Tag: education

Tag: education

To Resolve or Not to Resolve
December 27, 2023 Advocacy stacey

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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Not All Accommodations Are Allowed on Standardized Tests
December 12, 2023 News stacey

Each year when you have your child’s annual IEP meeting, there’s a place that you need to sign that you understand that not all accommodations that your child might have on their IEP are allowable during standardized testing. Did you know that? This reminds me of Procedural Safeguards. Every year you sign a paper that

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IT’S NEVER TOO LATE – NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE ELSE SAYS
November 6, 2023 Strategies stacey

Unfortunately, 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”

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A Dozen Red Flags of a Hot Mess IEP Meeting :o
October 31, 2023 Advocacy stacey

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
October 17, 2023 Advocacy stacey

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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Yes, High Schools Have to Follow IEPs Too
October 2, 2023 Advocacy stacey

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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Recognizing and Responding to Anxiety in Children with Special Needs
September 26, 2023 Strategies stacey

Although most of us don’t need hard-core evidence on the topic, Dr Lawrence Fung from Stanford Medicine states, “Anxiety is a very common co-occurring condition in the neurodiverse community. About 20 to 30% of male adults on the spectrum have anxiety disorder. Females with autism spectrum condition have even higher rates of anxiety. The prevalence

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Cultivating Belonging Through Inclusive Education
September 17, 2023 Advocacy stacey

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
September 17, 2023 Advocacy stacey

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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Ready, Set, School!
August 8, 2023 Strategies stacey

Here we go…. another year on the horizon. For most kids, school will begin in less than two weeks. As you scramble around trying to get things together, there are things that you could be doing now that will make those first couple days of school a whole lot smoother. Before I get into what

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