Personalized Learning Solutions, LLC

11/18/2025

https://personalizedlearningforall.com/tips-for-finding-the-right-special-education-advocate-for-your-family/

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Currently, many parents are looking for support from a special education advocate to help them navigate the complex & often overwhelming special education process. We still remember a family ba…

11/18/2025

Many parents reach out looking for support from a special education advocate to help them navigate the complex & often overwhelming special education process.

We still remember a family back in 2016 who scheduled a consultation with us. During the meeting, they shared that they were interviewing advocates after recently moving from out of state. They had hired a well-known advocate for their first ARD meeting (IEP meeting in TX) but were disappointed with the services they received. So they began their search again—with a clearer idea of what they needed & what questions to ask.

Fortunately, they chose us, and we were honored to guide them & their son from 7th grade through graduation. Their story is a great reminder that finding the right advocate can make all the difference.

Tips for Finding the Right Special Education Advocate For Your Family

1. Identify why you need an advocate. Clarify the specific challenges you’re facing with your child’s school district. Knowing exactly what you need help with will guide your search.

2. Determine your ideal qualifications. Since there’s no national or state credentialing for advocates (unlike attorneys), it’s important to look for someone with reputable training & experience. Ask about their education & professional development—strong training programs include those from Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), Wrightslaw & similar organizations.

3. Build a list of potential advocates. Start with referrals recommendations from other parents, social media groups & directories such as the one provided by COPAA. Check your state education agency—many maintain a list of advocates (we asked TEA to include us on its list). Don’t forget your state’s Parent Training & Information (PTI) Center as well.

4. Schedule consultations—and come prepared. Draft specific questions to help you understand each advocate’s fit:
• What is your level of experience?
• Have you worked with cases similar to mine?
• How would you approach our situation?
• What are your fees and service options?

Finding the right advocate isn’t just about qualifications—it’s about trust, communication & partnership. As well as someone who empowers you in your advocacy journey.

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11/17/2025

Let’s start the week off sharing & helping each other.

❓What is one question you always ask at your child’s IEP meeting?

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11/15/2025

🚨 Despite the challenges of this school year, we are still working to empower families and champion education!

🎯 We remain committed to helping parents secure the appropriate educational services their children deserve—because student success will always be our number one focus!

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11/15/2025

This means PTIs, CPRCs, & technical assistance centers can all continue to help parents.

From Disability Scoop article-11/14/25

Aside from the implications for special education, the agreement to reopen the federal government will mean that funding is available again to support other disability programs including protection and advocacy organizations. The entities, which exist in each state to provide free legal and advocacy services to individuals with disabilities, were starting to scale back services because leftover money from the last fiscal year was running out and no new federal funds were coming.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/11/14/as-government-reopens-ed-department-brings-back-fired-special-education-staffers/31738/

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11/14/2025

🎉 The “Navigating The New School Year” Virtual Conference Packet is still available!! 🎉

If you missed the conference, don’t worry — you can still access all the valuable information, insights & resources that were shared!

📘 This 173-page conference packet was created from the “Navigating The New School Year” Virtual Conference held on October 10–11, 2025.

Here’s what’s included for $24.99:
✅ Recording links for all 8 presentations
✅ Presentation slides
✅ Helpful handouts & resources to support you throughout the school year

Go to link below to purchase!!
https://payhip.com/b/Wxcwk

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from experts & gain the tools you need to better support your child’s educational journey!!

11/12/2025

What “Strength-Based” Really Means in IEPs-From our presentation on strength-based IEPs at last year’s annual COPAA conference.

✅ A strength-based IEP focuses on what students can do, enjoy doing, and are motivated by, rather than centering deficits or areas of need. It doesn’t ignore challenges — it frames them in the context of supports that build on existing abilities.

Example:
• Deficit-based: “Alexa struggles to stay focused during independent work.”
• Strength-based: “Alexa demonstrates strong focus during hands-on science experiments & collaborative activities; she benefits from similar opportunities for engagement during independent tasks.”

This shift changes the tone from “fixing what’s wrong” to “leveraging what works.”

🧩 The Role of Stakeholders
Information from teachers, parents, the student & related service providers — is central to a holistic approach. When families & students share what motivates or interests the learner, educators gain insight into natural supports & community-based resources that can inform goals & accommodations.

