Intent to Include, LLC

09/22/2025

Feeling overwhelmed about the IEP meeting? Start here.

It’s totally normal to feel nervous, but preparation makes all the difference. This short and straightforward guide helps you get started, understand the key terms, and know what to expect…turning anxiety into action.

🔗 https://www.intenttoinclude.com/post/preparing-for-your-child-s-iep-meeting-how-to-get-started-what-to-expect

If you're new to the IEP & ARD process, here are some common acronyms that get thrown around a lot:IEP=Individualized Education Plan • This is the customized education plan that is put together every year for YOUR student. YOU and several other key educators work together to develop this document ...

09/21/2025

Disability inclusion in church, school, or anywhere else isn’t about having all the answers right away…it’s about asking the right questions first and figuring out the unique dynamics and needs of each congregation, classroom, etc.

It may seem pretty straightforward, but asking any questions is a great place to start.
Does it require vulnerability? Sure.
That’s ok.
The goal of discipleship for ALL can’t be dismissed by IQ, physical ability, etc. In fact, we see several instances of the exact opposite through the Bible.
Being welcome IN a group is different than truly belonging TO a group.

Need help starting a conversation? Drop me a DM and let’s chat about it. No one has to be an expert to start a conversation. It’s a pretty low risk entry to have a conversation about disability inclusion. Gods ability to equip goes so much further than anything we silly little humans can come up with on our own 🤍

Happy Sunday, friends.

09/19/2025

Ever left an IEP/ARD meeting thinking… ‘I should’ve said or asked THAT’?

You’re not alone. IEP/ARD meetings can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to walk in unprepared.
This IEP Parent Toolkit gives you the exact checklists, questions, and scripts you need to advocate with confidence.

That’s what the IEP Parent Toolkit is designed to help you do.

✔️ Pre-meeting prep checklist
✔️ Parent input worksheet
✔️ 10 quick scripts for tough moments
✔️ 12 Critical questions to ask
✔️ After-meeting checklist
and more!

No more feeling overwhelmed. Walk in empowered.
11 pages that you can download instantly!

👉 snag yours here: https://www.intenttoinclude.com/product-page/the-iep-ard-parent-toolkit-prep-advocate-and-stay-organized

09/17/2025

If you’ve ever whispered those words to yourself when thinking about disability inclusion in your church, you’re not alone. Many church leaders feel the same way. But here’s the deal: you don’t have to have all the answers before you begin.
Honestly, you don't have to have any answers really.
You just have to see the value of ALL lives being worthy of receiving the gospel & worthy of discipleship.

Disability ministry doesn’t start with a perfect plan. In many instances, it actually starts out of "oh my gosh what are we going to do" situations.
It starts with a conversation.
A willingness to see, to ask, and to listen.
And above all, we (the church as a collective group, not any specific individual or role) are commanded to make disciples among all.

Here are 3 simple ways to start the conversation in your church this week:

1️⃣ Ask families directly – “How can we better support you?” and/or "What has your experience with church been?" are both powerful first steps. Don't have families in your congregation who are impacted by disabilities? Friend, look around. Statistically, you do. And if you don't, that should be concerning as well.

2️⃣ Invite voices to the table – Include people with disabilities and their caregivers when talking about ministry and accessibility. Ask teachers, therapists, congregants with similar interests. The church is filled with people with all kinds of unique gifts and skills to serve. Ask around.

3️⃣ Start small and grow – You don’t need a full program right away. Begin with one change, one resource, or one act of welcome. Seriously. If you search the hashtag , you'll quickly get overwhelmed. If you're like me, you'll experience a bit of analysis-paralysis. Loving people doesn't have to be a perfectly spelled out plan. You can just start somewhere. Anywhere. But just start.

You don’t have to be equipped to start. The Lord will take care of that. If you’re ready to begin the conversation in your church, let’s connect.

09/15/2025

Hi friends,

If you've taken a step back from social media over the last several days, I hope you've been able t connect with people, to read Biblical truths & have been able to have fruitful conversations about the realities of our world: evil is real but has no impact on our call to advance the gospel within whatever platform we have.

So after a few days of being a little less consumptive on the socials, we will now get back to our regularly scheduled content of disability inclusion, disability ministry, parent and sped advocacy & just overall being present in the conversations about how to make church, school & life more accessible (& inclusive & places of true belonging) for people and families impacted by disabilities.

