Wholistically PsychEd

It's funny because it's true 🫠⤵️

If you're sick of getting the run around with the school when trying to get help for your child, you need to empower yourself with education to advocate for them well!

Districts rely on confusion.
I teach clarity.
Comment “SYSTEM” to get clarity with The Special Education Support System ⬇️

Schools won't always tell you when a student is falling through the cracks. 🚫

Comment "GAP" and I'll send you the free resource that helps you decode the red flags they don't explain…so you can spot when a child needs support before it's too late.

If you've ever felt lost trying to get a child evaluated…
Comment "IEP1" and I'll send you the exact language to use when requesting an IEP evaluation.

IEPs are documented measurable plans that are legally held for the entire team working with that student..

if the answers are vague, I promise you the services will be too👀

If you want clarity and exact scripts on what to say in your meetings, comment "SYSTEM" for The Special Education Support System: Secrets From a School Psychologist ⬇️

Speech therapy. OT. Counseling. Transportation. Assistive technology.

These aren't perks.
Under IDEA, related services are defined as any developmental, corrective, or supportive service that a child needs in order to benefit from special education.

34 CFR § 300.34 is explicit: if a child requires a related service to access their education, the district must provide it — at no cost to the family.

What districts sometimes say instead:
❌ "We don't offer that service at this school."
❌ "That's a medical service, not an educational one."
❌ "You'd need to get that privately."

What you can say:

"If the data shows my child needs this service to meaningfully access their education, IDEA requires the district to provide it regardless of where or how. I'd like the team to document the reasoning if this service is being denied — including the specific data reviewed and the alternatives considered."

If it's in the IEP — it must be delivered.
If it's being denied — it must be documented.

Either outcome gives you something to work with.

Guessing costs kids time.
Confidence changes outcomes.
Comment "SYSTEM" to join the changemakers inside The Special Education Support System 👇

Comment "QUESTIONS" for my free guide packed with the exact questions to ask so you know:
✔️ What support your child is getting & how often
✔️ Who's tracking progress & how
✔️ How to own your role at every single meeting

IEPs are not permanent documents.

Under IDEA, every IEP must be reviewed at least once per year...and that review must be substantive, not ceremonial.

34 CFR § 300.324(b) requires the team to:
✔️ Review the child's IEP annually
✔️ Revise the IEP to address any lack of expected progress
✔️ Update goals when current ones are met or no longer appropriate
✔️ Consider new information provided by the parent

"We're just keeping everything the same" isn't a legal review.
It's a rubber stamp.

And if the same goals have been on your child's IEP for two or three years without mastery or revision — that's worth asking about.

Here's what to say:

"I'd like to review the progress data on each goal before we discuss any changes to this IEP. Specifically, I want to understand which goals have been met, which haven't, and what the team's interpretation of that data is — because the IEP should reflect current needs, not last year's assumptions."

Current needs. Current goals. Current services.
Every year.

I don't teach people how to be loud.
I teach them how to be effective.
Comment "SYSTEM" for The Special Education Support System: Secrets From a School Psychologist & let's get started ⬇️

Walking into an IEP meeting without the right questions is like signing a contract you haven't read. 🚫

Comment "QUESTIONS" for my free guide packed with the exact questions to ask so you know:
✔️ What support your child is getting & how often
✔️ Who's tracking progress & how
✔️ How to own your role at every single meeting

This is one I need you to hear clearly:

Dyslexia is explicitly recognized under IDEA.

The 2016 IDEA guidance from the U.S. Department of Education clarified that dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia are terms that can and should be used in eligibility and IEP documentation.

What some districts still do:
❌ Refuse to give an IEP eval to students diagnosed with dyslexia
❌ Claim they can only identify "Specific Learning Disability" without reading the entirety of the criteria
❌ Avoid evaluating for it specifically

Both can be true: a child can have a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) AND dyslexia.
Using the correct terminology matters because it drives interventions... and intervention research for dyslexia is substantial.

