Stacey Hoaglund
ADVOCATE, LIFE COACH, CONSULTANT, SPEAKER, AUTHOR
Category: Advocacy
Category: Advocacy
How to Start Difficult Conversations About Inclusion
I hope that the time off from school has been positive not only for your kids, but for you as well. For most of my readers, there’s one more week to go before the kids return to school, but for some others, today might be the BIG day. One of the most sought-after things in
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To Resolve or Not to Resolve
There are tons of influencers out there who are very focused on the benefits of New Year’s resolutions – and a growing batch who say that making a promise to yourself that you break by January 4th is one of the most stressful and unproductive things that a person can do. Somewhere in between is
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A Dozen Red Flags of a Hot Mess IEP Meeting :o
For many parents, the annual IEP meeting is something that incites a great sense of overwhelm, frustration and doom. This is probably one of the reasons that tons of parents don’t even show up. Most of you might find this really hard to believe (because you’re passionately involved in your child’s education), but it’s true,
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Explaining Specially Designed Instruction
According to the Council for Exceptional Children, “specially designed instruction (SDI) is instruction that is tailored to a particular student. It addresses their Individualized Program (IEP) goals; accounts for their disability; provides modifications or adaptations to content; and encourages access to the general education curriculum. SDI is defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as
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Evaluation Time…Yes or No?
For some reason, I seem to be getting more calls this year from parents who are seeking answers in relation to their right to request a psychoeducational evaluation from their school. Yes, parents do have that right. Quite often, whether a student has an IEP already or not, the school will say that they have
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Yes, High Schools Have to Follow IEPs Too
When kids transition to high school especially, teachers (general education teachers mostly, but certainly not all) have a tendency to try to convince parents that if their kids are going to be in general education classes, that they are expected to all of a sudden behave independently. It’s hard to tell sometimes if they themselves
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Cultivating Belonging Through Inclusive Education
I am the queen of procrastination. It might look like I get things done, but it’s usually after hours, or even days, of putting them off, which is usually precipitated by either reorganizing my house or scrolling mindlessly through social media. I’m sure some of you can relate. Social media includes a ton of behavior
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Inclusive Education…. More Than Just Visiting
Certainly, one of the most advocated for settings for kids with disabilities is that of a regular education classroom. What better place to have exposure to highly verbal and social role models than that of a general education setting? If students are to learn appropriate behaviors, they need to observe them. If they are to learn sharing
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5 Red Flags That Require Parent Advocacy
It is certainly hard for a parent to know what happens at their child’s school, especially if they don’t verbally communicate or if they exhibit deficits in language skills. Compound that with a special education classroom where most or all of the students are at the same level, and you could easily experience a “deadzone”
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Services for Students Ages 14-21
Have you ever heard your school or community support system refer to something as “Pre- ETS”, or pre-employment training services? I am gonna guess your answer is, “No,” unfortunately. Most parents that I talk to have no idea what this is, or have even ever heard of it. Generally speaking, it kicks in when kids
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