IEP meetings can get very emotional. It can be hard to sit in a room full of teachers and talk about your child’s needs. Sometimes, these meetings can feel overwhelming, like everyone just wants to discuss what’s wrong with your child.  

However, if your child has an IEP, or Individualized Education Program, you’ll need to attend an IEP meeting at least once a year. And one important way to prepare is to get yourself ready emotionally.

On this episode of Understood Explains, guest host Claudia Rinaldi shares some tips for making this process less stressful, and what to do if big feelings come up during the meeting.  

For more resources, including a transcript formatted for easy skimming, visit the episode page on Understood.

Timestamps:

(00:55) Getting ready emotionally

(02:32) Before the IEP meeting

(07:51) During the IEP meeting

(11:03) After the IEP meeting

(12:23) Key takeaways

Related resources

• 10 defusing phrases to use at IEP meetings
• Listen: Why we cry in IEP meetings
• The IEP meeting: An overview
• Navigating IEP meetings

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

If you’re the parent of a young child, you may be wondering how special education can support kids during recess. If you have a teenager, you may be focused on getting ready for college or a career. And if your child is in middle school, I have one word for you: puberty.  

Special education can provide services and supports from birth through high school. And on this episode of Understood Explains, host Juliana Urtubey will share how these resources can help kids thrive at different ages.  

For more resources, including a transcript formatted for easy skimming, visit the episode page on Understood.  

Timestamps:

(01:14) Babies and toddlers  

(02:52) Preschool and grade school  

(06:03) Middle school  

(08:44) High school  

(12:24) Key takeaways

Related resources:

• What is an IFSP?
• What can I do if my child’s teacher takes recess away?
• 5 things to know about ADHD and puberty
• New challenges kids face in middle school
• What is IEP transition planning?

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Many kids in the U.S. are learning English as an additional language. For some, it may be their second, third, or fourth language.  

Their English skills can vary widely, too. Some kids may speak conversational English and need to learn academic words, like “add” and “subtract.” And others may be learning a lot of words in English and in their home language at the same time. So there can be a lot of different starting points for what some schools call English language learners or multilingual learners.    

As a parent, it can be hard to tell if you’re seeing common challenges that come with learning a new language. Or if you're seeing signs of a learning difference, like dyslexia or ADHD.  

Fortunately, schools can help in both of these areas. And part of that help could include an IEP, or Individualized Education Program. On this episode of Understood Explains, host Juliana Urtubey will share how.    

For more resources, including a transcript formatted for easy skimming, visit the episode page on Understood.

Timestamps:

(01:52) School supports for multilingual learners  

(04:32) Myths and facts

(07:47) Evaluations and IEPs

(10:24) Your rights as a parent or guardian  

(12:00) Key takeaways

Related resources

• For ELL families: Why and how to partner with teachers
• Listen: Understanding common IEP challenges for families of color
• How to help if English language learners are struggling in school

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

You and the school may not always agree on every detail in your child’s IEP. If you’re having trouble working things out, it’s good to know your options for resolving a dispute.

On this episode of Understood Explains, host Juliana Urtubey will go through your dispute resolution options and how to handle common disagreements. She’ll also share information on advocates and attorneys who can help you in a disagreement.

For more resources, including a transcript formatted for easy skimming, visit the episode page on Understood.

Timestamps:

(01:39) Dispute resolution options
(05:41) Disagreeing about evaluation results
(08:07) Changing a child’s placement
(09:32) Reducing a child’s services
(10:40) Special education advocates and attorneys
(12:09) Key takeaways

• 6 options for resolving an IEP dispute
• Independent educational evaluations (IEEs): What you need to know
• 10 smart responses for when the school cuts or denies services
• The difference between special education advocates and attorneys

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Does your child have trouble following the teacher’s rules? Are you getting a lot of calls from the principal?    

An IEP, or Individualized Education Program, can do a lot of things to help with behavioral challenges in school.   

But as you explore getting an IEP and putting it into action, things can get confusing. Along the way, you might run into wonky terms like FBA, BIP, and manifestation determination.  

 Those terms might all sound confusing now. But in this episode of Understood Explains, host Juliana Urtubey will help you understand what they mean and how they can help your child make progress in school.    

For more resources, including a transcript formatted for easy skimming, visit the episode page on Understood.org.

