Each morning, parents wake, dress and ready their children for the school day. They send sleepy children off to the teachers and staff of schools all over the world. At the end of the day, some students leap off of the bus eager to share anecdotes about their day with their waiting mommy or daddy. But, what if your baby wasn’t able to share their day with you? So, for those of you wondering, here is what it is like to be the “Sped-ucator”. Shhhhhh! I’m not a teacher! Nope! I’

“How long does an IEP last?” An IEP is valid for one calendar year. However, the parent or school can request an IEP review at any point during the year: if the student’s needs have changed, or if the IEP needs to be amended. If the IEP is amended, the original expiration date remains in effect. If the IEP is completely re-done, a new expiration date will take effect. “What do I do if I need help?” If you feel that you would like an experienced voice to help your family navig

"What can I do if I don’t agree with the Pupil Appraisal evaluation?” If you do not agree with the Pupil Appraisal evaluation, you can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense. Your Local Education Agency (LEA) must either provide the IEE or file a due process complaint to request a hearing to show that the Pupil Appraisal evaluation is appropriate. “My child was found eligible for special education services, and I agree with the Pupil Appraisal E

A special education evaluation consists of a collection of assessments, observations and interviews designed to create a comprehensive view of a child’s abilities. If you are seeking special education services through a public school system, then Pupil Appraisal will complete the evaluation at no cost to you. Pupil Appraisal teams include a school psychologist, educational diagnostician, and an IEP facilitator. For the initial evaluation, the school must have written consent

RTI is the acronym for Response to Intervention. If a child is suspected of having a disability, interventions, which include specific instructional help in the area of your child's concern, will be put in place and monitored to see if the child responds. If the child improves with the additional assistance of the intervention and the skill deficit is improved, then it is likely that no special education evaluation will be conducted. If the interventions are put into place an