All Activity

You are doing the work of three systems—parent, advocate, and tutor—because the school system keeps failing both of your girls. And you’re right: time really is the most critical factor for dyslexia intervention. Everything you’ve described (gaslighting, “she’s smart so she doesn’t need help,” Response-to-Intervention purgatory, private interventions doing the heavy lifting) is extremely common in dyslexia cases. Let’s break down your actual questions, because they’re the part you can take action on right now. What happens to an IEP when a child is homeschooled? An IEP only applies to public school enrollment. If you withdraw to homeschool: The IEP becomes inactive, not “closed” or “deleted.” The district still has Child Find obligations, meaning they must evaluate a homeschooled child if you request it. You do not receive special education services automatically while homeschooling. Some states allow limited services through “equitable services” plans—look at your state's regs to find what is available to you So: If you homeschool, the IEP stops being implemented. You become the service provider. You essentially are waiving your right to FAPE. That doesn’t mean you’re shut out of supports forever—you can always re-enroll later and the district must evaluate again. Can your eldest still participate in "this" Club and orchestra while homeschooling? This part varies by state and by district policy. In Missouri: The state does not require districts to allow homeschooled students to participate in extracurriculars. Many districts do allow partial participation (especially band/orchestra), but it’s local policy, not a right. You would need to check your district’s board policy under “homeschool participation” or “nonpublic student activities.” If the district says no, you’d look at: Community orchestras Youth music programs at local colleges Church or community clubs Online or homeschool academic competitions 4-H, Scouts, or STEAM clubs Dyslexia-friendly book clubs or enrichment groups Middle-school extracurriculars can be rebuilt, but you’ll want clarity before you make any decisions. Why your youngest “doesn’t qualify” — even with an outside dyslexia diagnosis This is another common pattern: Schools over-rely on: High IQ Good grades Processing speed “She’s not failing” “She’s doing well enough” But IDEA does not require a child to fail to qualify. It requires: A disability AND an educational impact The IEE showing dyslexia is educational impact. Poor oral reading fluency is educational impact. Needing 2–3 hours of private tutoring weekly is educational impact. Schools simply don’t want to open IEPs for kids who appear “bright,” because they mistakenly assume dyslexia can be outsmarted. You are not imagining the gaslighting. You are not imagining the delays. And you are not imagining the difference private tutoring makes—because fidelity and intensity matter, and that’s exactly what schools often avoid providing. If you homeschool now, can you return later with an IEP? Yes. If you re-enroll: You immediately request evaluations The district must respond within legal timelines Your previous IEP and IEEs still matter as data They cannot require you to “try RTI again” before evaluating You are not locked out for life. Is homeschooling the only way to get them what they need? Not necessarily, but many dyslexia families choose it because: They’re already doing the tutoring They’re already providing the curriculum They’re already filling all the gaps They’re exhausted from fighting for basic literacy Your youngest is getting more structured literacy at home and with private tutors than most districts ever provide. Your eldest is thriving academically because of what you arranged outside of school—not because the school delivered structured intervention consistently. Homeschooling may reduce the daily battles, but you’d be trading those battles for the responsibility of designing their academic roadmap. Big picture: what you’re experiencing is a systemic failure, not a parenting failure This is the dyslexia cycle many families fall into: School delays evaluation School minimizes results Child falls years behind Parents privately tutor School uses the private progress to deny services Child internalizes “I’m not smart enough” Parents become the only consistent intervention provider Eventually the whole system feels unsustainable You’re not wrong to consider homeschooling. You’re also not wrong to keep pushing the district. Either path is valid; the right choice is the one that protects your girls’ mental health, self-esteem, and access to structured literacy.

