You have concerns about your child's progress in school.  You request an evaluation.  At the meeting, the school district determines your child is not eligible for an IEP (special education).  What are the next steps after the meeting that you as a parent can follow to ensure your child is receiving what they require to access their education?

In this episode, we discuss (from a lens of Massachusetts law):

Resources

1. How to request a mediation in Massachusetts

2. Empowered 2 Advocate's eligibility blog and webinar

3. Schedule your 20 minute FREE consultation with us today!

This episode is all about getting organized! Be sure to head to www.empowered2advocate.com to download your FREE binder organization system! CLICK HERE

Being prepared for you child's meeting supports you with being better able to fully participate in your child's IEP meeting and understand the why's of recommendations service providers are making.  But in the ocean of paperwork that you receive for your child, what papers are most important to keep and have at your fingertips to be able to review and bring with you to meetings?

Be sure to head to www.empowered2advocate.com to download your Free binder organization system! CLICK HERE

Wondering how we can support you and your child this school year? Schedule your complimentary consult with us! CLICK HERE

Stay in touch! Subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter!  CLICK HERE!

December break and end of the school year are 2 big times for caregivers and parents to be wondering, "what are great gift ideas for my child's teachers and therapists that they will actually love and use to say thank you!"

In this special episode of the Empowered 2 Advocate Podcast, Dana marie and Michelle share some of their favorite and most memorable gifts they have received over the years as well as ways to have your child be involved!

What are some gifts your child's teachers have loved?  Are you a teacher?  What are some of the most memorable gifts you have received from students?

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We invite you to schedule your 20 minute complimentary consult with us to discuss ways Empowered 2 Advocate can support you and your child navigate the special education process.

Schedule HERE

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Stay in touch! Be sure to follow us on the podcast platform your are listening on so you never miss a new episode which drop every Friday!  and join our newsletter community for service updates, upcoming webinars and events, and special offers! 

SIGN UP HERE

In part 5 of this 5 part series on student voice and including students in their IEP process, we discuss how to support students of all ages (3-22) with unique communication, emotional, and behavioral needs.

In this episode we:

• Discuss strategies for gathering information about students' interests, accomplishments and strengths in various ways when a student utilizes a communication tool such as an iPad or communication board

• Suggestions educators and caregivers for bringing the student's voice to the meeting even if they will not be at the meeting

• The importance of including ALL students in their IEP process even if it is a challenge for them to attend their meeting and/or gather the information and capture their voice

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 Have questions or suggestions for including students in their IEP meetings and their IEP process?  Email us [email protected]

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We invite you to schedule your 20 minute complimentary consult with us to discuss ways Empowered 2 Advocate can support you and your child navigate the special education process.

Schedule HERE

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Stay in touch! Be sure to follow us on the podcast platform your are listening on so you never miss a new episode which drop every Friday!  and join our newsletter community for service updates, upcoming webinars and events, and special offers! 

SIGN UP HERE

In part 4 of this 5 part series on student voice and including students in their IEP process, we dig into the preschool and elementary school years (3-10 year olds).

In this episode we:

 Have questions or suggestions for including preschool and elementary students in their IEP meetings?  Email us [email protected]

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We invite you to schedule your 20 minute complimentary consult with us to discuss ways Empowered 2 Advocate can support you and your child navigate the special education process.

Schedule HERE

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Stay in touch! Be sure to follow us on the podcast platform your are listening on so you never miss a new episode which drop every Friday!  and join our newsletter community for service updates, upcoming webinars and events, and special offers! 

SIGN UP HERE

In part 3 of this 5 part series on student voice and including students in their IEP process we dig into the middle school years, grades 5-8, ages 10-13ish.  In this episode we discuss:

Have questions or suggestions for including students 14-22 in their IEP meetings? Email us at [email protected]

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We invite you to schedule your 20 minute complimentary consult with us to discuss ways Empowered 2 Advocate can support you and your child navigate the special education process!

