We’re stuck in a system that makes no sense. Let’s make special education better, one step at a time.
- In special education, parents are the throughline. From year 1 of the IEP (Individual Education Plan) to graduation, to what happens after, you are your child’s constant. You have a choice to be their champion.
- You have the right to understand the IEP. Don’t get bamboozled by jargon. The first step is an IEP that is readable and functional, provided by the people who write it.
- Schools are full of people who want to help your kid. Bad actors are in every industry. In that school building, make sure you know who your people are. Get them in on the plan. (They want to hear from you!)
- Most decisions about your child’s education are made before the IEP meeting (so let’s show up for when those conversations actually happen). A secret from me to you: IEP meetings are terrible places for making serious decisions about your child’s special education. You can fight this system or use it.
- Parents own part of the process through work at home. Three to five minutes per day of practice from you on IEP work does multiple things: keeps you involved with the data, shows your child you’re in their corner and you’re connected, and lets educators know you’re holding up your end of the deal (and so must they).
- IEPs: This is a 15-year relationship, not a yearly meeting. Time to act that way.
- Structures for parent participation need to reflect reality. Those structures are the Foothold IEP Method.
Hi, I’m Andrea. Educator, executive (function-disorder-haver) at Foothold IEPs, and IEP structure coach. I hate sitting through bad IEP meetings.
(Headshot soon!)