Inclusive Education Project Podcast

During our summer break for the month of July, we are featuring a few of our most popular episodes that you might have missed during the busy school year. Today’s encore edition covers important information for parents who are gearing up for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. Join us as we break down some of those little details that are most often overlooked in IEP meetings. Show Highlights:What to consider in state testing accommodations, both typical assessments and modified/alternative assessmentsAssessments and accommodations should be discussed at every IEP meetingWhy it might be beneficial at times to opt out of assessments for your childHow physical education testing and district testing take placeUnderstanding the terms “embedded” and “non-embedded” regarding to accommodationsCalifornia has a specific Medi-Cal provision to pay for some related services in the IEPThe “Special Factors” page may differ according to districts and states but has provisions for “low incidence” studentsHow to understa

Today’s episode is Part 2 of our conversation with Jack Robinson, a partner and co-founder of the law firm Spies, Powers, and Robinson, in Denver, CO. In last week’s episode, he highlighted his landmark case, Endrew F v. Douglas County School District, and we discussed its impact for students with disabilities across the nation. Our focus today is Jack’s perspective on the state of special education today and how things can differ from one jurisdiction to another. As we usually do, we are taking a summer break from podcast episodes, but we wrap up on a high note with today’s continuing conversation with Jack. As we put this school year behind us, we look forward to a fun and relaxing summer as we gear up for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. We wish you all a wonderful summer, and please keep up with us on social media and connect with us there until we return with new episodes. Join us now for more with Jack Robinson!Show Highlights:Jack’s initial reaction to the Supreme Court ruling in the Endrew F.

We are so honored to have today’s guest with us for an inside look at a groundbreaking case in the field of special education litigation. Jack Robinson is a partner and co-founder of Spies, Powers, and Robinson, a law firm located in Denver, Colorado. He took one of the biggest cases in special education all the way to the US Supreme Court in 2017. In Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, Jack represented a family that sued their school district, claiming it did not provide their autistic son with an adequate education as required by federal law. The monumental Supreme Court ruling in the case raised the standard that schools must meet in educating students with disabilities, potentially impacting millions of students across the country. Show Highlights:How the background on the Endrew F. case actually began with the Supreme Court ruling on the Thompson School District v. Luke P. case in 2008Why the Endrew F. case originated because the child was making no progress or advancement on IEP goals or o

Summer can be hectic for families, and we hope you have a plan to manage your parental sanity and have time to make great memories with your kids! As always, we will be here with podcast episodes full of helpful information and insights. We have a great conversation today about social workers on school campuses that have access to your child. Join us! Laura Adams is the mother of four daughters, two of which are adopted from China. She is the founder of FACTS4SafeFamilies, an organization whose mission is to transform the future for adoptive and foster children. FACTS is an acronym standing for “Foster and Adoptive Children Teaching Supports.” Laura built her organization based on her personal family experience in dealing with school social workers and the flawed system. Show Highlights:Why foster and adoptive parents need to be “detectives” to figure out what their children need as they grow and heal from past traumasHow Laura went through a disturbing situation with her child’s social work team in

Today’s topic is a new one for the podcast, and it may be something new for our listeners. We are learning about an immersion school, how it functions, and why this education model works well for many students and families. Join us to learn more!We are joined by Maria Ventura and Jasmine Allen-Matora. Maria is a special ed teacher in a self-contained classroom of kids from TK- 5th grade. She has two master’s degrees in multicultural education and special education. Jasmine is the Prevention Intervention Support Services Coordinator and the EL designee at a local school here in California. Show Highlights:What is an immersion school?How the 90/10 model works at Jasmine’s school and progresses to a 50/50 model by 5th gradeWhy immersion school parents must take a more participatory role in their child’s educationHow kids benefit in an immersion school by learning cultural awareness and unique skills that make them more marketable later in lifeWhy students with IEPs need to have access to these resources to

Our heads are spinning as we rapidly approach the end of the school year. Fresh off the first couple of post-COVID years, it is important to change things in education and revamp what’s not working well. Today’s guest helps us gain a fresh perspective on our kids as individuals, neurodiversity, and inclusive education. Join us!Dr. Rina Bliss is a genetics expert, sociologist, and the author of three books. She is also the mom of three kids under 7 years of age. A former teacher in the Oakland Unified School District, she also taught as a long-term substitute in San Francisco during her grad school years both in general ed and special ed classrooms. All of these experiences helped redefine for her what intelligence means with a more inclusive outlook. She currently teaches as an Associate Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University. Show Highlights:What “neurodivergent” means Why each student (and each person) should be treated as the individual they are and valued as the person they areWhy the numb

The end is near! We are SO close to summer break, even though schools everywhere are finishing up at different times over the next couple of weeks. It is a busy, busy time for everyone involved in education. We need to continue to push for change, which is one thing we hope to accomplish by going through the eligibility categories. We didn’t want to let May (Mental Health Awareness Month) end without touching on the emotional disturbance category, so that’s the focus of today’s show. The category name itself carries a lot of stigmas as it relates to a lot of children’s mental health experiences that require special education and related services. Join us to learn more!Show Highlights:What the law says about the emotional disturbance categoryWhy a student only needs to qualify with ONE of the listed behaviors to be eligibleWhy a quiet kid doesn’t always mean a self-regulated and calm kidWhy qualifying within ANY of the eligibility categories simply “opens the door” for special education servicesWhy the emotion

