Special Education in Five Minutes

Schools often take the position that children with autism can control behavioral meltdowns. It is supposed that they are volitional and meant to manipulate something in the environment. Dr. Emma Goodall, an Australian psychologist who is autistic explains why this is not the case; meltdowns are out of a child's… Read more

A non-profit organization in Minnesota (the Autism Mentorship Program) pairs autistic adults with autistic youth in mentor-mentee relationships. Research through the University of Minnesota into the program, and the practice in general, indicates this is an exceptionally promising practice. There are natural links… Read more

In special education we rarely talk about the very real dangers of suicide and autism. Parents are worried about so much else that is going on that even the idea of this is difficult to think and talk about. But the danger is real and there is little guidance at this point as to effective ways to intervene and prevent… Read more

Resources and References In this, the second of our self-determination series, we’ll look again at why IEP participation is so important for students with disabilities. Also, what other resources and supports should a former special education have in order to transition to a successful adult life? Resources and… Read more

While the unemployment rate for autistic adults is unacceptably high, both the way we count the numbers and how we define autism in adulthood affect the perception that autistic adults rarely work. In fact, up to 75% of autistic adults do not self-identify as such and so do not count towards the unemployment rate. The… Read more

This episode features the work of Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen, a professor of Developmental Psychopathology at Cambridge University and a preeminent researcher into autism. There is a link to a podcast he appeared on as a guest. The discussion covered the latest findings into the genetic origins of autism and how humans… Read more

“Access to the General Education Curriculum” is at the heart of what special education is about. It means every child, including children with disabilities, are entitled to have legitimate, consistent, and equitable access to the same curriculum as typical children receive. This may sound relatively simple in theory,… Read more

In this episode we’ll discuss Social Stories, created by special educator Carol Gray. Social Stories use real situations that kids with autism face and puts those situations into story form. The stories include ways for the child to view the situation so as not to misinterpret social cues. They provide reminders of… Read more

While back to school time is exciting and fun for some students, neurodivergent kids often suffer severe anxiety that sometimes leads to school refusal. What can the parents of neurodivergent students do to help the situation? This episode looks briefly at the problem, but spends more time on how to provide the… Read more

Why a problem behavior occurs is the basic question that Positive Behavior Support (PBS) and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) needs to be answered for the process to work. This is because almost every behavior is due to an underlying legitimate need the child is expressing in the only way they know how. If a child… Read more

It has been clear for years that the school system in the United States is not welcoming to neurodivergent (ND) students. School is an intensely intimidating and frightening place for many ND kids. As the percentage of identified ND students grows (the percentage of the total student population in California is… Read more

Once an IEP is signed by school district staff and parents, it needs to be implemented without undue delay. However, what does the implementation look like? Are the goals being worked on for the time promised and is the child making progress. Students with IEPs in general education are in a more complex situation than… Read more

In an earlier podcast, We looked at text to speech technology that can make a significant difference is the lives of students with reading issues. Speech to text does the same for students with literacy, organization, language and fine motor delays to name just a few school based disabling conditions that can be… Read more

The idea of students with disabilities actually leading their own IEP team may strike some as a noble, but impractical goal. However, research is clear that, for those students who play a significant role in choosing their IEP accommodations, having self-knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses, planning their adult… Read more

A consistent complaint I hear from parents of kids with IEPs is that they don’t feel like their child’s school listens to them in a meaningful way. At times, it doesn’t feel like anyone wants to take responsibility for making sure an IEP is being implemented correctly. Then there are those issues that don’t warrant an… Read more

Students with IEPs who do not complete high school with a diploma are entitled to instructional services from a school district until they are 22 years old. The quality of these programs is spotty, with most not providing the instruction and supports needed to provide students with the independence skills needed to… Read more

Parents of neurodiverse (ND) children know well how difficult school is for their kids. They understand the anxiety and sensory overload they often feel at school. Due to the increasing numbers of neurodivergent children, It’s not surprising that school refusal (children who don’t go to school and parents are aware of… Read more

The effective implementation of a school based Positive Behavior Support Plan for a child with a disability in a general education setting is greatly affected by the training and skills school staff have. In addition, they need on-going support from a professional behaviorist to observe and provide feedback and… Read more

The parents of children with disabilities have an incredibly difficult job. Having a child with a disability is, in many cases, a traumatic experience. This program discusses the reasons. On the positive side, research has found that, in many cases, parent’s feelings can evolve from trauma based to being proud of… Read more

This episode looks at state compliance complaints and special education due process. These are viable methods to pursue if less formal means have not worked. Parents have significant rights, and thus power, in the special education system. We’ll discuss the two most common ways of exercising those rights to hold… Read more

