What is Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) — and why is it the foundation of special education?

In this brand-new series, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, breaks down one of the most misunderstood (and misused) concepts in IDEA: special education is specially designed instruction.

In Part 1, we cover:
✅ Why SDI is different from accommodations or modifications
✅ How to ask teachers the right questions to uncover whether SDI is really happening
✅ Why strong IEP goals are the foundation of effective SDI
✅ The three SDI elements: Content, Methodology, and Delivery
✅ How IDEA defines SDI — and what that means in practice for your child
✅ Common mistakes schools make
✅ Why data collection, baselines, and progress monitoring matter 

Karen also shares real-life stories from IEP meetings, due process hearings, and advocacy experiences that highlight how schools get SDI wrong — and what parents and advocates can do about it.

📌 If a school can’t describe what they are doing differently than a general education teacher, then your child has not received Specially Designed Instruction.

✨ Join us for this powerful series and come back for Part 2 where we’ll go even deeper.

📣 Want step-by-step training to navigate IEPs, 504s, and advocacy? Join The Academy:
👉 https://specialeducationacademy.com/training

🎥 Watch replays and trainings on YouTube:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialEducationAcademy/videos

🎧 Listen to more episodes on Buzzsprout or your favorite podcast platform.

✨ Remember: We’re not giving legal advice. We’re educating you.

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...

It’s one of our most popular formats—rapid-fire Q&A straight from TikTok Live! In this episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, answers your biggest special education questions with her signature mix of clarity, humor, and straight talk.

We cover everything from:
✅ Do you need a meeting to add accommodations to an IEP?
✅ Can dyslexia teachers serve without special ed certification?
✅ What to do when services are missing or reduced without consent
✅ Retention, transportation, behavior, and related services
✅ The difference between 504 and IEP—and why schools often blur the line
✅ Compensatory services, child find, prior written notice, and state complaints
✅ And so much more pulled directly from parent and advocate questions

This is your playbook for navigating the tricky situations families face every day inside IEP and 504 meetings.

📣 Want step-by-step training to navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes? Join The Academy today:
👉 https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about
🎥 Watch more trainings on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialEducationAcademy/videos
🎧 Listen to more episodes on Buzzsprout or your favorite podcast platform.

✨ Remember: We’re not giving legal advice. We’re educating you.

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...

In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham unpacks one of the most overlooked yet powerful safeguards in special education: Prior Written Notice (PWN).

Most parents don’t realize that a PWN is not optional—it’s federally required. And it’s the school’s responsibility to complete it whenever they propose or refuse changes to your child’s identification, evaluation, placement, or services.

Here’s what Karen covers in this training:

✅ The eight required components every PWN must include
✅ Why deliberations and signatures do not substitute for a proper PWN
✅ What to do if a PWN contains inaccurate testing procedures
✅ The timeline for receiving a PWN after an IEP meeting (and how to respond if delayed)
✅ Why legal documents should never be sent home in a child’s backpack
✅ How PWNs connect to procedural safeguards, state complaints, and appeals

Karen shares advocacy strategies, real-life examples, and the straight talk you need to hold schools accountable and walk into meetings prepared.

📌 Next Steps & Resources

• Join The Academy
  for 250+ hours of advocacy training and community support
• Explore more trainings on evaluations, complaints, and procedural safeguards
• Watch and subscribe on YouTube
  for weekly episodes and resources

💡 Remember: A Prior Written Notice is one of your strongest advocacy tools. Don’t overlook it.

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...

It’s a Marvelous, Amazing Monday with Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, back with another Ask the Advocate episode!

This week’s Q&A is packed with real parent and teacher questions covering IEP services, paraprofessionals, afterschool programs, behavioral supports, and yes—school shenanigans.

