IEP Questions Parents Are Asking Right Now: Paras, Placement, Progress & Support

Beyond Behavior Management: What the Science Actually Says

You cannot punish a child into having a skill they do not have. In this episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Doris and Rick Bowman to unpack one of the most misunderstood parts of special education: behavior. Most school plans are built to get compliance in the moment. They manage the behavior and miss what is actually driving it. And when the same kind of plan fails for the fifth or sixth time, the child is the one who walks away believing they are the problem. This conversation flips that. Here is what Karen and the Bowmans get into: * Why behavior is not the problem, the nervous system is * The difference between access to the thinking brain and the capacity to meet a demand * What a "state of protection" looks like in your classroom or at your kitchen table * Why connection is the primary intervention, not the reward at the end of it * The trap of praise as judgment, and the neutral "I noticed" language that actually regulates * How predictable, empathetic interactions re-pattern the stress response over time * Why proactive regulation beats reactive regulation every single time * A one-minute regulation practice an adult can do in the middle of a full classroom This is not about labels. ADHD, ODD, autism, trauma — the diagnosis does not change the work. The work is the nervous system and the missing skills underneath the behavior. If you have ever sat in a meeting and heard "we have tried everything," this episode is for you. We are not giving legal advice. We are educating you — so you can sit at the table prepared. When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everyone. — Karen Mayer Cunningham ABOUT OUR GUESTS — DORIS & RICK BOWMAN Doris and Rick Bowman are "Team Bowman," founders of Bowman Consulting Group and trainers, consultants, and coaches on trauma-informed, neuro-affirming practices. With a combined 50+ years working with the students schools struggle most to serve, they have sat on every side of the table — as the school, the parent, and the advocate. They are the authors of two Amazon #1 books: Your FBA Is a Fantasy! and Facing the Fantasy, Finding the Way Forward. Find their books and trainings at https://www.bowmanconsultgroup.com LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-boss-with-karen-mayer-cunningham/id1805933912 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03I43tikXlYvR6xIe3F24w Buzzsprout: https://specialeducationboss.buzzsprout.com iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/271518986/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d75378a3-0f8b-4fd1-989b-67a5723b5377 CONNECT Website: https://specialeducationacademy.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialEducationBoss/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialeducationboss/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpecialEducationAcademy Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464872/support] ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Epic IEP™ Academy  [https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/] First month free, after that, cancel anytime.  📱 Follow Karen on: * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss] & Instagram: @specialeducationboss * YouTube: Special Education Academy [https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialEducationAcademy/videos] 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl [https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl] (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) Because when...

Early Pickups, ESY Denials, and the Truth About IEEs - Summer IEP Questions Answered

Karen answers summer IEP questions live - ESY eligibility and transportation, early pickups as removals, IEE limits, and how to get your child's data. Full Description (plain text, copy-paste ready) Summer is when the numbers go down and the access goes up. In this live Q&A, Karen Mayer Cunningham takes questions from parents, advocates, paras, and educators - and does not hold back. If your school called you to pick up your child early, that was a day out of placement. If they told you they do not provide ESY, that is not true - every district provides ESY under federal and state law. And if you are counting on an IEE to fix a bad evaluation, Karen explains why an IEE is like a scratch-off ticket - you can get one, but you are probably not going home with a million dollars. In this episode: * Why summer is the best time to file a robust state complaint and meet with leadership * Early pickup calls are days out of placement - a legal decision the school is making * ESY: who qualifies, how to prove regression with the district's own data, and the truth about ESY transportation * IEEs: what they can actually do, what districts are never required to implement, and when one is worth it * When a school must convene an IEP meeting (eligibility and minutes) versus what can be handled by paper amendment * ADHD supports: why services come before accommodations * Reading mastery, dyslexia, and why you never graduate from dyslexia - you move to maintenance * Transition planning, work-based learning, and the Oregon Transition Resource Handbook * The Zack Pack: how to introduce your child and put the full IEP in every teacher's hands * How to request data in writing and what to do when the district will not provide it (34 CFR 300.613) * Records after graduation: what to request and how long districts keep them * Karen announces a press conference June 17 at 6:00 PM at Bellaire High School regarding Houston ISD's plan to consolidate self-contained programs Resources mentioned: * The Epic IEP, The Epic IEP: PARA, and the Epic IEP Federal and State law book [https://amzn.to/3Ll0Dos]- available in the shop and where books are sold * The Epic IEP Workbook - releasing in approximately two weeks * The 2-Day Special Education Advocacy Intensive [https://specialeducationacademy.com/training] - live virtual August 22-23, 2026 * The Epic Educator Academy [https://specialeducationacademy.com/educator]- Mondays at 7:00 PM Central, for school-based educators only, 27 dollars a month * Special Education Academy [https://specialeducationacademy.com/training] - free for the first month, training every Monday at 8:00 PM Central You don't know what you don't know - but you need to. When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everyone. - Karen Mayer Cunningham Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464872/support] ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Epic IEP™ Academy  [https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/] First month free, after that, cancel anytime.  📱 Follow Karen on: * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss] & Instagram: @specialeducationboss * YouTube: Special Education Academy [https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialEducationAcademy/videos] 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl [https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl] (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) Because when...

