LEAD Learn Empower Advocate Discover

10/13/2026

We are so excited to be partnering with Ridge Brook Elementary PTA to speak with their families about special education advocacy!

One week from our third PTA Meeting of the school year! Join us, we have special guests attending too! Check out the flyer! 🐬

10/12/2026

We're so excited to share that L.E.A.D. will have a resource table at the Neurodiverse Culture Festival 2026 this Saturday! 💙

Come say hi, grab some helpful resources, and celebrate neurodiversity with us and our amazing local community. This event is FREE and fun for the whole family!

📅 This Saturday, October 17
⏰ 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
📍 Bellavie, Mayfield, OH
🎟️ Admission: FREE

While you're there, check out activities like the Marine Masquerade and meet some awesome community partners. We'd love to see you!

🔗 Scan the QR code on the flyer or visit NDculturefest.com for more details.
📲 Follow Neurodiverse Culture Festival on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

10/11/2026

Passing grades can feel reassuring. But for a child with an IEP, a report card full of Cs (or even As) does not automatically mean they are getting what they need.

Under IDEA, schools must provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). In 2017, the Supreme Court made it clear in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District that an IEP must be reasonably calculated to help a child make progress appropriate in light of their circumstances. Just getting by is not the standard.

Grades can be shaped by modified work, extra help at home, generous grading, or accommodations that mask real gaps. That's why it helps to look deeper:

📊 Is your child meeting their IEP goals, or are the same goals carried over year after year?
📝 What does the progress monitoring data actually show?
📚 Are reading, writing, and math skills growing, or staying flat?
🏠 Is your child spending hours at home just to keep up?

If something feels off, trust that feeling. You have the right to ask for data, request an IEP meeting, or request a reevaluation at any time.

We know this because we've lived it as caregivers too. If you're in Ohio and want someone in your corner, L.E.A.D. offers free special education advocacy to families statewide. Send us a message. We're here. 💙

10/07/2026

A huge thank you to the Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Ohio for inviting us to speak to caregivers who are in the middle of the transition from early intervention to preschool. We hope that everyone who logged in left feeling more empowered and prepared!

Stay tuned for more in-person and virtual workshops (including this one) in the upcoming months!

10/06/2026

Know Your Rights: Assistive Technology 💙

Every single IEP meeting should include a conversation about assistive technology. Not just for kids with physical disabilities, not just when a parent asks. For every child with an IEP.

Federal law (IDEA) requires the IEP team to consider whether your child needs assistive technology devices or services. That means the team has to actually talk about it and decide.

And assistive technology is broader than many of us realize. It can look like:
💻 Text to speech or speech to text tools
✏️ Pencil grips, slant boards, or graphic organizers
🎧 Audiobooks or noise reducing headphones
📱 Communication devices or apps
🧮 Calculators or visual timers

If your child needs it to access their education, it belongs in the IEP, provided at no cost to your family. If the team decides AT is needed for your child to receive a free appropriate public education, that can even include using it at home.

Not sure if AT was ever discussed for your child? Look at the "special factors" or "considerations" section of the IEP. If it just says "no" with no discussion behind it, you can ask the team to revisit it, or request an assistive technology evaluation.

You know your child. You belong at that table. And you don't have to figure it out alone. L.E.A.D. offers free advocacy to Ohio families. Reach out anytime. 💙

10/04/2026

A huge thank you to Farming with Friends for allowing us to be a part of their All Abilities Fall Festival.

We had a wonderful time connecting with fellow caregivers.

10/02/2026

🧠 October is ADHD Awareness Month 🧠

If your child has ADHD, you've probably heard it: "They could do it if they just tried harder." Let's set that myth down for good. It was never about effort.

ADHD is common. The CDC estimates about 7 million U.S. kids ages 3 to 17 have been diagnosed. That's roughly 1 in 9.

📚 What it can look like at school
ADHD affects executive function, the skills that help us plan, start, organize, and finish. That might look like:
👉 Finished work that never gets turned in
👉 Trouble getting started, even on work your child understands
👉 Frequent redirection, referrals, or being sent out of class

💬 Behavior is communication
A pattern of referrals often means a child needs more support, not more consequences. You can ask for a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).

📝 IEP or 504 plan?
✅ 504 plan: accommodations like extended time, movement breaks, chunked assignments, or a daily check in with a trusted adult
✅ IEP: if your child needs specially designed instruction, they may qualify under Other Health Impairment, with goals for skills like organization and self regulation

A diagnosis alone doesn't guarantee either plan. Put your evaluation request in writing and keep a copy.

You are not alone. Kids with ADHD bring creativity, energy, and big ideas. 💡 Need help requesting an evaluation or preparing for a meeting? L.E.A.D. offers free advocacy to Ohio families. Send us a message anytime. 💙

10/01/2026

🍂 Our October newsletter is here! 🍂

October is packed with awareness months, and we put together articles for caregivers on each one:

🧠 ADHD: It Was Never About Trying Harder
💙💛 Down Syndrome and the Power of High Expectations
🦵 Moving Through the School Day: What School PT Can Do
🍎 Head Start: Where Early Support Begins

And because it's October, a little Halloween fun too:

👻 Advocacy Does Not Have to Be Scary
🎃 Making Halloween a Treat for Everyone (hello, teal pumpkins!)

Whether you're prepping for an IEP meeting or just trying to get through trick or treating with your crew, there's something in here for you.

📬 Read it here: https://www.discover-lead.com/newsletter

As always, our support is free. Questions? Reach us at [email protected].

09/30/2026

🍁 COUNTDOWN TO SATURDAY! 🍁

The Fun on the Farm: All Abilities Fall Fest is happening this Saturday, Oct 3rd, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Crown Point Ecology Center! 🚜✨

Come visit the L.E.A.D. resource table to connect with us and pick up advocacy materials while enjoying:

✨ Free Admission
✨ Petting Zoo & Hay Rides
✨ Pumpkin Patch & Face Painting
✨ Food Trucks, Music, Games, and Raffles!
📍 3220 Ira Road, Akron, OH 44333
🔗 Register ahead at crownpointecology.org or farmingwithfriends.org.

See you Saturday! 👋

09/28/2026

Know your rights: leaving public school for a private placement is a bigger decision than it looks. 💙

Right now, districts across Ohio are stretched thin. Budgets are tight, staff are leaving, and positions sit open for months. If your child's IEP services are slipping, it makes complete sense to wonder whether a private school would just be better.

Here's what we want every caregiver to know before making that move: when you choose a private placement, your child no longer has an individual right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) from the district. That means no IEP the district is required to follow. Your child may be eligible for limited "equitable services" through a services plan, but those are usually far less than what an IEP provides. If you accept a state scholarship like the Jon Peterson or Autism Scholarship, you are also agreeing to step away from FAPE while using it.

A staffing gap on its own usually isn't enough to get a district to pay for a private placement. When a district is actively working to fill a position, like posting the job, bringing in a contracted provider, or offering a temporary plan, that effort matters in how the situation is viewed.

But effort is not the same as services. Your child is still owed every minute written in the IEP. If services are being missed, you can:

📝 Keep a record of what was missed and when
📩 Ask in writing how and when those services will be made up
🤝 Request an IEP meeting to talk through a plan in the meantime
⚖️ Ask about compensatory services for the time your child lost

You don't have to choose between staying and struggling or leaving and losing your rights. There is often a middle path, and we'd love to help you find it.

Questions about your child's situation? Reach out. Our advocacy is always free for Ohio families.