Today’s episode is Part 2 of our conversation with Santanna Ficken, a mental health practitioner who proudly identifies as a disabled, autistic/ADHDer with multiple neurodivergencies. Santanna is a passionate advocate with MnNEAT (Minnesota Neurodivergent Education, Advocacy, and Therapy Services), which focuses on building trust and relationships in the neurodivergent community while advocating for social justice for all disabled people. Today’s episode is focused on how IEPs can be improved to be neurodiversity-affirming. Join us to learn more!

Show Highlights:

• Understanding what it means to be neurodiversity-affirming
• IEPs for neurodiverse students should respect autonomy, validate differences, assume competence, adjust expectations, encourage self-advocacy, adapt to systems/environments, and honor ALL forms of communication.
• The goal in IEPs should NOT be to change or “fix” the student!
• Examples of trauma for students caused by the IEP
• Santanna’s experience in school as a neurodivergent student
• The process of rewriting IEPs to be neurodiversity-affirming
• IEP data misses a lot of relevant information about the student’s experience.
• What Santanna would like school administrators to know

Links/Resources:

Connect with Santanna Ficken and MnNEAT: Website

Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org

Thank you for listening!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

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IEP website

Email us: admin@iepcalifornia.org

Today’s episode is Part 1 of our conversation with Santanna Ficken, a mental health practitioner who proudly identifies as a disabled, autistic/ADHDer with multiple neurodivergencies. Santanna is a passionate advocate with MnNEAT (Minnesota Neurodivergent Education, Advocacy, and Therapy Services), which focuses on building trust and relationships in the neurodivergent community while advocating for social justice for all disabled people. Join us to learn more!

Show Highlights:

• Santanna’s background in advocacy and support for neurodivergent children and their families
• Ableism—what people should know about this form of discrimination
• Understanding the three types of ableism: institutional, internalized, and interpersonal
• The IEP process is clearly systemic ableism, as Santanna explains.
• Our focus on “fixing” a disability is wrong.
• The difficulties in trying to redirect IEP conversations to ensure that every child has an affirming educational experience with accessibility
• What Santanna wants every school team to know
• The need for plain language in IEPs that focuses on supporting the child

Links/Resources:

Connect with Santanna Ficken and MnNEAT: Website

Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org

Thank you for listening!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

Facebook

Instagram–We are doing videos on Instagram, so connect with us here and send us your questions!

Twitter

IEP website

Email us: admin@iepcalifornia.org

June is here! That means many school districts are on summer break, and many more are in the last week or so of the school year. Wherever June finds you, we are glad you’re with us for this exciting episode.

We have mentioned bullying on the show many times, but we’ve never dedicated an episode to it. We welcome Alain Pelletier, a professional youth speaker on the topic of bullying. He has been fully engrossed in this topic for several years, and he shares with us how he finds a connection with youth on bullying through theory and emotion.

Show Highlights:

• The emotional process around understanding bullying: utilizing empathy and sympathy
• What parents should know about bullying
• Alain’s process when he speaks to children about bullying
• Alain’s story of “the kid in the back of the room”
• “How can we stop bullying?” is the wrong question.
• The most critical emotional education of your children takes place in their first 12 years.

Links/Resources:

Connect with Alain Pelletier: Website

Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org

Thank you for listening!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

Facebook

Instagram–We are doing videos on Instagram, so connect with us here and send us your questions!

Twitter

IEP website

Email us: admin@iepcalifornia.org

We are honored to visit again with Dr. Alexander Tan to discuss the integrity of evaluations and assessments of English-language learners. This topic aligns perfectly with our goal of helping all parents better understand the IEP process. Are we providing culturally- and linguistically-responsible evaluations? Do parents of different cultural backgrounds understand the numbers and data that we are using? Join us to learn more in today’s episode!

Dr. Alexander Tan is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and supervisor at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). His expertise is in the assessment of neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents. He is an internationally recognized expert and frequent speaker about topics such as autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and mental health. He recently joined us for Episode 310: A Holistic View of Language and Cultural Context.

Show Highlights:

• Dr. Tan’s role in the assessment process: to inform and educate the parents
• The value of conversations in context to equip and empower the parents
• Cultural and language differences can impact the integrity of assessments at the most foundational levels.
• The feedback session is the most important part of any evaluation.
• A holistic perspective of contributing factors and inconsistencies in evaluations is essential.
• The overriding question in my role is, “Are we as evaluators painting an accurate picture of this student and their needs?”
• Dr. Tan emphasizes the four major guidelines in test/evaluation fairness for diverse populations: maximizing comfort in evaluations, minimizing biases in tests and test items, maximizing accessibility in testing, and maximizing the validity of our interpretations

Links/Resources:

Connect with Dr. Alexander Tan: Website

Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org

Thank you for listening!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

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Instagram–We are doing videos on Instagram, so connect with us here and send us your questions!

Twitter

IEP website

Email us: admin@iepcalifornia.org

It’s a busy, busy time of year as schools are finishing up! We wanted to get this episode in before the end of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. Our guest today helps us understand the need for a more comprehensive and relevant curriculum focused on skill-building and emotional awareness instead of reacting to students’ mental health needs “after the fact.” Doesn’t it make more sense to support “mental wellness” than to simply address “mental illness”? That’s the idea behind Clayful! Join us to learn more!