I have two daughters, ages 11 (dyslexia and ADHD) and 7 (mild dyslexia; attention issues but not considered ADHD). My eldest has an IEP (obtained in late 3rd- Spring 2023/early 4th grade Fall 2023; private diagnosis of dyslexia and ADHD was done outside of school by Oct 2023-Jan 2024 to have a specific name for her struggles). When I switched from the choice school she was attending at the time of her initial IEP (who seemed to have a good reputation on paper), back to our district school, she was reading approximately 3-4 grades below level. I switched b/c the school team was dragging their feet about helping her (Just read to her/Response to Intervention purgatory for a couple years before finally evaluating her etc., then , using weak IEP goals and interventions, while simultaneously telling me how talented and skilled they were, and 'that she was being educated by the best...she's smart, maybe she'll catch up someday...etc.' I also noticed that my youngest (who was in kindergarten at the original school) was starting to struggle a bit with reading as well, and didn't want to face a similar process with her at the choice school. I enlisted the help of a mom who was getting training in Orton Gillingham the summer of the school switch (2024), then placed her in an online private tutoring program, Dyslexia On Demand-CALT tutors; Take Flight Program, by Fall 2024. The private interventions made the most difference. I started seeing progress with her reading improving by the Fall of 2024, even with just the mom helping her in the summer. She's also done really well with the Dyslexia on Demand tutors, and has improved by several grade levels in a year with them (reading at around a 4th grade level; up from K-1st or so when we left the previous school). The original school district (transfer school area), has been slightly more helpful for my eldest ( took temporary services from pro-bono lawyer and advocate), but got her IEP goals straightened out somewhat). I still wrestle with the schools a bit with appropriate programs, intensity, fidelity, etc. but it's a little better than the previous school. Eldest is currently in middle school in Jr Beta Club and orchestra etc., along with her core classes. I have struggled a bit more, however with advocating for my youngest. She is currently in the 2nd grade and I can't get an IEP for her. I had an advocate last year at transfer school (advocate no longer available this year, and I'm back to being gaslight more again this year). In May 2024 before we transferred, I had a CALT do a dyslexia screening which indicated struggle. School evaluated her, and explained away signs of struggle on her testing, and said no IEP needed (Fall/Winter 2024). Had an IEE via the district, which also found struggle, and she received a diagnosis of mild dyslexia and attention issues (Spring of 2025; school didn't meet with me before end of year to discuss it). Fall 2025: School data and evaluations indicate poor oral reading fluency, as well, but the school team said, that because her IQ was above average, high processing speed and grades were good so far, no IEP needed (despite IEE results as well as standardized testing indicating reading struggle). I feel that time is of the essence. I'll do what I can to keep trying to get her an IEP, but I'm also looking into homeschooling. I am getting weary of wrestling to meet my girls' basic needs, being gaslit, delayed, denied, and wasting more precious time for them. I also want to customize their learning experience a bit more, improve their self esteem etc. (They often make comments about not being smart enough, and my eldest also sees a psychologist weekly for support after her experiences at the previous school). Question: What happens to the IEP when one goes the homeschool route? Can my eldest still access the school (name) Club and orchestra if in homeschool? Or would we need to seek community resources for this? I look forward to your thoughts.

This is incredibly frustrating, and what you’re seeing is a combination of federal rules and local interpretation, not a sign that students suddenly stopped needing support. If anything, I've always argued that when a child moves, and loses their "community" and friends etc., ,it should be expected that needs have increased, not decreased. Moving is stressful. Here’s what’s going on: 1. Federal law (IDEA) requires schools to honor an incoming IEP. When a military family transfers mid-year, the new district must provide services comparable to the previous IEP until it conducts its own evaluations and writes a new one. That’s not optional. 2. However, (your state) uses a very tight interpretation of eligibility categories. Some states are more flexible with diagnosing learning disabilities, autism, speech/language needs, or OHI (ADHD/anxiety). A child who qualifies in Colorado or Virginia may not meet Missouri’s criteria. This leads to: Parents arriving with a valid IEP The district “reviewing” it And then determining....sometimes very quickly....that the student “doesn’t qualify” under Missouri’s rules It feels like rejecting the IEP, but technically they are saying the student doesn’t meet state criteria once reevaluated. Know that I have seen this allllll over the place, in both military and non-military families who moved. Military families feel this more intensely because they move so often. Transitions mean repeated reevaluations, and Missouri’s stricter criteria create a pattern where incoming students repeatedly lose eligibility. Teachers often feel helpless watching it happen. You’re not imagining it, and you’re not the only one saying it. This has been raised at state and federal levels because it causes academic and emotional whiplash for kids. What families can do: Bring all outside evaluations with them Request Prior Written Notice when eligibility is denied Request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) if they disagree Document educational impact, not just test scores Connect with the installation EFMP office, this is exactly what they’re there for (there are other military resources too) Request stay-put protections when appropriate (during mid-year moves) And no, wanting services doesn’t equal “over-qualifying” students. These children had legally valid IEPs in their previous state. Missouri’s process simply creates a higher barrier. What you’re witnessing is exactly why parent advocates are needed.

