I really hate the term life skills. I mean, after all, we ALL need life skills. It's just that what each person needs to be taught varies greatly. But, if your child has an IEP, and depending on their skill set, a 'life skills classroom' or 'life skills curriculum' may have been suggested to you.| A Day in our Shoes
Does your child repeat back words to you, often? Are they repeating words and phrases over and over? Or maybe reciting movie and TV lines? Have you heard of echolalia or scripting? It's a common autistic behavior, though not everyone who does it is autistic. While beliefs and perceptions about autism are changing, there is| A Day in our Shoes
Are you trying to get an IEP for autism, anxiety or ADHD? It doesn't matter, the process is the same. It's kinda weird that I have 100s of articles about IEPs, and I've never done a post on how to request an IEP. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in IEP issues and helping parents| A Day in our Shoes
I got two inquiries recently that are very similar. Both parents asked for something on their child's IEP and were told, 'We don't do that here. It happens often. Can a school say that? Can they deny a service based on 'we don't offer that here?' You've heard it before, right? Short answer, no. So| A Day in our Shoes
First, let me say that I am not in love with this article's title. IEP decisions are team decisions. No one IEP team member should be deciding things like this--such as eligibility. Still, I want parents to use it as a starting point. Chances are, if you landed here on this article, you may already| A Day in our Shoes
'How do I get Wilson Reading Program added to my child's IEP?' That's a question that comes up a lot. If your child is a struggling reader, then they need a reading intervention program. But how do you know which one to use or ask for on an IEP. Below I have listed common reading| A Day in our Shoes
Photo of Linda Gilmartin with her dog| A Day in our Shoes
Inside: Take a deep dive into learning about AT Assistive Technology, and how it differs from AAC. And 15 IEP goals for assistive technology.| A Day in our Shoes
For almost 10 years, readers have been asking me questions about an IEP and autism. It's quite common in our message boards to have a| A Day in our Shoes
IEP Unilateral Placements One of the greatest IDEA misunderstandings among parents is the concept of Unilateral Placements. There is a lot of misinformation about them,| A Day in our Shoes
You think your child needs an IEP. The school offered a 504, RTII or MTSS. So, what's the difference, and what are your options? Next| A Day in our Shoes
What are IEP Related Services? According to IDEA, these are the related services in Special Education. audiology counseling services early identification family training-counseling and home| A Day in our Shoes
What to do if you are denied an IEP because 'his grades are fine!'| A Day in our Shoes
For me, both as a Special Education Advocate and a Parent, I find the hardest part of the IEP process to be the IEP eligibility| A Day in our Shoes
Raise your hand if you just LOVE going to IEP meetings. (waits) No one? Raise your hand if you drink a bottle of wine the| A Day in our Shoes
The special education referral process is all about getting your child evaluated for special education services. Once you've been through the steps and your child| A Day in our Shoes
Ok, so here we go. I used to have IEP reevaluation information in my post about IEP evaluations. But, I've since decided that IEP re-evaluations| A Day in our Shoes
Refused IEP Evaluations Let me be blunt. If your child's IEP evaluations suck, the rest of your IEP will be garbage. Without good evaluations, the| A Day in our Shoes
How many times have you heard phrases like these, at IEP meetings, when you've suggested something? I don't think he/she needs that. Why don't we| A Day in our Shoes
I remember I was working with this client one time. We had held an IEP meeting, and we were wrapping up a few loose ends.| A Day in our Shoes
Different variations of questions come up about IEP evaluations all the time. Parents are unclear about timelines, what tests to ask for and sometimes get| A Day in our Shoes
Email. How did we live without it? IEPs are relatively new, not even 50 years old. Obviously, e-mail is even newer. And, as technology changes,| A Day in our Shoes
Draft IEP Timelines 'Well, Mrs. Lightner, we are not going to be making any changes to this IEP today. Oh lordy. Do I remember that| A Day in our Shoes
I have to open this post with a shout-out to blog reader Mike T. He emailed me a link to this post, and the printable| A Day in our Shoes
What Qualifies a Child for an IEP? What is an IEP student? Is it only for learning disabilities, and what are they? All explained by| A Day in our Shoes
You will definitely want to bookmark or pin this post. I have often said that one of the biggest IEP mistakes that parents make is| A Day in our Shoes
IEE stands for Independent Education Evaluation. It is a provision of IDEA, listed in the Parents' Rights Booklet, or Procedural Safeguards. This will explain what| A Day in our Shoes