Tara Yarberry, BCBA

09/02/2026

Positive Behavior Support

Access the 30 Ways to Promote Prosocial Behavior that the West Virginia University's Center for Excellence in Disabilities through the link below:

https://pbs.cedwvu.org/pbs-resources/30-ways-to-promote-prosocial-behavior/

You can even download a PDF of the list to utilize in your classroom, clinic, or home.

09/01/2026

Are you a new paraeducator? Check out the free modules that AFIRM offers:

HomeModules Modules AFIRM modules are designed to help you learn the step-by-step process of planning for, using, and monitoring an evidence-based practice (EBP) with learners on the spectrum from birth to 22 years of age. Supplemental materials and handouts are available for download. Introduction....

08/31/2026

08/30/2026

Your Child's Story in 60 Seconds

Preparing for an IEP Meeting: The Elevator Pitch That Keeps the Team Focused

One of the most useful tools a family can walk into an IEP meeting with is a short, clear "child story" they can tell in just a few minutes.

When a team hears a focused summary of your child's strengths, needs, challenges, and educational priorities, it does two things: it grounds the meeting in the actual student, and it gives you a clear anchor to return to if the conversation drifts.

A simple structure to prepare in advance:
Strength — something your child does well, at school or elsewhere
Need — the area where support matters most right now
Challenge — what happens when that need isn't met (be specific — a moment, not just a label)
Priority — what you most want the team to focus on at this meeting

Once you have your child's story, it's much easier to ask focused, specific questions instead of general ones — questions like "What specialist would evaluate this specific concern?" or "What assessment or support exists for this exact challenge?"

This is also where evidence-based practices become genuinely useful, not just a buzzword. Resources like AFIRM (Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules) offer practical, research-backed strategies that both families and professionals can reference using shared language. Bringing a specific practice into the conversation ("Has visual supports/self-management been considered for this?") can turn a vague concern into an actionable plan. Find AFIRM Modules (FREE!) here: https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/

**This discussion is not legal advice and is not a replacement for individualized guidance. The goal is to provide practical education, examples, and resources families and professionals can use to support more productive IEP conversations.**

08/27/2026

How IEP Teams Work — and Why Some Disagreement Is Normal

Preparing for an IEP Meeting: Knowing the Process Changes the Conversation

An IEP team is exactly that — a team. Teachers, specialists, administrators, and family members, all bringing a different vantage point on the same student. When a group like that is working well, some disagreement isn't a red flag — it's a sign that people are looking at the full picture from more than one angle.

Understanding the procedural side of an IEP gives families the footing to participate in that conversation as equal team members, not spectators:

~ Timelines: know what's supposed to happen and by when
~ Documentation: keep a simple, organized record of evaluations, communications, and past IEPs
~ Prior Written Notice (PWN): schools are required to explain in writing when a request is denied or a change is proposed/refused — and families can ask for this
~ When something is denied: a denial isn't the end of the conversation; it's information, and families can respond to it
~ Requesting another meeting: if something isn't working, families don't have to wait for the next annual review to ask the team to reconvene

For professionals: framing procedure this way — as structure that supports the family, not a wall that blocks them — helps families feel informed rather than shut down. Explaining why a timeline or process exists goes a long way toward preventing it from feeling like a barrier.

Understanding the "how" of the process is what makes room for the next step: preparing to clearly explain your child's needs within it. More on that next.

**This discussion is not legal advice and is not a replacement for individualized guidance. The goal is to provide practical education, examples, and resources families and professionals can use to support more productive IEP conversations.**

08/24/2026

Why Families Walk In Feeling Overwhelmed

Preparing for an IEP Meeting: Let's Talk About the Room Before We Talk About the Paperwork

Before we get into timelines, documentation, or strategy — let's name something honestly: IEP meetings can feel heavy before anyone has said a word.

Families often walk in carrying more than a folder of paperwork. They're carrying every prior meeting where they felt unheard, every moment they've had to advocate hard for their child, and the fear that this meeting might go the same way. That can show up as anxiety, defensiveness, or simply exhaustion — not because anyone has done anything wrong, but because the stakes feel personal.

School teams walk in carrying something too: caseloads, compliance timelines, limited resources, and the pressure of trying to serve many students well. That can come across as rushed or procedural, even when the intent is genuinely to help.

Both sides can be doing their best — and tension can still happen. That's not a failure. It's what happens when two groups, each carrying real pressure, sit down to make big decisions about one child in a limited amount of time.

Naming this out loud is often the first step toward a more collaborative meeting: the goal isn't a perfect, tension-free room. It's a room where everyone understands why the tension exists, so it doesn't get mistaken for conflict.

Over the next few posts, we'll walk through the process, the questions to ask, and a simple way to tell your child's story so the conversation can move from defense to collaboration.

**This discussion is not legal advice and is not a replacement for individualized guidance. The goal is to provide practical education, examples, and resources families and professionals can use to support more productive IEP conversations.**

08/21/2026

Back to School: The Calm Before the Storm

The Honeymoon Phase: Enjoy It, Understand It, Prepare for What's Next

If your classroom feels like a dream right now — engaged kids, quick compliance, everyone on their best behavior — you're not imagining it. You're in the "honeymoon phase," and it's completely normal.

At the start of the school year, novelty, excitement, and a genuine desire to make a good first impression all work in a teacher's favor. New grade, new teacher, new classmates — students are motivated to show their best selves, and educators are busy building relationships and laying down clear routines and expectations. That combination creates a supportive, cooperative classroom... for now.

Here's the part experienced educators already know: the honeymoon phase is temporary. As students settle in and routines start to feel familiar, boundary-testing and a wider range of behaviors typically follow. This isn't a sign that something went wrong — it's a predictable part of the year.

What to do with this window of time: keep investing in relationships, reinforce the behaviors you want to see, and lock in consistent classroom management systems now, while it's easy — so they're already in place when things naturally get more challenging.

What are you doing this month to make the most of the honeymoon phase in your classroom?

08/21/2026

Here is the link to the recording of the panel on IEPs:

This panel was focused on helping families and the professionals who support them better understand the IEP process, ask stronger questions, reduce unnecessary conflict, and use available resources more effectively. You’ll learn how to: - Understand timelines and prior written notice - Know what t...

08/19/2026

HAPPENING TODAY!

https://angelsense.zoom.us/webinar/register/6317784983787/WN_dVyrZOVnQ7-F0L-H8rOPtQ #/registration