Posting from email: Do you know why it is so hard to qualify for an IEP in (redacted)? I have many military parents who transfer to the school I work at, (redacted), with their child who just qualified for an out-of-state IEP. As soon as they transfer into our district, their IEP is rejected. It is the hardest thing for a special education teacher to watch and not be able to do anything.

Schools are required to allow service animals under the ADA, but emotional support animals (ESAs) are different. ESAs are not automatically permitted in K–12 settings, even with a doctor’s note. For a dog to be approved, the key question becomes: Is this the only effective support for the child’s anxiety at school? If other evidence-based supports work, the dog becomes harder to justify. That said, there are pathways families sometimes use when an animal is truly part of a child’s disability-related support. Here’s how to think about it through the IEP/504 lens: The school must first identify the disability-related need.If anxiety is impacting attendance, participation, or ability to access learning, that condition itself should be documented within an IEP or 504 plan. ESAs are generally not recognized as an accommodation under the ADA. That’s why districts often say no, they’re not obligated to allow emotional support animals the way they must allow trained service dogs. BUT you can request an evaluation or 504 meeting and propose this as an accommodation. The team must consider whether: The dog is necessary for the student to access school, and Whether there are other accommodations that would meet the need with fewer logistical barriers. Some districts do approve a dog with strict guidelines (handlers, toileting schedule, training expectations, allergy planning, etc.). Others say no but will offer alternatives like: Dedicated calm-down space Sensory supports Breaks with a staff member Access to a mental-health professional Use of weighted items, fidgets, or regulation tools You do not “certify” an ESA for school. Instead, the school makes a placement/accommodation decision based on disability impact. Outside “certificates” or online ESA letters do not create school obligations. Your state may vary, so you want to double check that to be certain. Because you’re a teacher in the district, it can add an emotional layer. Stick to the process: request a meeting, document the disability-related need, and ask the team to consider the dog as one possible accommodation.

Posting from email: How do we qualify our son's one-year-old dog to become his emotional support dog at school? He has severe anxiety, and when he holds his dog, the anxiety melts away. His pediatrician said she does not know but would support whatever we need to do. We are in (redacted), he attends (redacted) and I teach in the same district.

9th grader with SLD in written expression being ignored. District initially created this Writing Goal for him to write a paragraph with no more than 2 errors in conventions on 3 out of 4 writing assignments per quarter for at least 2 quarters…. (I was never in agreement with this as proposed on 2/21/25.) I am attaching screenshot of the progress monitoring, then a screenshot of how they are now measuring this in his IEP, and their proposed revision of this goal. He did not meet this simple goal. They give him “A”s in his classes and on his assignments which they now won’t provide to me. His work is shocking. Especially compared to the grades. I need help writing goals for him. He scored 7% on his essay comp WIAt (12/2024), has a SLD in written expression per IEE (plus others), first eligibility in 1st grade was SLD which was lost in 4th grade (Covid) I was not in agreement.