Parent concerns should be noted at every IEP meeting. However, parents are often unprepared when asked what their concerns are regarding their child’s IEP. This is a mistake. A well-prepared parent concerns statement can formalize what a parent is worried or in disagreement about. This makes it incumbent upon the… Read more

This episode will address the critical role of the human side of an IEP, who works directly with a child and how effective is that work? Frequently asked questions that parents the host works with are answered and lots of references and resources provides more information. Services are the culmination of the IEP… Read more

SMART goals in special education stands for, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound. This episode will provide a clear example of a SMART goal and the skills that a student needs to learn to master it. Many times, goals may seem simple on their face, but that hides the complex nature of teaching a… Read more

Who is required to be at an IEP meeting. In this episode we briefly look at IEP meeting roles and legal requirements for participation. This is the first of the For Parents (mainly) series that will look at how parents interact with the system and what they can do improve outcomes and their participation in their… Read more

With more students with disabilities have been placed in mainstream classes over the last 50 years has increased exponentially. In 1975, while there are no official numbers, it was exceptionally rare to see a child with disabilities being educated with their typical peers. In 2025, about two thirds of students with… Read more

Does class size affect student achievement. For decades, this debate has been shaped by the studies conducted to measure achievement. Math and first (native) language test scores showed a negligible effect. As these were the only measures, the data remained static for years. However, Dr. Peter Blatchford from… Read more

Parents of children with disabilities in the Global North share an unfortunate reality; schools don’t always have the best interests of their students as a first priority. Schools are under pressure from many directions, and with chronically low funding, there is a tendency to provide less than an optimum program for… Read more

A huge gap exists between a written Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) and its actual implementation. One of the primary reasons for this is the lack of training and support general education teachers and instructional assistants receive from the behaviorists that write the plans. I consistently see IEPs with well… Read more

Technology has advanced enough to start making a dramatic difference in how struggling readers can keep up with grade level curriculum. Reading pens, text readers, and other text-to-speech devices and apps are now sophisticated enough for almost all struggling readers to use. By being able to read and understand grade… Read more

In this episode we'll get into the most important part of a behavior plan, reinforcement. Learn what it is and what it looks like. Remember, the more you know about special education practice, particularly how Positive Behavior Support is supposed to work, the better off you will be at IEP meetings and in being a full… Read more

In this episode, both the vital nature, and significant dangers, of special interests are explored and put into context of how they are a non-negotiable for many neurodivergent children and adults. When does a needed and healthy interest become toxic and dangerous? When does the need become an addiction? What special… Read more

In the past 50 years the numbers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders who are suspended. expelled and or placed in isolated classrooms or schools has not changed in any significant way. Whlle Black boys are signifcantly more apt to be labeled ED, and be subjected to the most exclusionary practices, the… Read more

In the behavior field that consistis of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and its offshoot, Positive Behavior Support (PBS) a critical ideas of all behaviors having a legitimate purpose, and that learning new behaviors consists of mastering a number of steps that make up the skill. Recognizing partial success is an… Read more

In this episode, we’ll look at accommodations on an IEP. There are many times a student with disabilities would have little chance of succeeding in a general education setting without effective accommodations. Accommodations provide the scaffolding and safety net for students with disabilities to experience the… Read more

Many autistic people are twice exceptional learners (2eASD). This means they have an area of unique talent or intellectual strength along with an identifiable disability. The rates of high school failure are elevated for this population, but some are able to not only attend, but to succeed at highly competitive… Read more

A study conducted in Great Britain examined potential cognitive gifts of neurodivergent, or 2e people possess. It found, in fact dyslexic thinkers are our future. In the context of the study, We are not talking about a reading disorder, but rather a way of interacting with the world. Dictionary.com defines dyslexic… Read more

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a method of teaching that embeds accommodations for all students into general education settings. Students who are visual, or auditory, or tactile/sensory learners are taught, and the student can show mastery, in the way that uses their strengths. UDL has been successfully… Read more

Interoception, the ability to recognize bodily signals like heart rate, hunger, temperature..., is often a significant source of stress and anxiety in autistic youth. They may struggle to control the overload their body is experiencing by being unable to recognize the physical symptoms they are experiencing, leading… Read more

IEP Meeting notes; a part of the IEP process that is often overlooked, or does not reflect what the IEP team agreed to. IEP meeting notes allow parties not on the IEP team to understand and effectively implement the special program program. In any dispute between parents and school districts, the notes help mediators… Read more

A commom complaint from parents of neurodivergent children is that homework is a nightmare. The stress and anxiety it creates for everyone in the family is often far more emotionally costly than any benfit that comes from practicing academic skills. There is a better way that can include work from school, but in a way… Read more

This episode will provide you with information on the major components of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) that is required by federal law to be used in all public schools with all students. For students with disabilities there are extra layers of PBS that are required, including Positive Behavior Support plans (BIP)… Read more