EP Minutes, Comp Services, ESY & Retention — Ask the Advocate LIVE

Were you ever actually trained on what you are expected to do at the IEP table? Most parents, advocates, and educators were not — and that is exactly why we sit at the table prepared. In this live Ask the Advocate session, Karen Mayer Cunningham answers more than 50 real questions straight from the audience. No scripts, no fluff — just clear, practical answers on the things you are responsible for but were never taught. WHAT WE COVER → How to set up next school year before summer ends — including the "Zach Pack" every educator should get on day one → Who is actually allowed to deliver special education minutes, and why "two years below grade level" does not change that → Paraprofessionals, one-on-one supports, and communication partners for SGD users → Accommodations written from a student's characteristics — not their eligibility label → Compensatory services when minutes are missed, and how to calculate frequency, duration, and location → The two prongs of Extended School Year (ESY) → Prior written notice that will not get corrected, and the seven required components → Independent educational evaluations (IEEs): data, summary, and conclusion → Transition planning and postsecondary success → Filing complaints that are actually effective → Inclusion versus proximity — and why they are not the same thing CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome — we made it through the school year 01:30 Tonight we launch The Epic Educator Academy 02:30 Summer planning: what parents should be thinking about 04:00 The Zach Pack: prepping every educator for day one 06:00 One-on-one paras, communication partners, and SGDs 07:00 Stopping cookie-cutter accommodations 08:30 Calling the dean, field trips, and para coverage 11:00 Service minutes and who can deliver them 13:00 Manifestation determinations: the two questions 14:30 New special education director: where to start 16:00 Missed in-class support: calculate the minutes 17:30 Taking better data and present levels that do not match 19:00 IEP goal criteria and disagreements 22:00 Retention: should you hold your child back? 24:00 Compensatory services and missed minutes 26:00 ESY: the two prongs 27:00 Progress reports you never received 29:00 Prior written notice that will not get corrected 30:00 IEEs: data, summary, conclusion 34:00 Transition planning and postsecondary 36:00 Filing complaints that actually work 39:00 Monitoring accommodations and inclusion supports 44:00 How service frequencies are set 48:00 "Two years below grade level": who delivers SDI 52:00 Parent concerns and your right to be heard 53:00 Who belongs at the IEP table 55:00 Inclusion versus proximity 58:00 Continuum of placements: a senior moved to all gen ed 59:30 Closing This is educational training, not legal advice. We educate everyone at the IEP and 504 table to navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes. WANT MORE Educators — The Epic Educator Academy is live training every Monday at 7:00 PM Central, built for school-based staff. $27/month, cancel anytime: specialeducationacademy.com/educator Parents and advocates — join Special Education Academy for 250+ hours of training, updated weekly: specialeducationacademy.com/training Get the books: The Epic IEP, The Epic IEP: PARA, and The Epic IEP Guide to Federal and State Law for Special Education, wherever books are sold [https://amzn.to/3Ll0Dos]. When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everyone. — Karen Mayer Cunningham Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464872/support] ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Epic IEP™ Academy  [https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/] First month free, after that, cancel anytime.  📱 Follow Karen on: * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss] & Instagram: @specialeducationboss * YouTube: Special Education Academy [https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialEducationAcademy/videos] 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl [https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl] (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) Because when...