In practice:
• Use parent/family input forms or student-led interviews before IEP meetings.
• Incorporate quotes or paraphrases from families/students directly into PLAAFP statements (e.g., “Maria reports that she learns best when she can see examples.”).

🗣️ Language in Present Levels
The language in PLAAFPs should reflect a tone of respect, possibility & collaboration. This includes:
• Using neutral or positive wording rather than deficit-oriented phrasing.
• Highlighting strengths before needs (“Marcus demonstrates creative problem-solving skills… He is working toward applying these strategies in math problem contexts.”).
• Connecting needs to strengths explicitly (“Given her strong verbal reasoning skills, Sara benefits from opportunities to talk through new math concepts before solving independently.”).

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11/11/2025

5 Questions Parents Should Ask When They Receive Their Child’s IEP Progress Report

Under IDEA, every IEP must include:
✅ How your child’s progress toward each annual goal will be measured
✅ When progress reports will be provided to parents

IEP progress reports must be provided at least as frequently as parents of students without disabilities receive report cards. In other words, in concurrence with report cards.

1. Were you given enough information to understand how/why your child is making sufficient progress or not & does the school raw data support the reported progress? The progress report should contain actual data or the school system has failed to provide adequate documentation that the IEP has addressed your child’s needs.

2. How is the district measuring your child’s progress? The district should be measuring your child’s progress on goals & objectives in a manner that is consistent with how the goals & objectives are written. Remember the progress provided should be given in the same manner as the mastery criteria in the goal. For example, if the mastery criteria of the goal is number of opportunities or trials then the progress should also be reported in opportunities or trials.

3. Is the district addressing your child’s goals & objectives in the appropriate setting? The schedule of services section of the IEP should explain where your child is receiving specially designed instruction to work on a particular goal.

4. Is the district providing all your child’s supplementary aids & services as written in the IEP to allow your child to make progress? A child’s success in the classroom can often depend on whether the teacher & other related service providers are providing all the supplementary aids & services listed in the IEP.

5. Does the home-school communication plan need to be added or adjusted? A home-school communication system should be providing you with the information you need to understand your child’s progress throughout the grading period & to support your child’s learning both in the home & at school.

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11/11/2025

🌟 When You Think of Your Child’s IEP… Think DATA, DATA, DATA! 🌟 Let’s go crazy over DATA!

Under IDEA, every IEP must include:
✅ How your child’s progress toward each annual goal will be measured
✅ When progress reports will be provided to parents

📊 Why Data Matters: Regularly & systematically collecting data helps the IEP team evaluate whether your child’s program is effective.

If your child isn’t making progress, data gives the team time to make changes — so they can still reach their goals!

💡 Data = Objectivity
Objective data provides a clear picture of your child’s abilities & growth. It replaces subjective opinions and ensures that educational decisions are data-driven, not just based on feelings.

👩‍👩‍👧 What Parents Can Do:
To be informed & empowered, parents should learn about the different assessments & data collection techniques used to monitor IEP goals.

You can even bring your own data to IEP meetings to support requests or document your child’s progress.

⭐ Remember: Data collection is the foundation of your child’s Present Levels of Performance — and the Present Levels is the ⭐ STAR ⭐ of the IEP!

📈 Check out the charts below for examples of data collection techniques parents can utilize to collect data on your child’s academic, functional, behavior, and social skills.

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11/09/2025

Meet at the Champions Club Lakewood’s Carnival & Resource Fair yesterday. She is the founder of CJ Autism Foundation. We discussed combining our resources to help more parents of students with disabilities. Stay tuned!!

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11/08/2025

We are all set up 8th Annual Carnival & Resource Fair! We have already meet some great vendors. If you live in the Houston area come on out to Lakewood Church. There are rides, food trucks, disco floor, petting zoo & lots of vendors with helpful information & services!!!

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11/08/2025

It’s a little late put we are packed & ready for the Carnival & Resource Fair at Lakewood Church in Houston!! Our cart is stuffed with handouts, pens, notepads, coloring sheets for the kiddos, crayons & pop it fidget toys.

We will be raffling off a Wrightslaw book at our table at 12:00. Come by & get your raffle ticket!!! 🎟️

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