Inclusive Education Project Podcast

The new school year is off and running for 2022-2023. We have had many discussions about IEPs and initial assessments in previous episodes, and now we take a closer look at the different types of IEPs, along with our best tips for parents to know. Join us to learn more! Show Highlights:  The addendum (or amendment) IEP: to make changes to the IEP goals, usually at the parent’s request The annual IEP: when it happens, what it covers, and what you need to know How the parent can exercise the right to extend the timeline for the annual IEP Why the date for meeting IEP goals or even the goals themselves might need to be changed to reflect a year’s worth of progress What to look for in tri-annual IEP meetings  Why you should not skip assessments for seniors because of the implications for their accommodations in college or their entry into the workforce The transition IEP: how it covers a student who is moving to a new school/program and is held within 30 days of the move  Links/Resources: Contact us

Today’s show is an information session about our new IEP Learning Center. Feel free to share our presentation with anyone who might be interested in this new resource. With all of our endeavors, the goal is to increase access to the needed resources for quality education and learning for every student, especially those with disabilities. The IEP Learning Center becomes another outlet to assist in those goals. This episode takes a look at the Arrowsmith Program, what it looks like, and what will be offered at the IEP Learning Center. Join us to learn more! Show Highlights: Why we believe the Arrowsmith Program helps to provide the “missing piece” in educational resources A look at who the IEP Learning Center can help How neuroplasticity comes into play in all aspects of learning and behavior Why creating new connections in the brain helps students with learning and function to a greater degree than mere repetitive work Why the IEP Learning Center will focus on the Symbol Relations Program, which identifies, in

We are here at the beginning of another school year, and after the chaos of the past 2-3 school years, none of us knows what to really expect for 2022-2023! One thing we are noticing is that a lot of parents want IEPs for their students. In today’s episode, we go back to basics with a refresher about what you should expect, what the law requires, and how you can be empowered to help your child. Join us to learn more! Show Highlights: Why the terminology used in “special education” is important from a legal perspective What the law provides in regards to a “free and appropriate public education” Why everything hinges on assessments Why “student success team meetings” don’t exist in the legal sense and are often a delay tactic used by the school system How learning problems are manifesting themselves because of the trauma of COVID impeding the child’s access to learning Why the parent’s initial suspicion of a problem is enough to request assessments from the school system How there is a wide range of assessment

Most students across the country are back in school already, and some will begin within the next week or two. It’s a busy time! Our best reminders for parents are to check in with teachers about your child’s progress and request an IEP meeting for your child. We have been excited about what’s happening with teacher-centered classrooms changing to inclusive and learner-centered classrooms, so that’s our topic up for discussion today. Join us to learn more! We welcome Tanya Sheckley to the show today! She is the founder of Up Academy, a progressive elementary (and soon-to-be middle school) in the San Francisco Bay area that is inclusive of students with physical disabilities. Tanya’s motivation for Up Academy came in the form of her oldest daughter, who has cerebral palsy and needed the right educational fit where she could excel academically and get the physical care she needed. Up Academy classrooms focus on a community framework where universal accommodations allow each student to learn life skills and acade

Happy Back-to-School Season! Whether you have already stepped boldly into the new school year or are frantically preparing for those upcoming first few days, all of us in the education world are hoping that 2022-2023 will be the best one yet! An important topic for any new school year is inclusivity; we should be asking ourselves how we can look for more inclusivity and make students’ lives better. Join us to learn more from today’s guest! Larkin O’Leary is president of Common Ground Society, an organization whose mission is to educate and empower people to be more compassionate, accepting, and inclusive of people with disabilities. She’s a Google-certified teacher who knew teaching was her destiny since 4th grade, and she firmly embraced this destiny by marrying into a family full of teachers. A general education teacher since 2005, Larkin’s passion is teaching and making connections with students, which she knows far outweighs the importance of academics. When her eight-year-old son, James, was born with Do

Hi everyone! We are excited to officially announce here on the podcast the opening of the IEP Learning Center, a virtual learning center for students across the country and the world. We are partnering with Barbara Arrowsmith and using the Arrowsmith Program, which can bring remarkable improvement to many students in the classroom and in their daily functional skills. In today’s solo episode, we are discussing why we chose to start this project and where we hope to take it in the future. Join us to learn more! Show Highlights: The need for intervention for students outside the school system How neuroplasticity factors into learning  How understanding neuroplasticity and the Arrowsmith program can eliminate the need for accommodations that are hard to get for some students Who can be served by the IEP Learning Center, and how the Arrowsmith program can help students who “fall between the cracks” of other educational services How this program can reset the brain in a predetermined format and eventually dec

We were recently featured on Dr. Karen Wilson’s Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast. Today’s episode is a replay of that conversation where we discuss what parents can do over the summer to help prepare their child for a successful upcoming school year. Whether your child has been in a summer school program or on a mental health break over the summer, there are specific things you can do to ensure that your child’s IEP, 504 Plan, or evaluations are in place for success in learning. Join us to learn more! Show Highlights: How pandemic trauma has affected our children in diverse ways Why children can be eligible for support even if they don’t have an official diagnosis Why navigating the system can be so tricky for parents Why an assessment is the fundamental first step when there is any suspicion of a disability or any learning challenge How at-home learning during the pandemic can give clues to parents about their child’s learning style and possible difficulties What services are available through