If you're a parent or caregiver of a child with neurodevelopmental differences, you know how important it is to have a clear understanding of your child's eligibility for educational and treatment plans. With so many questions surrounding eligibility evaluations, it can be overwhelming to navigate the process. As we continue with our series of shows about eligibility, we are here to help with an information-packed conversation!We are excited to be joined by Dr. Jayme Jones, a pediatric neuropsychologist who has maintained a private practice in CA since 1995. Her background is extensive in the assessment and treatment of preschool and school-aged children with a variety of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, and she provides regular trainings on many related topics. In this episode, she sheds light on some of the trends she's seeing and helps provide clarity on the confusing subject of eligibility and assessments.  You’ll hear her take on pandemic deficits, the conflict of interest in many schoo

If you are anything like us, you are feeling the chaos of the mad scramble to the end of the school year. We always know that May feels like this, but April seems like a blur that zoomed by, and now we find ourselves trying to get those IEP meetings  and transition meetings done. Our guest knows exactly what IEP chaos looks and feels like as the mom of a special needs child. She is on a mission to help other parents and families deal with diagnoses and advocate for inclusion. Join us to learn more!Beth Leipholtz is the author of The ABCs of Inclusion, a nonfiction book for parents to read with their kids. The book details the journey of Beth’s family and lets other parents know what to expect after diagnosis, and it includes the stories of 26 kids (one for each letter of the alphabet) with disabilities both seen and unseen. It is described as a picture book about disabilities that teaches kids that it’s OK to be different. Her son, Cooper, was born deaf in 2019, so she jumped right into research, learnin

As a much-needed tangent from our eligibility series, today’s topic is manifestation determination meetings. We have mentioned it in previous episodes in passing, but we will take a closer look in today’s episode. We will discuss what it is, how it relates to eligibility, and what it means for schools and parents. Join us to learn more!Show Highlights:What the law says about misbehavior and manifestation determination of a student with an IEPWhy a manifestation determination meeting is essentially another kind of IEP meetingWhy an assessment should be done prior to a manifestation determination meeting to evaluate the student’s history, circumstances, etc. How behaviors should be evaluated in terms of the child’s disabilities, regardless of their eligibility categoryWhat the law allows school districts to do in determining if a behavior is a manifestation of the student’s disabilityHow the manifestation determination meeting can lead to a new placement for the child and/or expulsionWhat parents should do

As we fight and advocate daily for equity and inclusivity in education for ALL children, we can’t overlook the needs of those with physical disabilities. What could be more important than making disability-competent healthcare accessible to everyone? Our guest, Chanda Hinton, joins us today to discuss the importance of medical rights and how ONE person can make a difference and effect change. Join us to learn more!Chanda Hinton is a disability advocate and the founder of the Chanda Center for Health in Denver, CO. Their mission is to deliver, advocate, and educate for integrative therapy and other services to improve health equity and outcomes for individuals with physical disabilities. Though the center works with all disabilities, they specialize in serving those with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and spina bifida. Show Highlights:Chanda’s spinal cord injury and paralysis from childhood set her up to be the perfect disability rights advocateHow the center pro

This is your friendly reminder (again) that the school year is winding down, so make those appointments for IEP meetings and such before the time passes.In today’s show, we are joined by AJ Crabhill to discuss why school boards exist and what their purpose is. He has written a book about school boards and how we can make them better. This is a fundamental topic that affects the education of our children. Join us to learn more!AJ Crabhill works with schools across the country to help deploy student-led restorative practices. He invites schools to rethink how behavior is addressed and taught, and he works with superintendents and school boards at the governance and senior management layer to be intensely focused on improving student outcomes. He also helps schools be more strategic in the deployment of resources to be more student-centric. Show Highlights:Why do school systems exist? To improve student outcomesWhat is the role of the school board? To represent the vision and values of the community in the

We are in the final stretch of the 2022-2023 school year as most schools have had Spring Break at this point and are on the final push to the end. If there are things you need to cover with your IEP team, our advice is to get it done now! Don’t wait!In today’s episode, we are returning to our series on IEP eligibility categories; this topic is more extensive and is taking more episodes than we originally thought, but we want to take the time to cover the 13 categories with proper attention and information. Today’s category is autism, sometimes previously referred to as “autism-like.” Contrary to what most people think, a student does NOT have to have a medical diagnosis of autism to fit into this category. Join us for more!Show Highlights:How autism is defined by the IDEA as a legal (not medical) termWhat we have seen from school district reports of misinterpreting the language of the qualifications and characteristicsWhat the mandate says about “verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction”Why