She Knew Something Was Wrong. She Was Right. | Mia's Story | Special Education Boss®

Sarah Harter trusted her gut for two years before anyone believed her. Her daughter Mia survived brain surgery at age two and has been defying expectations ever since. This is their story — and the resources that helped them get here. Some episodes stay with you. This is one of them. Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Sarah Harter - mom, anesthetist, and one of the most determined advocates her daughter Mia has ever had - to share a story that is honest, hard, and ultimately full of hope. Mia was born five weeks early. For two years, Sarah brought her concerns to doctor after doctor. She was told she was being a worried first-time mom. She kept showing up anyway. She was right. At two years old, Mia was diagnosed with a brain tumor the size of a baseball. Five months after a 17-hour surgery, she started school. And the systems that were supposed to support her - medical and educational - both had to be pushed before they showed up the way she needed them to. But this is not a story about what went wrong. It is a story about a family that refused to stop fighting - and the extraordinary things that happen when you do. In this episode, Sarah and Karen talk honestly about: - What it is like to be dismissed for years and then told your instincts were right all along - How Mia went from not being able to walk after surgery to dancing on a team - The difference between maintenance therapy and intensive therapy - and why that difference changed Mia's life - What the school system got wrong about LRE and what the family did about it - MNRI, vision therapy, NUCCA, and approaches that helped when standard care reached its limit - What families of medically complex children are almost never told about related services - Lighthouse Family Retreat - and why Sarah's family keeps going back to volunteer - American Printing House for the Blind, free audiobooks for life, and resources too few families ever find You do not need to have a child with a brain tumor to hear yourself in this conversation. If you have ever known something was wrong, and been told you were imagining it - this one is for you. Resources: Lighthouse Family Retreat: lighthousefamilyretreat.org American Printing House for the Blind: aph.org American Federation for the Blind: afb.org Special Education Academy: specialeducationacademy.com Epic IEP Book Bundle: theepiciep.com Email Karen's team: advocate@specialeducationacademy.com Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464872/support] ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Epic IEP™ Academy  [https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/] First month free, after that, cancel anytime.  📱 Follow Karen on: * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss] & Instagram: @specialeducationboss * YouTube: Special Education Academy [https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialEducationAcademy/videos] 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl [https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl] (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) Because when...

IEP Questions Parents Are Asking Right Now: Paras, Placement, Progress & Support

What happens when your child has an IEP but still isn’t getting the support they need? In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham answers real-time questions from parents, educators, and advocates about the everyday issues showing up at IEP and 504 tables right now. This rapid-fire Q&A covers some of the most common — and most frustrating — special education concerns families are facing, including transportation, one-on-one paraprofessionals, behavior support, progress data, related services, accommodations, private school questions, eligibility, bullying, and what to do when the IEP does not match what was discussed in the meeting. Karen also shares an update about the launch of the Epic Educator Academy™ [https://specialeducationacademy.com/educator], created specifically for school-based members who need support, resources, training, and practical tools to better serve students. In this episode, Karen discusses: • Whether IEPs and 504s apply to afterschool programs • Who decides if a student receives special education transportation • What to do when Prior Written Notice is missing important information • Whether private schools are required to follow IDEA • When a one-on-one paraprofessional may or may not be appropriate • How academic deficits differ from para support needs • What to ask when accommodations are not being followed • How healthcare plans connect to IEPs and 504s • Toileting, hygiene, and personal care goals • What to do when agreed-upon IEP items are missing from the final document • Behavior Intervention Plans, FBAs, elopement, and replacement behaviors • What to ask when related services have been missed • How to address bullying involving a student with autism • Why data should drive IEP decisions • The upcoming Epic Educator Academy for school-based staff This episode is a reminder that every IEP decision should come back to the student’s actual needs, the data, the implementation of services, and whether the plan is helping the child make meaningful progress. We’re not giving legal advice. We’re educating you. Join The Academy [https://specialeducationacademy.com/training] Inside The Academy, you’ll find 250+ hours of special education training, weekly support, and practical education for parents, advocates, and professionals who want to sit at the IEP and 504 table prepared. Get Karen’s book, The Epic IEP [https://amzn.to/3Ll0Dos]  If this episode helped you, please follow, like, share, and subscribe so more families, advocates, and educators can learn how to navigate the IEP and 504 process with clarity and confidence. “When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464872/support] ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Epic IEP™ Academy  [https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/] First month free, after that, cancel anytime.  📱 Follow Karen on: * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss] & Instagram: @specialeducationboss * YouTube: Special Education Academy [https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialEducationAcademy/videos] 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl [https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl] (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) Because when...