Maria Barrera is the founder and CEO of Clayful, a company that began as a way to address the mental health crisis in a more preventative way. Clayful offers supportive tools and resources to help students become more resilient and emotionally aware before they get to their breaking point. Maria is committed to addressing the youth mental health crisis, and her dedication to training a diverse mental health workforce and establishing partnerships with schools have impacted thousands of students across the country.

Show Highlights:

• The need for more targeted interventions and skill-building in schools
• The origins of Clayful to address students’ needs during the pandemic
• The challenge in supporting students with behavior regulation issues
• Labels and language have POWER!
• The gist of CA Assembly Bill 2173: to change the language from “emotional disturbance” to “emotional disability”
• Clayful’s work in destigmatizing the need for emotional support
• Clayful allows students to connect with a coach on a weekly basis to develop a “protective layer.”
• The mental health crisis is here! We need to partner together to help as many young people as possible!

Links/Resources:

Connect with Maria Barrera and Clayful: Website and Email

Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org

Thank you for listening!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

Facebook

Instagram–We are doing videos on Instagram, so connect with us there and send us your questions!

Twitter

IEP website

Email us: admin@iepcalifornia.org

We recently had the chance to speak at the BOOST Conference about our podcast, the IEP system, and special education in general. The BOOST Conference is an annual event to inspire youth, learning, and change. Many different educational professionals attend the conference in Palm Springs, California, to participate in classes, workshops, and networking events, and to explore the latest in technology and innovation related to education. Join us to hear this live presentation and the Q & A session!

Show Highlights:

• An overview of the IEP podcast
• What is an IEP? What are IEP meetings?
• The importance of collaboration in the entire IEP process
• Individualization, not comparison, is most helpful in the IEP process.
• The vital need for parents to talk to the teachers before the IEP meeting
• 95% of the conflict in IEP meetings is due to a communication breakdown.

Links/Resources:

Find out more about the BOOST Conference: Website

Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org

Thank you for listening!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

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Instagram–We are doing videos on Instagram, so connect with us here and send us your questions!

Twitter

IEP website

Email us: admin@iepcalifornia.org

We are pivoting from our normal education-centric topics today to take a broader view of the financial side of raising a child with a disability. We want to make sure that families, and people working with these families, have all the resources and tools for a well-rounded toolkit for supporting their kids. We welcome James Lange to the podcast to share his practical insights and expertise.

James Lange is a CPA, a state attorney in Pennsylvania, and the author of nine best-selling financial books. He is a nationally recognized IRA, 401(k), and retirement plan distribution expert. As a result of his daughter’s disability, James developed a passion for helping parents who need to provide sufficient care for a disabled child even beyond their own lifetime. He explains how he and his wife are providing for their daughter’s future and what parents of a disabled child should do right now to ensure the financial future of their child.

Show Highlights:

• James’ plan to provide for his daughter for the rest of her life
• James’ mission to help parents of children with disabilities optimize their financial assets
• Three steps to take right now for your disabled child:
• Get your child qualified for government benefits in the SSI or SSDI. (James explains the #1 mistake most parents make in applying for these benefits.)
• Get your estate planning done appropriately with the proper trust or conservatorship option. (Don’t rely on “Joe Schmo Attorney” for this!)
• Get the Roth IRA conversion strategy done right by a financial professional. (The difference in doing this correctly and incorrectly can amount to a huge difference in available funds for your child.)
• Best resources for parents to use in their education and planning:
• Get James’ FREE book, Retire Secure for Parents of a Child with a Disability. Click here!
• Sign up for Expert Advice for Parents of Children with Disabilities: A Virtual Summit, June 18-20, 2024. Click here for more information about this FREE event!

Links/Resources:

Connect with James Lange: Disabled Child Planning, Pay Taxes Later, and LInkedIn

Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org

Thank you for listening!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

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We are joined today by a special guest, Michael Hingson, host of the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. We have shared a lot of time on each other’s podcasts and learned a lot from Michael’s perspective on special education, especially what he experienced in the very early days of special ed. Join us to learn more about Michael’s life and work!

Michael Hingson has a unique story. With a master’s degree in physics, Mike is an educator, best-selling author, inspirational speaker, and disability advocate–and he is blind and a 9/11 World Trade Center survivor. When his premature birth called for a pure oxygen environment, his retinas were irreparably damaged, and he has been blind ever since. His parents were urged to institutionalize him because “no blind child can ever amount to anything or contribute to society”---or so the doctors said. His parents refused and gave him every chance to learn, sending him to public schools throughout his life. He earned his physics degree and secondary education teacher credential, going on to become an accomplished salesman and sales manager. He is a coveted keynote speaker and the author of the bestseller, Thunder Dog: The Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust.

Show Highlights:

• Mike’s story: science, sales, the early days of disability law, and a life of advocacy
• Michael’s learning process with guide dogs and white canes
• Michael’s 9/11 experience at the World Trade Center which led to his book, Thunder Dog
• “Disability does not mean a lack of ability.”
• We will have Mike back very soon for Part 2 of this conversation, in which we will discuss his involvement in technology development to help many people with disabilities of all kinds. Stay tuned!

Links/Resources:

Connect with Michael Hingson: Website, Unstoppable Mindset podcast, and Thunder Dog book

Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org

Thank you for listening!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

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