Innovation in school districts comes from leadership. We often see school districts, administrators, and teachers who are hesitant to embrace change and innovation. Just because it’s always been done a certain way doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for new ideas and techniques. Today’s guest has served in various capacities in special education, and he’s here to share his experience with us. Join us to learn more!Jaime Sowers is the Advisory Team Director at BlazerWorks, an organization that helps school districts across the country with their special education staffing needs.  As a 19-year-old, Jaime’s summer job at a camp for children with disabilities changed his life and set him on the special education trajectory. After spending time as a special ed teacher, he moved into leadership roles. Show Highlights:How Jaime came into special education and the work he does todayHow he saw the problem and decided to “do” something about itWhat Jaime has experienced around inclusive educationWhat we c

You may have seen our “tease” for this topic on Instagram last week. We are breaking it down today and discussing the new California pathway to high school graduation. It’s a new law that was signed last year, and we began discussing this topic last year (April 21, 2022) in Episode 211, titled Transitions from High School and Beyond, Part 2. You may want to go back and listen to that episode as a preview of today’s conversation. Join us now to learn more!Show Highlights:How the new law provides a third option for exiting high school in addition to a diploma or certificate of completionHow this applies in other states, too–not just in CAWhat the provisions are in the law (51225.31A) for special needs kids regarding college acceptanceHow the new law changes the minimum requirements in various subject areasHow the new law aligns with the state standards of coursework requirementsExamples of how the new law affects kids who are in functional classesWhy IEP teams have to identify candidates for this exception befo

For many, the intricacies of IEPs can be overwhelming, and often, important details in the plan may be crucial to a child’s educational success. In today’s show, we are breaking down some of those little details that are most often overlooked in IEPs. Join us to learn more!Show Highlights:What to consider in state testing accommodations, both typical assessments and modified/alternative assessmentsWhy assessments and accommodations should be discussed at every IEP meetingWhy it might be beneficial at times to opt out of assessments for your childHow physical education testing and district testing takes placeHow to understand the terms “embedded” and “non-embedded” in regard to accommodationsHow California has a specific Medi-Cal provision to pay for some related services in the IEPHow the “Special Factors” page may differ according to districts and states but has provisions for “low incidence” studentsHow to understand the assisted technology (AT) component of the IEPLinks/Resources:Contact us on social media

Could there ever be a podcast guest with more experience in special education than 60+ years? We don’t think so! We are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Turner for a discussion about her career, the evolution of “special education,” and why we are still missing the mark in meeting the needs of our children. Join us to learn more!Dr. Ruth McLean Turner has had a long career in education that spanned more than sixty years. Most of those years were in service to students with disabilities as a teacher, administrator, and consultant. Her recent book is titled Special Education Leadership as a Personal Journey. Show Highlights:How Dr. Turner began her career in education after graduating from college in 1948How “special education” was very different in the 1950s–WAY before the IDEAHow Dr. Turner, as a school district administrator, made pioneering innovations in special education in Texas that were unheard of at the timeHow our education system has always been focused on labels for students with any type of speci

As Spring Break season approaches, we always like to remind you to schedule any assessments that might be needed before the end of the school year. Don’t let the timeline sneak up on you! Check-in with your school now so you don’t get pushed to the next school year. Our series on eligibility continues as we are joined by Melissa Brady Petrillo, who came up with a unique idea for children with special needs. She is a teacher in New Jersey who is passionate about books and inclusion and was inspired to see that children with disabilities and special needs see themselves mirrored in the books they read. Her goal is to help students and families understand that everyone encompasses a unique mindset that must be valued in our world today. Join us for the conversation!Show HighlightsHow Melissa saw the need and took the risk to bring awareness to the inclusion problemHow Melissa came up with evaluative criteria for books that address different learning needsWhy children need to understand diversity in order to

Welcome! Our eligibility series continues in today’s show as we take a look at one of the most misunderstood eligibility categories: Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). Although the federal law (IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) trumps state laws, state laws can go further but not limit the IDEA provisions. In California, most state laws are similar to the IDEA, but this may not be the case in your state. It’s worth checking how your state laws compare with the IDEA provisions. Let’s take a closer look!Show Highlights:How a Specific Learning Disability is defined under the IDEA (with the double requirement of having a diagnosis AND that it adversely affects educational process)Why a qualifying SLD has to be a specific learning deficit in a particular area of learning and not a broad diagnosis, like dyslexia or autismWhy most failures occur in the analysis of the broad language of the IDEA by school districtsHow the term “significant discrepancy” can be interpreted in different waysHow the C

We are continuing our series of episodes on the subject of eligibility, which will carry over into March. There is SO much to cover! We are joined today by a returning guest, who discusses what she is seeing in the trend of school districts denying IEPs to children who clearly meet eligibility requirements and trying to exit students out when they have needs and disabilities that are impacting their education. Join us for a closer look!Peggy Schaefer is a board-certified Neurological Music Therapist (NMT), and her work focuses on how the brain processes rhythm and applies it to non-musical interventions. She studied with Dr. Michael Thaut at Colorado State University, which is where this research-based approach originated. The application has been widely used with patients who have Parkinson’s disease and has been proven to be as effective as medication. Peggy’s past work has been with US service members in neurological rehab, stroke patients, Parkinson’s patients, and those with traumatic brain injuries.&nbs