My 9th grade Twins are now in HS in PA (moved from CA 1 yr ago). They have Autism, ADHD, SLD written expression. Multiple issues with district: our initial ERs completed 1/28/25. I am just grasping that District administered WIATs in 11/24 and retested in 12/24. RETESTED WIAT-4! And they have evaded all of my questions and lied. I posed this question to assistant superintendent “are the 12/24 WIATs retests?” He will not answer. Prior to my understanding that they did this, I asked for IEEs, they refused so I withdrew my request (not going into due process alone again). The next day they issued requests for re-evaluations, alocuting certain assessments (TOWL4) but won’t confirm using the essay composition subtest because that is where my students do not have “average” scores. District cited their extensive and exhaustive assessments to deny the IEE, but then issues these reevaluation requests for only the TOWL 4 and review of records. I’m sure to exit one kiddo ou out of special ed. The Consult line informed me yesterday that I cannot request IEEs again now because the district is proposing to reevaluate. They also said I cannot dispute the initial ERs (completed 1/28/26) now that district wants to reevaluate. In addition to invalid WIATs there are other issues such as including all scores that I provided Except the towl4 essay composition score from 2023. They cherry-pick everything. They also had one teacher fill out sensory ratings (after having students for 2 weeks), said my kiddo did not qualify for speech anymore then gave him some speech services then just stopped and refuse to provide any records of this I requested and later an attorney requested… nothing. 2 weeks into 9th grade, one kiddo is called “stuttering autistic freak” plus much more ongoing, but at the 2 IEP meetings after that, they insist that he tested average in speech and doesn’t qualify. I have not been able to get an advocate, and potential attorney insists on IEEs (that will be around $13k for 2 kids and, District only has to “consider” privately funded IEEs. There are more issues (electronically signing my signature without my consent, sending NOREPs through automated system (that I don’t access and they are fully aware…. Then telling me the programming is in place because the NOREPS were issued over 10 days ago).,, it goes on. i really want to write state complaints but i am not sure which are procedural issues or what to ask as a remedy. district also filed for mediation citing “we refuse to revise IEPs and NOREPs via email” which is funny because I will only do hard copy but….they filed these 2 hours after my meeting with superintendent, and emailed me asking me to list my areas of issue and peppered certain issues I believe because they wanted to add my big issues to their mediation, and when there is no agreement, they can file for due process on the issues that they want a quick and favorable ruling so I can not bring it myself when I have an attorney ( attorney wants IEEs done before representing us). ugh…

If the IEP isn't providing what your child needs, that's a great reason for school refusal. (I guess you can't say that in truancy court.) I'm in PA & they changed the rules a few years ago. Schools need to hold an attendance improvement meeting BEFORE they can go to truancy court. They need to contact the parent 3X about the meeting before it's held. If the student has an IEP, they need to have the IEP team at the meeting so changes can be made if that's needed. Can you ask for an IEP meeting for the purpose of discussing the reasons behind poor attendance? Then the discussion could be about getting the right support at school so she's willing to go to school. I'm sure it's more complicated than this. (In some states, the truancy fine is how they get the parent's attention on getting the child to go to school. If the child doesn't cooperate, they aren't going anywhere.) I remember taking my child to the doctor so I could get a note so her absence could be excused - I had written for the max number of days that I could write. She was stressed and refused to go. Would a medical excuse make sense if this is ongoing?

If the IEP says AAC, the school needs to provide it. Out of compliance with the IEP is something worthy of doing a state complaint about. If enough students are involved, I could see a class action suit via a disability rights group. I see this as a whistleblower complaint if a teacher would file the complaint. With whistleblower, your employment would be protected but I can see it being awkward to work for someone where you filed a complaint like this. And like Lisa posted: document - and include dates when things were discovered. It might be good to inquire to your superior (in writing so you have a paper trail) about not having AAC that's written in the IEP & being out of compliance. You might want to say 'I don't want to get into trouble since I cannot implement the IEP given we don't have AAC software' as a way to CYA. I know in my district, the special ed lawyer meets with special ed administration on Mondays & they'd be asking their lawyer how the school should CYA since they don't want a lawsuit. Not sure how everyone in your county all get the same AAC software. This doesn't sound individualized. Also, there are free versions of AAC out there. (See: https://aaccommunity.net/2021/10/free-aac-apps-for-slps/) My daughter was working with someone who was non-speaking & used AAC. She was able to download something for free onto her phone. Also, I've seen school not have an SLP & not tell parents. That seems to be what they do: Be out of compliance and not say anything. (They did eventually get an SLP & made up for the missed sessions - sort of.)