Barbara Arrowsmith Young joins Amanda and Vickie on today’s podcast. Brain plasticity, how brains learn and how they develop, and how we can be better at providing learning environments and programs for not only kids who are differently-abled, but all kids, are the highlights they’ll be covering. Don’t miss this fascinating, cutting-edge insight! Barbara Arrowsmith Young is the Founder of Arrowsmith School and the Arrowsmith Program. She is the author of the international bestseller, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain: How I Left My Learning Disability Behind and Other Stories of Cognitive Transformation. She has dedicated her life to helping individuals overcome learning difficulties, first starting with herself, many years ago, and now working with educators and children all around the world to transform their lives through cognitive programs. Show Highlights: Someone gave Barbara the book, The Man with a Shattered World: The History of a Brain Wound, by Aleksandr R. Luria, and this was life-changing for

We are taking a break over the summer, so this is “goodbye–see you later” for a few weeks. We will return for the 2022-2023 school year, hoping for a smoother and better-executed plan for our students. We hope that we’ve brought some helpful information and inspiration to get you through these challenging times in education. Join us today for a few key takeaways and reminders. *We will be replaying some of our favorite episodes over the next few weeks until we are ready to start off the next school year with a bang! In the meantime, connect with us on our social media pages! Show Highlights: Remember to continue to push for virtual IEP meetings if those better fit into your schedule; we’ve proven that those can work during these past two years! Recognize that there are amazing teachers and administrators who are not the norm; they push the envelope and fight through the red tape for their students. Let them know that they are appreciated and supported! Remember, if your child was recommended to do ESY

Welcome to the official start of summer and to our exciting conversation with author, innovator, researcher,  educator and teacher, and entrepreneur, Barbara Fernandes, as we discuss her involvement in technology.  Barbara Fernandes, an award-winning Brazilian-American Speech-Language Pathologist, immigrated to the United States as an adult with very limited English skills. She went on to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in her field, founding two businesses and revolutionizing her field with nearly seventy successful product launches to date. She has released 70 apps in the iOS app store. Show Highlights: Barbara shares what initially drew her into technology and how she decided to continue working in her field. Barbara knew what types of technology was needed in the speech-language field, so building the apps related to speech-language was a natural fit. Barbara tells about her development of Smarty Symbols, which has been adopted as the symbol of choice in many other technology t

We made it! This long and awful school year is finally over. It was its own unique beast unlike any other with so many challenges. COVID has disrupted two full school years now, so we have high hopes for a more normal upcoming school year. With that in mind, accommodations are a big part of the IEP for any student, and this conversation takes a closer look. Join us to learn more from today’s guest! Maggie Staub has been an educator and learning specialist for over ten years. Most of her career has been spent in NYC, working in public, private, and international schools with students from Pre-K through 10th grade. Most recently, Maggie has worked for an educational technology company to make learning evaluations and support services more accessible. Her excitement comes from reaching more students, breaking down barriers, and educating families about what can help their child learn best.  Show Highlights: How “accommodations” are defined as giving students different tools and modalities to help them learn

Today’s guest takes us on a fascinating and educational journey into ableism,  the study of disabilities and prejudices of disabilities. Dr. Michelle Nario-Redmond, a social psychologist at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, joins Amanda and Vickie to discuss changing people’s perceptions about disability. Michelle is the author of Ableism: The Causes and Consequences of Disability Prejudice, and the mom of a 23-year old daughter with spina bifida, who was raised to be a proud, disabled woman. Show Highlights: Michelle provides an overview of the origins of ableism, and of which literature can be found in political science, psychoanalysis, psychology, and disability studies. There are several distinct sources of prejudice that impact individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, such as: an evolutionary/biological basis for fear: humans have a need to feel safe and secure, and might have avoided those who signaled poor health, even in those instances where there was no contamination factor.  the fear of

There is nothing lighthearted about this episode as we come to you with heavy hearts today. Here we are on the heels of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and every parent and teacher has strong emotions about what happened. This fresh tragedy brings to mind the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, and some of us “elder millennials” even remember the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999. Whatever your thoughts are about gun control, this is much more than a political issue; it’s about advocacy for children and their safety.  Show Highlights: Why we feel that our platform to advocate for children’s best interests makes it our duty to make change Why our children’s physical safety is priority #1 in everything we do What needs to be done next: we have to take action through legislation and who we elect Why the big issue is that our government has made it easier to get a gun than to do almost everything else The bottom line: We need to limit the guns that are available—through legislation. What to do right n

