a minute, we also have to prepare for their life post-high school — whether that includes college, day programs, or …

While school offers plenty of opportunities for kids to have fun, engage in extracurricular activities, and learn new things, it can also feel extra vulnerable, and sometimes downright scary — especially for our kiddos. Socializing and making friends is daunting enough, but what if they’re also feeling like they just can’t fit it, or they’re …