When people look back on this past year, I don’t think they’ll see the end of special education as we know it. More likely, they’ll see a beginning-- the moment families, teachers, and advocates woke up and said, “No more.” Because it’s been a year of reckoning. The quiet dismantling of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The shifting of oversight and accountability to people who don’t understand (or don’t value) the protections that have held our system together for five decades. The slow erosion of transparency, enforcement, and trust. We’ve seen what happens when leadership treats IDEA as optional paperwork instead of a civil rights law. And in that loss, many of us have realized just how much we’ve been taking for granted. For years, we assumed the procedural safeguards would always be there....that progress reports, individualized goals, and FAPE were untouchable. Even if we were fighting to get FAPE for one kid....we thought “they can’t possibly take it all away.” And then they started to. Chipping away at protections, agencies, civil rights. But something else is happening too. Parents who never thought of themselves as advocates are showing up, reading the law, asking hard questions. Teachers who once felt silenced are finding their voices, demanding the training and tools they deserve. Communities are connecting....online, in meetings, in living rooms....because we all feel what’s at stake. This awakening isn’t about nostalgia for what IDEA was. It’s about recommitting to what it promised. Fifty years ago this month, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act; what we now call IDEA. It was born out of struggle, lawsuits, and heartbreak. It guaranteed that children with disabilities would no longer be excluded, hidden, or ignored. That law wasn’t a gift. It was a fight. And it will take another fight to protect it. As we mark IDEA’s 50th anniversary, let’s remember: we are not at the end of anything. We are at the beginning of a new phase.....one that demands vigilance, collaboration, and courage from all of us. Every parent who documents, every teacher who questions, every advocate who refuses to give up, that’s what keeps IDEA alive. Because rights only matter if we insist on them. Fifty years later, the promise still stands. But it’s our turn to make sure it’s not just words on pape, it’s action in every classroom, every IEP, every child’s life. LL PS: I wouldn’t ask if it didn’t matter....but clicking the links in my emails really does help me keep doing this work. Thank you for supporting small, independent creators like me--AI is killing our sites right now. Almost to the point that it won't be sustainable.

{this is an older post that was deleted and now brought back} Can We Please Stop Doing This? At All Ages. This is one of those posts that’s been sitting in the back of my mind for years. It’s something that rubbed me the wrong way when my son was first diagnosed, but I never really said much about it publicly. Back to the Beginning If you’ve been on this journey for a while, you probably remember those early days after the diagnosis — meeting other parents, finding your footing, trying to build your little community. I remember it vividly. I met so many families, some who became trusted friends and others who just weren’t the right fit. And in one particular group, there was something that happened over and over — something that made me step back completely. It was the “Oh, just you wait…it’s going to get so much harder/worse!” speech. Have you heard it? I Just Wanted to Enjoy My Baby Back then, I didn’t want to live in fear of what might be coming. I wanted to enjoy my baby, celebrate milestones, and focus on Early Intervention, one day at a time. But instead of encouragement, I kept hearing doom and gloom. People who were supposed to be my support system were telling me that things would inevitably get worse. That was not the moral support I was looking for — so I quietly walked away. Because honestly, babies are fun. Toddlers are fun. And yes, it’s exhausting and overwhelming at times, but when you tell a new parent “it only gets worse,” it doesn’t prepare them. It discourages them. So I stopped going to that group, stopped answering messages, and went back to focusing on my family and our small victories. Fast Forward Ten Years More than a decade later, I started reconnecting with some of those same parents, accepting friend requests, showing up at events, joining the same online spaces. And wouldn’t you know it? Within a few weeks, I heard it again. An older, “more experienced” mom said: “Oh, I see all these parents with young kids and I just think, ‘You have no idea what’s in store for you. It gets so much worse.’” Womp. Womp. Really? After all this time, we’re still doing this? I Get It. But… Yes, having an autistic one-year-old is different from having an autistic twelve-year-old. But different doesn’t automatically mean worse. Of course, there are new challenges as kids grow. It’s easy to pick up a two-year-old having a meltdown; not so easy when that child is twelve and taller than you. But there are also challenges that fade — sleepless nights, endless therapies, the uncertainty of those first evaluations. It evens out. It changes shape. When we warn newer parents that “it’s all downhill from here,” what purpose does that serve? Does it change their child’s outcome? Help them prepare? Or does it just rob them of the joy they could be feeling right now? Let People Enjoy Things We can acknowledge that this life is hard without taking away someone else’s hope. Telling parents “just you wait” doesn’t help them build resilience — it teaches them to expect suffering. And that’s not the message families need. The reality is that every stage brings its own mix of challenges and wins. Some seasons are heavier; others are lighter. But no one benefits when we act like difficulty is inevitable or universal. I’d argue that warning parents like that checks maybe one box out of five for being “true and important.” Because it’s not true for everyone, and it’s certainly not helpful all the time. So maybe the better thing to say is: “You’ll figure it out. You’ll grow with your child. And it’s not all bad — there’s still joy to be found.” Because that’s the truth, too. Let’s Do Better for Each Other Parenting a disabled or neurodivergent child already comes with enough unknowns. The last thing any of us need is more fear layered on top of that. What we do need is connection — people who can say, “Yeah, I’ve been there. It’s hard sometimes. But you’ll find your way, and there are still plenty of good moments ahead.” The best gift veteran parents can give newer ones isn’t a warning. It’s perspective. It’s reassurance that the love and joy you feel now won’t disappear just because your child gets older — it just changes shape. We can tell the truth without crushing hope. We can share our experiences without predicting someone else’s future. And we can build a community that encourages, not alarms. Because this journey is already hard enough. Let’s make sure we’re the soft place to land.