Here's what to say:

"I'd like the evaluation and any resulting documentation to specifically address whether dyslexia is present. The 2016 Dear Colleague letter from the Department of Education confirms that IDEA does not prohibit use of this term, and accurate identification supports appropriate intervention and goal selection which drives services."

Naming it correctly is the first step to addressing it correctly.

Calm confidence is leverage.
Comment "SYSTEM" for The Special Education Support System: Secrets From a School Psychologist & let's get started ⬇️

Comment "QUESTIONS" for my free guide packed with the exact questions to ask so you know:
✔️ What support your child is getting & how often
✔️ Who's tracking progress & how
✔️ How to own your role at every single meeting

If you've ever felt lost trying to get a child evaluated…
Comment "IEP1" and I'll send you the exact language to use when requesting an IEP evaluation.

Real talk...😬👇

Behavior plays a significant role in determining the placement of a student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). It's just not the ONLY factor (despite school teams making it seem that way). 🤭

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), placement decisions must be made based on the individual needs of the student, including:
✅️Academic
✅️Social, AND
✅️Behavioral needs

Behavior may influence placement decisions for students with IEPs in the following examples:

🚨But FIRST, let me remind you. ..

You don’t need permission to advocate.
You need clarity on the rights you already have.
Comment “SYSTEM” for The Special Education Support System: Secrets From a School Psychologist & lets get started ⬇️

#1) Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): IDEA requires that students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment that is appropriate for their needs. This means that, to the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities should be educated with their non-disabled peers. If a student's behavior significantly interferes with their learning or the learning of others, a more restrictive setting might be considered.
📢PSA: what might be LRE for a student who qualifies under OHI due to ADHD & elopement might not be the same as a student who qualifies under ID due to intellectual disability & exhibits biting! ITS INDIVIDUAL!

#2) Behavioral Assessments and Plans: Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) are tools used to understand and address behavioral difficulties. If a student’s behavior is "disruptive" to either their or other classmates' learning, then these tools help in identifying the underlying causes and developing strategies to manage the behavior in that current setting. The outcomes of FBAs and the effectiveness of BIPs can influence placement decisions depending on results (& most often, a 60+ day assessment).

Find #3- #4 in the comments👇

These phrases are red flags 🚩 because under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), IEP teams must make decisions TOGETHER during the meeting, not before it

Most common phrases I've heard (+ how you can respond to them)👇

“We’ve already decided…”
“We’ve already decided what services your child will receive.”
💬 Parent Response:
“I’m concerned that decisions were made before we had this IEP meeting. IDEA requires that all decisions about placement and services be made as a team, during this meeting. Can we pause and go through my child’s data together before making any decisions?”

"We don’t offer that here.”
“We don’t provide speech therapy in this school.”
💬 Parent Response:
“Under IDEA, services are based on my child’s individual needs, not on what’s convenient or available at the school. Can you document in the notes that the team is declining this service because it’s not offered here?”
(Teams hate writing that down — and it forces them to reconsider.)

"Your child won't qualify for that service unless they’re failing.” or for initials....
“They’re passing, so they won’t qualify for an IEP.”
💬 Parent Response:
“IDEA states that eligibility is based on whether a disability impacts educational performance, which includes social, emotional, and behavioral needs — not just grades. Furthermore needs drive goals which drive service. Let's review other data, behavior reports & teacher observations?”

"Let’s just try RTI for another 6-8 weeks.”
“Before we evaluate, we need to do more interventions.”
💬 Parent Response:
“The law says that RTI can’t be used to delay or deny an evaluation. I’d like to make my request for an evaluation in writing today so we can follow the required timelines."

"We can’t write that in the IEP.”
“We don’t put specific service minutes in the IEP.”
💬 Parent Response:
“IDEA requires that the IEP include a clear description of services, including frequency, duration, and location. Can you show me where in the law it says we can leave that vague?”

If you're needing more support I'm here for you🩵

You don’t need permission to advocate.
You need clarity on the rights you already have.
Comment “SYSTEM” & lets get started ⬇️