Here’s what Karen answers:

✅ What evaluations parents can request when schools say “everything is fine”
✅ Do paraprofessionals need to be in the classroom at all times?
✅ Can schools place a student with an IEP in virtual-only after a fight?
✅ Can schools send a child home for half days instead of providing support?
✅ Do 504 accommodations carry into college?
✅ What to do if your child is head banging (and why FBAs matter)
✅ Amending IEPs without a meeting — what’s allowed and what’s not
✅ How to find and become an advocate (and why the 2-Day Intensive is the best first step)
✅ Teacher questions: missing IEPs, unsafe caseloads, co-teach concerns, and more

Karen shares advocacy strategies, humor, and the straight talk you need to sit at the IEP/504 table prepared.

📌 Next Steps & Resources

• Join The Academy for live weekly coaching + 250+ hours of training
• Explore our trainings on evaluations, complaints, and procedural safeguards
• Download the Special Education Academy App to learn on the go

Advocacy takeaway: If it doesn’t make sense, there’s a reason it doesn’t make sense. Sit at the table prepared.

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...

This week’s Ask the Advocate is packed with real questions from parents, teachers, and advocates across the country—and straight answers you won’t hear anywhere else.

From Denton ISD removing a child’s Dexcom, to confusion around aides, accommodations, and placement, Karen dives into the hard truths with humor, clarity, and strategy. You’ll hear powerful discussions on:

✅ Why “sitting in a class” isn’t the same as meaningful benefit in LRE
✅ What to do when paras are delivering special education instruction (state complaint time)
✅ The truth about dismantling the U.S. Department of Education—and why FAPE and IDEA rights aren’t going anywhere
✅ How to document accommodations (and why “extra time” means nothing)
✅ When aides help—and when they actually hurt long-term progress
✅ What to say when schools refuse services like speech therapy or try to downgrade IEPs to 504s
✅ The reality of long-term substitutes “acting” as SPED teachers (spoiler: illegal)
✅ Tips for parents heading into their first 504 or ARD/IEP meeting
✅ Plus: hilarious lipstick talk, flip-flops, and “church pews in Florida”

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or outnumbered at the IEP table, this episode will leave you empowered with tools, language, and confidence.

👉 Join The Academy for weekly training, 250+ hours of archived content, and a community that knows how to win at the table.

👉 Watch on YouTube

📌 Reminder: We don’t give legal advice—we train and educate so YOU can navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes.

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...

he U.S. Supreme Court has spoken—A.J.T. vs. Osseo Area Schools is now a landmark decision shaping the future of special education rights.

In this powerful episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Dr. Mitchell Yell, one of the nation’s leading voices on special education law, to break down what this case really means for parents, advocates, and schools.

You’ll learn:

• 📚 The history and background of the A.J.T. case
• ⚖️ Why the Court ruled unanimously (9–0) and what that means moving forward
• 💡 The difference between IEPs, 504 Plans, and ADA claims in this context
• 🚨 How this case pairs with Perez v. Sturgis to fast-track parent claims for monetary damages
• 🛑 Why “bad faith” or “gross misjudgment” is no longer required to prove discrimination
• 🔍 What parents and advocates need to look for in IEPs and accommodations to ensure schools are teaching skills—not just masking disabilities

Dr. Yell also highlights William A. v. Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools, another critical case addressing whether accommodations alone equal FAPE, and Karen shares real-life advocacy insight on how this decision strengthens parent rights at the IEP/504 table.

✨ Whether you’re a parent, educator, or professional advocate, this episode will give you clarity, strategy, and the confidence to navigate these changes.

👉 Join The Academy for weekly training and advocacy tools

📺 Watch all episodes on YouTube
🎧 Catch up on past podcast episodes here or on your favorite streaming platform, Special Education Boss® Podcast

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...

What exactly is an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE), and when should you request one? In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham breaks down the facts about IEEs under IDEA and why they matter for parents, advocates, and educators.

We’ll cover:

• The legal foundation of IEEs (IDEA §300.502)
• What an IEE is — and what it is NOT
• When to request an IEE (and when not to)
• How schools grant, deny, or push to due process
• Common pitfalls with outside evaluations
• What parents should know before spending money on private testing

Karen also answers real parent questions, including:

• “How often is an IEE actually helpful?”
• “If a school accepts some of an IEE, do they have to accept all of it?”
• “What happens during a 30-day transfer ARD?”