It’s heartbreaking (and unf not uncommon) for parents to end up in this situation. When a child with an IEP refuses to attend school, the district’s response should never begin and end with truancy. Under IDEA, if a disability is impacting attendance, that’s a special education issue, not simply a discipline or compliance one. Here’s what should be happening instead of fines and warrants: 1. The team should address the “why.” School refusal is almost always rooted in anxiety, mental health, sensory overload, or a lack of appropriate supports. The IEP team needs to determine why your child can’t attend, through evaluations, data, and input from mental health professionals. 2. Attendance concerns should trigger an IEP meeting, not truancy court. When a disability is preventing a student from accessing school, that’s a denial of FAPE. The district has an obligation to consider additional supports, placement changes, or even home/hospital instruction if necessary, not punitive action. 3. Document everything. Keep a written record of your requests for help, your communications about your child’s difficulties, and any documentation showing the disability connection to the attendance issue. This becomes crucial if you need to escalate your concerns. 4. Request an IEP meeting specifically to address “school refusal.” Ask for updated evaluations (including a functional behavioral assessment or mental health evaluation) and for the team to develop a return-to-school plan that includes gradual reintegration, counseling, and accommodations that make attendance more possible. 5. You’re not alone in this. Many parents have faced similar situations where districts turn a complex disability issue into a legal one. The key is reframing the problem: attendance isn’t defiance, it’s a symptom. And IDEA requires schools to address symptoms that interfere with learning.

Posting for a reader: I just want my kid to go to school. We have a school refusal issue. She has an IEP and from my viewpoint. They’re not addressing the IEP because they’re not addressing the school attendance issue just finding me I asked them to go to truancy court and they find me $500. I currently have a warrant out because I refuse to pay it. I asked for their help all they did is add to the difficult situation. I’m already in

Many parents walk out of IEP meetings feeling like they just got hit by a truck, even after spending hours preparing. It’s incredibly frustrating when goals aren’t carried over, or when your child’s AAC isn’t being used consistently or correctly. Those two issues—continuity of supports and AAC implementation—are both critical for meaningful progress. Here are a few action steps you can take: Request written documentation. Ask the team (in writing) to explain why previous goals were changed or not continued. They are required to provide a rationale for any major shift in programming or goals. Request data and training logs. Ask for data showing how the team implemented AAC over the past year: who used it, when, and in what settings. You can also request documentation of staff training on the device. If the team hasn’t been trained, that’s a valid area for corrective action. Call an additional IEP meeting. You have the right to request a meeting at any time, especially if you believe your child isn’t receiving FAPE (a Free Appropriate Public Education). In your request, specify that you’d like to discuss AAC implementation fidelity and consistency with previous goals. Bring evidence. Print examples of what worked in the past. videos, old progress reports, teacher notes, etc. Concrete examples often cut through the “he said/she said” that happens in meetings. Ask for an AAC specialist. If your district has one (or can access one through the IU or assistive tech team), request that they attend the meeting. Consistency in AAC use hinges on staff confidence and training. Consider writing a parent concerns letter. Before the next meeting, write a short statement summarizing your concerns, your child’s current skills, and what you’ve observed at home. Ask that it be attached to the IEP. This ensures your perspective is part of the official record. It’s discouraging to feel like your voice isn’t being heard, but documenting and following up in writing often shifts things from “they said they’d fix it” to actual accountability. I have many resources on adayinourshoes.com to browse and read-- everything from AT and AAC information, goals, ideas to try, as well as a bunch ways to communicate with your team.