This week...
✨We're going to keep on breaking down YOUR legal rights as a parent of a student with an IEP by looking at the Procedural Safeguards with a reel-a-day (you can get caught up by jumping over to IG to check out the Procedural Safeguards reels so far)

✨A recording of the LIVE from last week is still up in the parent FB group (Intent to Include IEP & SPED support for families) and it shares 4 non-negotiable things that absolutely MUST be in your students IEP goals. If you have a student with an IEP, join the group so you can check out the LIVE before it goes away.

✨On Tuesday morning, there will be a NEW blog post about how to ensure that YOU, dear parent, are an equal contributing member of the IEP/ARD. And I'm not talking about just being invited to the meeting and asked if you have any concerns, but TRULY being part of the development of your student's IEP. Your voice matters. Don't let it be overpowered or intimidated.

In the meantime, if you've got an IEP/ARD meeting coming up, be sure and give this a read ⬇️

If you're new to the IEP & ARD process, here are some common acronyms that get thrown around a lot:IEP=Individualized Education Plan • This is the customized education plan that is put together every year for YOUR student. YOU and several other key educators work together to develop this document ...

09/14/2025

What even is an IEP?

IEP, ARD,PLAAFP…those acronyms can be confusing and can leave you scratching your head. This blog post breaks them down and walks you through how to prepare meaningfully for your child’s next meeting. A quick read with big impact!

🔗 https://www.intenttoinclude.com/post/preparing-for-your-child-s-iep-meeting-how-to-get-started-what-to-expect

If you're new to the IEP & ARD process, here are some common acronyms that get thrown around a lot:IEP=Individualized Education Plan • This is the customized education plan that is put together every year for YOUR student. YOU and several other key educators work together to develop this document ...

09/09/2025

Tomorrow (9/9/25) is our first of two FB LIVES for September. If you've been playing along, you've seen some reels about procedural safeguards (AKA SPED parent rights 😉) because ALL September, we're working to give parents and families practical & *proactive* tools to help them advocate for their student with an IEP.

The topic of convo in tomorrow's LIVE: things to look for in your student's IEP goals
Knowledge is power, friend.

If you're a parent or guardian of a student with an IEP, hop on over to https://www.facebook.com/share/g/14Et441i1tf/ to listen in at 8pm CST tomorrow evening. There will be a recording of the LIVE afterwards and don't worry, I plan on it only being about 10 mins long.

09/08/2025

IEP meetings are hard…but they can get easier.

If you’ve ever felt lost during your child’s IEP meeting, you’re not alone. Check out this short, helpful blog that walks you through from the first step to what to expect. It’s a 5-minute read packed with clarity and confidence.

🔗 https://www.intenttoinclude.com/post/preparing-for-your-child-s-iep-meeting-how-to-get-started-what-to-expect

If you're new to the IEP & ARD process, here are some common acronyms that get thrown around a lot:IEP=Individualized Education Plan • This is the customized education plan that is put together every year for YOUR student. YOU and several other key educators work together to develop this document ...

09/05/2025

Unfortunately, this is just a reminder that you can (and should) ask what training & qualifications people who work with your student have, as well as what your districts policies are on parent classroom observations. Though you won't be privy to personnel-related matters, you absolutely can request information about trainings and support available & provided. In many self-contained classrooms, parents can also request the installation of cameras with audio (though it's important to note that these aren't a live-stream that anyone can watch at anytime. The law is pretty clear about what constitutes the ability for anyone to view footage, and I'd go on a limb to say that this is an exact reason for law enforcement to view the footage).

There is a difference between restraint due to student safety and abusive adults who have no business being near students, both with or without disabilities, in the first place.

Lakenya Dwynette Harris, 53, was arrested this week on a charge of injury to a child, according to the affidavit.

09/04/2025

Getting ready for your child's IEP/ARD meeting doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. If you're a parent of a student with an IEP, here's an outline of what you can expect as well as some tips to help you prepare!

https://www.intenttoinclude.com/post/preparing-for-your-child-s-iep-meeting-how-to-get-started-what-to-expect

If you're new to the IEP & ARD process, here are some common acronyms that get thrown around a lot:IEP=Individualized Education Plan • This is the customized education plan that is put together every year for YOUR student. YOU and several other key educators work together to develop this document ...

09/04/2025

This 🙌🏻

Accommodations are not advantages; they are points of access.