SCHEDULE HERE

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Stay in touch! Be sure to follow us on the podcast platform you are listening on so you never miss a new episode (every Friday!) and join our newsletter community for service updates, upcoming webinars and events, and with special offers!  SIGN UP HERE

In this second part of our 5 part series about the power of student voice in the IEP process Dana Marie and Michelle focus on students aged 14-22.  While teams are legally obligated to include students in their meetings and IEP process, specifically their vision and Transition Planning Form, at age 14, and having legal signing rights at age 18, there are so many other reasons that this inclusion of students in their educational planning has a positive impact for the student.  

In this episode we discuss how this inclusion of students in their meetings and IEP planning helps to shift the focus of the meeting to being strength based, keeps teams student centered and allows students to feel empowered and connected to their education.  We also discuss ways to support students with becoming more involved and active participants in their education.

Stay tuned for part 3 next week about middle school students!

Have questions or suggestions for including students 14-22 in their IEP meetings? Email us at [email protected]

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We invite you to schedule your 20 minute complimentary consult with us to discuss ways Empowered 2 Advocate can support you and your child navigate the special education process!

SCHEDULE HERE

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Stay in touch! Be sure to follow us on the podcast platform you are listening on so you never miss a new episode (every Friday!) and join our newsletter community for service updates, upcoming webinars and events, and with special offers!  SIGN UP HERE

In this 5 part series, Michelle and Dana Marie dig into the power of student voice in their IEP and education in general.  In this episode we discuss what is student voice, why we care and give an overview of what we will discuss in the upcoming 4 episodes! Be sure to subscribe / follow us wherever you are listening and if you find this helpful, please share with friends, family members, fellow caregivers and/or educators!

 🥳 Reach out to schedule a consult and see how we can help you through the Special Education process.  https://empowered2advocatescheduling.as.me/schedule.php 

Find us at:  website: www.empowered2advocate.com  

instagram: @empowered2advocate  

Email: [email protected]  

You Tube: @empowered2advocate  

Pinterest @empowered2advocate  

Facebook: @empowered2advocate  

Linked In: @empowered2advocate

This podcast episode is based on a live webinar we hosted on 11/8/2022!  There was such great information in this webinar, we wanted to share with all of you!  Check it out and be sure to subscribe / follow the podcast on your favorite platform (apple, Spotify, google) so you never miss an episode!  We release episodes every Friday and would love to hear form you about what would be the most useful!  Email us at [email protected] with suggestions, comments, and questions!

About today's episode:

With all the great information out there about education and special education, there's also a lot of misconceptions and misinformation too.  It can be confusing, especially if special education is not your area of expertise - and it shouldn't have to be for caregivers who want to be the best advocates for their children!  Building your toolbox with tips, tools and strategies so you are more knowledgable and therefore more confident is the best way to support your child.  

In this webinar, Michelle and Dana Marie bust the top 10 myths and misconceptions they hear about special education.  This information is designed to be useful for parents and educators who want to know more about the special education process.  If this was useful, be sure to subscribe to our channel so you never miss any of our content!  

Have questions? Be sure to schedule a complimentary 20 minute consult with us today! CLICK HERE 

Stay in touch by subscribing to our newsletter!  We send out helpful tips and strategies that we don't always include on social media as well as special invitations to upcoming events to our newsletter folks at least 2 times a month! CLICK HERE 

Website: www.empowered2advocate.com  

Watch on YouTube! @empowered2advocate

Welcome to Empowered 2 Advocate! We're Michelle and Dana Marie and our mission is that when caregivers and parents work with Empowered 2 Advocate you will feel confident that you have the support, information, resources and expertise to be your child’s biggest advocate. Our goal is to make sure you get there.  

In this weekly podcast, released every Friday, you can expect quick and timely tips, strategies, and tools that you can add to your parent toolbox and implement right away to support your child in all phases of the special education process!

Reach out to schedule a consult and see how we can help you through the Special Education process.

Click HERE to schedule you free 20 minute consult with us today!

Find us at:

website: empowered2advocate.com

instagram: @empowered2advocate

You Tube: @empowered2advocate

Pinterest @empowered2advocate

Facebook: @empowered2advocate

Linked In: @empowered2advocate