The science tells us we feel AND do better when we attend to our own nutrition, physical activity, and mental health. So, what have you done for yourself lately! Dr. Marney White, clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at the Yale School of Public Health, joins us and she's going to tell us what we need to know about self-care! Especially now that parents are home with children all day due to the COVID-19 closures. We are scheduling like crazy but are we scheduling the right things? Those...
May 20, 2020•37 min•Ep. 13
What is compensatory education (comp ed) and who needs to know about it? It’s what children with disabilities are entitled to when they don’t get the services in their IEP (sound like anyone you know?) and the person who needs to know about it is YOU! Comp ed is educational services awarded to students with disabilities to make up for services they missed because of the school’s failure to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (...
May 13, 2020•50 min•Ep. 12
What is crisis schooling? Exactly what you are doing now! Distance learning, educational opportunities, work packets, zoom sessions, and (in all your free time) don’t forget you have to work too! Catherine Whitcher is the founder of Master IEP Coach Mentorship®, a program that teach parents, educators, and any member of the IEP team how to build IEPs that truly prepare students for their future. Catherine coined the phrase Crisis Schooling after hearing parent concerns about their child’s IEP du...
May 06, 2020•51 min•Ep. 11
The most important skill you need as a parent of a child with a disability is communication. Communication with your child, communication with outside providers, and communication with your school! Today we talk about essential components of your communications and how to make them as transparent, efficient, and successful as possible! Good communication skill are of tremendous value for us in the world of special education parenting and advocacy. When the conversation is over, the parties are a...
Apr 29, 2020•37 min•Ep. 10
Executive functions (EF) are much more than just organization! We need executive functions to be able to be flexible, generate ideas, problem-solve, hold information in our brain while completing a task, manage task demands, and monitor our own performance against some standard of what is needed or expected. Today we speak with Kit Savage, founder and managing director of Savage Advocates ( https://www.savageadvocates.com/ ). In addition to special ed advocacy, Kit follows the Brown Model of ADD...
Apr 22, 2020•44 min•Ep. 9
What you need to know about Animal Assisted Play Therapy™! Today we talk with Diane Dioguardi, LPC, RPT, CAAPT, about what animal play therapy is, how it works, and who should do it. Diane is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Connecticut and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New York. She partners with her eight-year-old golden retriever, Shannon, who is AAPT-Approved and a Certified Facility Therapy Dog. When working with clients in private practice as well as in school districts, Diane ...
Apr 15, 2020•54 min•Ep. 8
Episode link: Special Education Legal Fund: Can I do this myS.E.L.F. or will I need help? Today we talk to Christine Lai whose journey as a parent led her to co-found Special Education Legal Fund (S.E.L.F.). We talk about challenges parents experience while advocating for their child(ren) and why they need special education legal services. You can find Christine at Christine@spedlegalfund.org You can find S.E.L.F. at specialedlegalfun.org Christine Lai, co-founder and Executive Director of Speci...
Apr 08, 2020•39 min•Ep. 7
Today we are speaking with Randy Ewart, also known as the CT Sped Math Dude ( CTSpedMathDude.com ), and he is going to tell us what we need to know about math and special education. Randy is a veteran math teacher whose son’s diagnosis of Autism helped shape his path into special education. Today, Randy works with students of all ages with disabilities of all kinds. He conducts assessments, provides instruction, and consults for both parents and school districts. Randy’s unique understanding of ...
Apr 01, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 6
Episode Link: https://ntkwdj.libsyn.com/episode-5-do-you-want-some-lime-with-that-corona Today we are discussing Coronavirus and how the pandemic effects your child's program and what you can do to preserve your rights during this uncertain time. As you all know by now, the school closures are not about preventing Covid-19 but rather slowing down the spread so that our healthcare system can manage it. My understanding is that our local hospital is already at capacity! It is likely this will be t...
Mar 25, 2020•37 min•Ep. 5
There are so many reasons parents consider alternative programs for their children. I'm not talking about special education schools today, I'm talking about alternative programs that have the freedom and flexibility to offer out of the box schooling. While not specifically designed for students with disabilities, sometimes the nature of such programs (small classes, individual attention, smaller building, project based learning, nurturing environments, etc) allow them to meet the needs of the in...
Mar 18, 2020•52 min•Ep. 4
Initially published at "Need to Know with Dana Jonson" - the podcast was rebranded as "Special Ed on Special Ed" but I kept the old episodes so you don't lose any content! Enjoy! Transcript can be found at SpecialEd.fm Today we are with Erik Mayville, PhD, BCBA discussing the components of psycho-educational evaluations and what role independent evaluators play in the special education realm. Dr. Mayville is not only a licensed clinical psychologist but also a board-certified behavior analyst. H...
Mar 04, 2020•54 min•Ep. 2
Initially published at "Need to Know with Dana Jonson" - the podcast was rebranded as "Special Ed on Special Ed" but I kept the old episodes so you don't lose any content! Enjoy! A transcript of this episode can be found at SpecialEd.fm "What makes an IEP different from a 504 Plan in special education?" "How can understanding these distinctions empower parents in advocating for their child's education?" "What are the key factors to consider when choosing between an IEP and a 504 Plan?" Discover ...
Feb 26, 2020•37 min•Ep. 1