Posting for a reader. Not staying consistent with prior goals that were put in place from the previous year and feeling like you have not been heard or getting the staff to work with my son effectively with his AAC device and training the people who work with him how to use it too. I go into the meeting thinking I'm prepared and I leave feeling angry and like I just got blindsided, and my little boy was setback at least a couple of years. I plan on requesting a second IEP even though we just had one. My son is in 4th grade, autistic and nonspeaking but uses a communication device.

First, thank you for reaching out and for advocating for your students. What you’ve described is deeply concerning, both legally and ethically. Unfortnately not uncommon. Communication is a fundamental right under IDEA, and a student’s IEP team (not the district office) is ultimately responsible for ensuring the assistive technology listed in the IEP is provided. A few thoughts and possible next steps: 1. Document everything. Keep a written record of all communication attempts, to your district’s ESE department, AT specialists, and administrators. Note each time the student was denied access to her AAC device or software, and how that impacts her ability to participate or communicate. Stick to facts and professional language. 2. Focus on the IEP, not the software brand. The IEP says the student requires a speech generating device (SGD). The brand or software (TD Snap, Proloquo, etc.) is secondary. What matters is that she has functional access to AAC. If the district has discontinued TD Snap but hasn’t provided a replacement, that’s a denial of FAPE. 3. Request an IEP meeting. Ask the parent (in writing) to request an IEP meeting to address the lack of access to her required AAC. The parent can say something like: “My child’s IEP states she requires a speech generating device. The district has discontinued TD Snap, and no replacement has been provided. I am requesting an IEP meeting to discuss how the team will ensure she continues to have access to appropriate AAC.” If the parent isn’t sure how to do this, you can encourage them to send that statement to the ESE Director or Principal. 4. Parents can also file a state complaint. If the district continues to delay, parents can file a complaint with the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS). They can note that the district is failing to implement the IEP as written. These complaints can be filed online or by mail, and they don’t need an atty to do it. 5. Protect yourself professionally. You’re right to be cautious in an at-will state. Keep your advocacy focused on the student’s legal rights and your duty to implement the IEP as written. Avoid language that implies blame or accusation. Phrases like “I’m seeking clarification on how to implement this student’s IEP” or “I want to ensure we remain compliant” keep it professional and safe. 6. Optional workaround: If the parent can independently obtain a device (through Medicaid, private insurance, or a nonprofit like the Communication Technology Education Center (CTEC) or Team Gleason Foundation to name a few), you can help the team integrate it into the IEP even temporarily. More info: https://adayinourshoes.com/aac-devices-for-autism-and-communication/ https://adayinourshoes.com/assistive-technology/ https://adayinourshoes.com/ask-advocate-iep-team-members-need-training-device/

I am posting this for a teacher who emailed me, I redacted any identifying information. I am a self-contained special education teacher in Florida. We are a semirural high-poverty County. In the past, our county was partnered with TD Snap for AAC software. Sometime over the summer, there was some sort of legal dispute with TD Snap, possibly regarding misuse of student data. That’s all anyone in the district seems to know. However, as a result, the county has stopped issuing students any TD Snap licenses, but is apparently not touching licenses that were previously issued. This is concerning for multiple reasons: 1. No one, and I mean no one, at the district seems to know anything about the problem other than “legal issue, possibly data breach,” or who to contact to get more information. 2. Neither the district nor Tobii Dynavox has reached out to teachers, parents, or students using the TD Snap software. They haven’t touched base with me as a teacher or as a parent (my child is an AAC user who was issued one of the county’s TD Snap licenses three years ago). 3. We currently have no AAC software available for students entering our school district who require AAC- even if they have it specifically written into their IEP that they require a speech generating device. The county is supposedly “in the process” of approving a contract with Proloquo, but I was flat out told there was no timeline for that. I tried to get a grant or even fund my own Proloquo licenses but the district told me that legally I could not do that. Meanwhile, I’ve got a third grader in my class who is completely non-speaking. Her IEP states she requires a speech generating device. We are doing the best we can with obsolete GoTalk pages, core boards, and free demo software but that’s going about as well as you’d expect. She becomes so agitated that she punches and bites herself and me/my staff. I can’t even blame her- if I couldn’t communicate, I’d be mad enough to bite too. I want to fight for her. Her parents are well meaning but are struggling and I don’t believe she has health insurance. I’m also not sure how to effectively fight this battle and still keep my job (we are an at-will state). Do you have any suggestions? If not, thanks for reading anyway.

