Stacey Hoaglund
ADVOCATE, LIFE COACH, CONSULTANT, SPEAKER, AUTHOR
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
Read MoreUnfortunately, far too often, I find both parents and teachers seem to think that by the time a kid gets to high school, they are who they are and that they don’t have the same potential for growth as they once did. DON’T THINK THAT! I have literally seen students come out of segregated “special”
Read MoreFor 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,
Read MoreAccording 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
Read MoreI 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
Read MoreFor those parents whose kids are just about finishing up Extended School Year, or those who might be taking a couple weeks off after summer camp to catch a break before returning to school, there’s a couple things that you could be doing to help make your child’s transition back into school a little less
Read More……and teachers should know them too. Hopefully you know that schools don’t offer services, supports or inclusive education because it’s the right thing to do (although it is). They do those things, or at least are supposed to, because there are laws that require them. HOWEVER, there are PLENTY of advocates, and we advocates have
Read MoreWhile there are most certainly more than 5 things you need to watch for in developing your child’s IEP, I’d have to say that these are my TOP 5 – no matter who the child is or how much special education they’re getting. If you’re not getting a draft of your child’s IEP, that’s the
Read More“When the System Says “No”… what’s a parent to do?” So often we’re faced with systems that tell us “no” when we ask for something that we passionately believe that our child needs. It could be the response you get when you ask for inclusion, additional adult support, proper job coaching in order to prepare
Read MoreBefore you meet with the school team for your child’s annual IEP meeting, it’s important to prepare. Anything can happen on the day of the meeting that can easily throw you off track. Since this is one of the most important documents for a child with autism when it comes to their education, time dedicated
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