📌 Keep learning with us: Join The Academy

Watch on YouTube

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...

This week on Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham tackles tough parent and teacher questions that expose what really happens inside IEP and 504 meetings. From falsified service logs to shortened school days, denials of services, and lack of staff training—Karen breaks down exactly what you can do, what the law says, and how to respond with confidence.

In this episode, Karen covers:

• What to do if your school falsifies service logs
• Shortened school days and when they violate IDEA
• The six dispute resolution options: state complaint, mediation, due process & more
• How to request OT, speech, sensory services, and one-on-one aides the right way
•  Why teachers, paras, and interpreters need training—and how to hold districts accountable
• How to become an advocate and why America needs 20,000 more special education advocates right now

Karen shares real examples, practical language you can use in meetings, and empowering strategies to make sure your child’s rights are upheld.

👉 Ready to be trained every week on how to navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes?
Join The Academy

👉 Watch more Special Education Boss® episodes on YouTube

👉 Need direct support? Email us: [email protected]

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...

In this Special Education Boss® episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham tackles your top special education questions—cutting through the confusion with clear, direct answers on IEPs, 504s, data collection, medical needs, and more.

🔥 Highlights include:

• College & Resource Classes: Does being in a resource setting impact college admissions—and how to make up missing credits.
• Behavior Goals That Work: Why “weekly data collection” is critical and who should be tracking it.
• Health Plans in Schools: When an IHP is needed for students with medical conditions, even without school-dispensed medication.
• Assistive Technology Rights: Using the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 to secure services, minutes, and devices.
• Failure to Implement: What to do when IEP services aren’t being delivered as written.

Karen also shares how parents, teachers, and school staff can get free trial access to The Academy—featuring over 300 hours of training, live coaching, and advocacy resources.

📌 Join The Academy today

📌 Watch & Subscribe on YouTube

📌 Listen to More Episodes on your favorite Podcast platform ..  Special Education Boss® Podcast

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everyone.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...

In this powerful IEP & 504 Q&A episode of Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham, we tackle YOUR real-world special education questions—straight from the comments—about eligibility, accommodations, modifications, evaluations, placement, behavior, related services, and more.

Karen breaks down complicated situations into clear, actionable strategies so parents, advocates, and educators can navigate and negotiate at the IEP/504 table with confidence. From early childhood through high school, you'll hear practical examples, federal/state requirements, and the advocacy mindset you need to ensure every student receives a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

In This Episode:

• 📚 Why brand-name programs like Barton shouldn’t be written into IEP goals—and how to still secure the instruction your child needs.
• 🎒 Kindergarten readiness: why holding a child back in preschool can have long-term consequences, and how to use the IEP to prepare instead.
• 💰 Special education funding—where it comes from and what it can (and can’t) be used for.
• 🧩 Behavior plans: identifying deficits, teaching replacement skills, and ensuring the right level of in-class support.
• ✂️ Resource class minutes—when crafts and rewards are okay, and when they cross the line.
• 🚌 Transportation and field trips—what schools are required to provide and when parent attendance is not required.
• 📋 Data collection: who’s responsible, how to make it meaningful, and why grades are never IEP goals.
• 🛠️ Modifications vs. curriculum integrity—how to change learner expectations without violating program requirements.
• ⚖️ Denied 504 Plans: how to appeal, what to document, and when to push for an IEP evaluation.
• 🚨 Failing implementation: when to escalate to a state complaint or OCR filing.
• 🎯 Becoming an advocate: why training matters and how to start today.

Karen also dives into high-impact topics like:

• Teachers providing instruction outside their certification scope.
• Special education classroom ratios and staffing shortages.
• Compensatory services for missed speech therapy.
• OCR complaints for language access violations.
• How “harmful effect” and “meaningful benefit” factor into Least Restrictive

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...