Every state has a Parent Training and Information Center. This is the one for TN: https://www.familyvoicestn.org/resources/education/ This site also says they are the only Parent Training and Information Center in TN: https://tnstep.info/ (Not sure which is the right group - there should only be one.) In my area (I'm in PA), The Arc has advocates that can help with IEPs. TN's Arc might be able to help: https://familyengagementtn.com/ From my experience, when content is modified, the student is taken off a 'diploma track' and put on a 'certificate of completion' track. This has more info: https://adayinourshoes.com/iep-accommodations-modifications/

My advocate from east tn retired and I need to chat with someone about a few things now that my daughter is in middle school. Particularly what happens if we agree to modified content.

It seems like there needs to be a better system so this student attends synchronous instructional sessions. Missed sessions need to be noted so the data shows there is a lack of attendance on the student's part. Not sure if the student has issues with executive function where this needs to be accommodated so they get the SDI in their IEP & make better progress. Not sure what can be put in place so this student gets reminders of when they need to be online with you. This might mean you trial & error different reminders and add an accommodation to the IEP when you find something that works.

When you have data to support that the current IEP isn't FAPE... It's unfortunate that this is how IDEA seems to be setup to work. I'm hoping with the movement in so many places toward Structured Literacy, schools will Child Find earlier. There still needs to be more teachers who are trained to provide IEP level support to the students who need this intervention. (My gut says the O-G practitioner has a full caseload where the school cannot add to this.)

Thank you for your response. It is a good reminder that frequent progress monitoring written into the IEP would be a way to demonstrate if the child isn't progressing. It's hard to have an individualized OG instructor in our midst, but the district unwilling to support that given the significance of this childs need. I know that they are hard to find and expensive, so I don't take for granted the gift that our other students have been given.

To add context, Carolyn Rowlett, I am scheduled to provide services virtually, but she rarely shows up. However, when she does show up, that's a great idea to work with her on flash cards. I should be able to get some data that way. JSD24 there is a goal, so thank you for that reminder to connect the two! (I have a severe concussion at this time, so I'm trying to accommodate myself and rely on my resources (and gazillion sticky-notes!) when I need to refresh something!) Lisa Lightner thank you for the reminder that I need to frane the discussion around the skill, not the tool!

Part of the IEP process is progress monitoring. This person might be great with getting this student to make progress and that's really what counts in the world of IEPs. Have the school gather data on progress 8X per year and see how well this is working (you want this spelled out in the IEP). If the student is closing the gap (more than one year's worth of progress every year since the expectation for typical students is to stay at grade level with a year of progress every year) the school has data that this is a good match for this student. If the results don't show this, you have data showing that something different is needed. I'm not a lawyer so I can't say if what the school is doing is legal. (And appropriate seems to be the yardstick used in IDEA.) I also want to mention there is a huge shortage of people who are certified in any of the many flavors of O-G that are out there. I was talking to a parent in my area in one of the smaller school districts (2000 students). They have zero teachers who are certified in an O-G based reading program. Once you have data showing a lack of progress - 4 data points is what I'm thinking is the minimum to see how progress is trending - you'll have evidence that the IEP needs to be tweaked to something that will help the student catch up/close the gap. I know you don't want to let this IEP go into place for a full semester so you have data that their offer of FAPE isn't working but I'm not sure of a way around this. Not sure if someone else has a better idea and wants to post it.