Timestamps

(00:46) Does my child need behavioral support at school?
(04:20) Can my child get an IEP for ADHD?
(05:50) What is a functional behavioral assessment?
(06:58) What is a behavior intervention plan?
(08:50) Can schools discipline kids with IEPs?
(10:33) Key takeaways

Related resources

• What is PBIS?
• School discipline rights for kids with IEPs and 504 plans
• Podcast: Understood Explains Evaluations for Special Education

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Setting IEP goals can feel tricky. They should be attainable, but not too hard or too easy — it’s a bit like Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

However, setting these goals is a big part of developing your child’s IEP, or Individualized Education Program.  

In this episode of Understood Explains, host Juliana Urtubey breaks down how IEP teams set annual goals, how parents can help, and how the IEP will measure a child’s progress.  

For more resources, including a transcript formatted for easy skimming, visit the episode page on Understood.org.

Timestamps:

(0:44) How do IEP teams set annual goals?

(4:22) How can parents help set annual goals?

(7:01) Are my child’s IEP goals aiming high enough?

(8:24) How will the IEP measure my child’s progress?

(11:30) What do multilingual families need to know?

(12:31) Key takeaways

• How to tell if your child’s IEP goals are SMART
• FAQs about standards-based IEPs
• Download an IEP goal tracker

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

So you have an IEP meeting coming up, or you’d like to prepare for future ones. This is an important time to ask questions and advocate for what you think is best for your child.  

These meetings can be stressful and high-pressure for families. But knowing what to expect in the meeting and how to get ready can put you at ease.  

On this episode of Understood Explains, host Juliana Urtubey will go over the nuts and bolts of preparing to talk about your child’s IEP, or Individualized Education Program.  

For more resources, including a transcript formatted for easy skimming, visit the episode page on Understood.org.

Timestamps

(01:13) What’s the purpose of an IEP meeting?

(03:04) What happens in IEP meetings?

(05:48) What role do parents play in IEP meetings?

(07:20) Who can parents bring to the meeting?

(10:18) What else can parents do to get ready?

(12:39) Key takeaways

Related resources

• How to find a special education advocate
• FAQs about having your child attend IEP meetings
• How to organize your child’s IEP binder
• Download: IEP binder checklist

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

If your child qualifies for an IEP, it will come with many legal rights and protections. But with names like “FAPE” and “prior written notice,” things can get confusing quickly.

Still, it’s really important for parents to understand these terms — and that's where this podcast comes in to help. 

In this episode of Understood Explains, host Juliana Urtubey breaks down some key terms and explains the legal rights that come with an IEP, or Individualized Education Program.

For more resources, including a transcript formatted for easy skimming, visit the episode page on Understood.org.

Timestamps:

(00:46) FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education

(03:07) Least restrictive environment

(07:32) Informed consent

(08:23) Prior written notice and “stay put” rights

(10:48) Other key rights

(11:56) Key takeaways

Related resources

• Download: Endrew R. advocacy toolkit
• How to consent to some parts of an IEP and not others
• Guidance letter from the Department of Education for schools to translate IEPs PDF

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

There are 13 disability categories listed in a federal law called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. 

And to get an IEP, or Individualized Education Program, your child will need to fit into at least one disability category.

These categories can have some hard-to-understand names, like “specific learning disabilities” or “other health impairments.” 

But on this episode of Understood Explains, host Juliana Urtubey will share what these categories mean and why they relate to IEPs. She’ll also share what to do if your child doesn’t qualify for any disability category, or if they qualify for more than one.  

For more resources, including a transcript formatted for easy skimming, visit the episode page on Understood.org.

Timestamps:

(00:43) Why do IEPs have disability categories?

(02:42) What are the 13 disability categories in IDEA?

(07:21) Are disability categories the same in every state?

(09:28) Can my child’s IEP include more than one disability?

(10:32) What if my child doesn’t qualify for any disability category?

(11:43) Key takeaways

Related resources:

• Download: Sample letters for requesting evaluations and reports
• 6 options for resolving an IEP dispute

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Kids don’t just get an IEP all of a sudden.

Schools have an evaluation process to decide if a child qualifies for special education services. This includes getting an IEP.  

On this episode of Understood Explains, join host Juliana Urtubey as she discusses the evaluation process and requirements for getting an IEP. She’ll also share what to do if the school says your child doesn’t qualify for an IEP, and more.  

For more resources, including a transcript formatted for easy skimming, visit the episode page on Understood.org.

Timestamps:

(00:37) How do kids qualify for IEPs?

(03:14) Does my child need a diagnosis to get an IEP?

(04:45) How do I request an evaluation?

(06:12) What if the school wants to wait to evaluate my child?

(08:10) What if the school says my child doesn’t qualify for an IEP?

(08:49) Key takeaways  

Related resources:

• Understood Explains Season 1
• Download: Sample letters for requesting evaluations and reports

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give