In the world of education, we focus so much attention on academic progress and the details of those IEP meetings. One aspect of education that is often overlooked is the role that play and leisure can have in reaching students, improving their communication skills and self-confidence, and learning to engage with others while having fun. Join us to learn more from today’s guest! Rose Griffin has unique expertise in teaching play and leisure skills that can be enjoyed over a lifetime. She has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for 20 years and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst for 10 years, making her one of less than 500 people in the world with this dual certification. Five years ago, she started her own business, ABA Speech, and has created products, courses, and a podcast, Autism Outreach. Through these efforts, Rose serves people all over the world. Rose’s next career move is to step away from her work in public schools, which will give her more opportunities to help students and families through her priv

The end of the school year is happening over the next few weeks all around the country. Like us, many parents, teachers, and professionals are involved in IEP meetings galore. We believe that parents need to be empowered to take an active role in the IEP process. Join us to learn more from our expert guest! Beth Liesenfeld is the host of the Elevate Your Advocacy podcast and the founder of Parent Friendly OT. After learning ASL and interacting with deaf people, Beth worked with children with special needs and became certified as an adaptive horseback riding instructor. She figured out that occupational therapy was her “sweet spot,” and she worked in a clinical setting in early intervention, outpatient therapy, and in-home therapy. After seeing how the OT world functions outside the school system, Beth transitioned into schools. After participating in 80 IEP meetings each year, she learned the jargon and understood the process, now using her knowledge to help other parents learn what they need to know. With th

The pandemic brought many changes to the world of education, including how children with specific needs can access the services available to them. We still have SO far to go, and many changes need to happen to help parents and their children get the help they deserve. Join us to learn more! ToniAnn Loftus is a speech-language pathologist in private practice in Manhattan. After working at the Rebecca School in midtown Manhattan for ten years, she had her son during the pandemic. Knowing that her niche is teaching kids based on their passions and individual differences, she pivoted and opened her private practice, Seaport Speech and Feeding. Her practice is a licensed professional speech, language, and feeding therapy provider for children and young adults in NYC.  Show Highlights: How ToniAnn had to pivot, along with many others, as a result of the pandemic ToniAnn explains the new legislation in NY about parents’ choices about services for their kids How DIR Floortime and ABA are different–and why Toni

Challenging behavior is a constant problem for teachers and parents in both general education and special education classrooms. Our guest today provides insight into the best ways to collect and use behavior data to formulate workable solutions. Join us to learn more! Christine Reeve is the creator of Autism Classroom Resources, an online community for special educators. Coming from a long line of teachers in her family, Christine is also the sister of someone who would clearly have qualified for Autism services. With a background in psychology, Christine is a board-certified behavior analyst with a doctorate in clinical psychology. She spent most of her career working in special education in various positions and has worked alongside special educators in over 1000 classrooms across the country. She does virtual training and a podcast about special education classrooms and supporting students in general and special education who have disabilities and disorders. Her online membership site for special educators

Today’s show is a follow-up to Episode 210 about transitions between learning levels and milestones. In this conversation, we take a close look specifically at the Transition Plan from high school forward. Join us to learn more! Show Highlights: Why transition plans MUST be part of the student’s IEP by age 16 and can include college, employment, and additional life skills Why the options for exiting high school can be either a diploma or a certificate of completion, depending on the student’s needs Why the transition plan should include student goals with baselines and the goals and services that will help them achieve those goals Why the transition plan should come from a true and realistic estimate of the student’s wants, needs, and desires Why the transition plan should come out of a deep, realistic conversation that includes the child’s input and doesn’t set them up with unrealistic expectations about life after high school How to dive deeper to discover other jobs and professions that the student hasn’t

Here we are in April already! Spring Breaks have happened and are happening at this time all around the country. As we move forward in the countdown to the last few weeks of the school year, we want to use this episode to talk about transition IEP meetings that should be happening as a student moves from one setting to another, like from preschool to kindergarten, from elementary to middle school, and from middle school to high school. We are breaking it down with information and tips you need to know in dealing with your IEP team. Join us! Show Highlights: Why the preschool to kindergarten transition is important as a child progresses from pre-academic goals to a new environment with learning goals The difference between regular IEP meetings and transition IEP meetings in identifying accommodations, goals, and services Common transition levels as a student moves through the educational system Typical IEP topics covered in the transition from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school Why pa

As we are in the final push of the school year, it’s a good time to check in with others and their mental wellness after the pandemic trauma of the last two years. Students, parents, and teachers have all felt the mental and emotional drain, and the toll on learning has been enormous. Social skills and emotions have EVERYTHING to do with how a student learns, and today’s guest is a proven expert. Ironically, the day of recording for this episode is Social Emotional Learning Day, so our topic today is very timely. Join us to learn more! Jess Grace, aka “Miss Jess,” is a Social Emotional learning consultant and the founder of Social and Kind. She has worked with kids ages 2-25 for over 20 years in many different environments, working with kids with autism and developmental delays. Her work in schools as a speech language pathology assistant showed her the need in helping kids learn social skills and communication. After moving back to southern California, she decided to focus her work on social groups, helping