Military connected students often face unique challenges that impact their educational experience, especially when frequent moves, deployments, or transitions affect stability and continuity. For students with IEPs, these challenges can be even more significant because special education services, evaluations, and programming vary from state to state. Understanding how to protect your child’s rights and ensure a smooth transition is essential.

Progress monitoring graphs are used to track your child’s progress toward IEP goals over time. They show whether the supports and instruction in place are helping your child make meaningful progress. Each point on the graph represents data collected by the school, such as accuracy on a reading probe, words read correctly, or correct responses on math problems.

A Behavior Intervention Plan, or BIP, is one of the most important parts of a student’s IEP when behavior impacts learning. It is the document that outlines exactly how the school will support your child’s behavior through strategies, interventions, and positive reinforcement. When a school removes or stops following a BIP, the impact can be serious: behavioral escalation, loss of consistency, and increased disciplinary actions. Parents often find out the BIP has been removed only after problems start to resurface. Knowing what to do immediately can protect your child and ensure the school remains compliant with the law.

Families are often told that charter schools offer smaller class sizes, innovative programs, and more flexibility. For many students, those things can be true. But when it comes to special education, charter schools must follow the same laws as public schools. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 apply to every public school in the country, including charter schools. The difference isn’t in the law—it’s in how it’s carried out.

Going through an IEP can feel overwhelming, especially if your family’s language or culture isn’t fully reflected in or by the school system. Every child deserves an education that meets their unique needs, and every parent deserves to be fully informed and included. Here’s what families should know about culturally responsive IEPs and how to take an active role.

When schools talk about behavior data, parents often hear a lot of jargon but don’t see meaningful change. The truth is, the quality of data drives the quality of behavior plans. If the data is vague or inconsistent, the plan will be too. Parents have every right to understand what behavior data looks like, how it should be collected, and how it connects to their child’s goals.

Parents hear it all the time in IEP and 504 meetings: “Let’s wait and see.” It sounds harmless, even reasonable, as if the team just wants more information. But too often, “wait and see” means delay. And delay means lost services, missed progress, and months your child can’t get back.

When a child faces serious medical challenges, school attendance often becomes inconsistent or impossible. Whether it’s a chronic illness, surgery recovery, mental health crisis, or ongoing treatment plan, parents are often told their child “can’t attend school right now.”

For many families, Halloween is one of the most exciting nights of the year. But for children with sensory sensitivities, autism, ADHD, or anxiety, all that excitement can quickly tip into overwhelm. The flashing lights, unpredictable noises, scratchy fabrics, and unfamiliar routines can make what’s “fun” for others feel confusing or even frightening.

That’s why we’ve created this IEP Jargon Buster—a plain-language guide to the most common (and confusing) terms you’ll hear in IEP meetings, along with real-world examples to help you make sense of it all.

At Education Advocates of America, we believe that every parent deserves to understand what’s being discussed about their child. When you know the language, you can participate more confidently, ask better questions, and make sure your child’s needs are truly being met.

That’s why we’ve created this IEP Jargon Buster—a plain-language guide to the most common (and confusing) terms you’ll hear in IEP meetings, along with real-world examples to help you make sense of it all.

The first time you hear the words “Individualized Education Program” (IEP), it can feel like you’ve stepped into a world with its own language, rules, and expectations. For parents of children with disabilities, the IEP process is meant to be a pathway to personalized support and success. But for many, that first meeting is overwhelming, confusing, and even intimidating…

Parents rely on schools to follow the IEP process, but sometimes things fall through the cracks. If any of these red flags sound familiar, it may be time to step in and seek outside support…

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) process was built with a clear goal: to ensure that students with disabilities receive a truly personalized education. At the heart of that process is parent participation—a core principle of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). But despite legal protections, many parents still feel sidelined, confused, or even dismissed during IEP meetings.

If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting unsure of what just happened—or if your input seemed to be more of a formality than a meaningful contribution—you’re not alone.

Your child’s IEP isn’t just paperwork—it’s a legal roadmap for their education. But too often, that roadmap has missing pieces, vague directions, or outdated information. That’s where a professional file review can make all the difference.

At Education Advocates of America (EAA), we’re offering a limited-time IEP file review for just $300—designed to give you clarity, confidence, and a clear plan of action.

Here’s why it’s one of the smartest moves you can make before fall.

When summer arrives, many families breathe a sigh of relief. But for parents of children with IEPs or 504 Plans, this break can come with a ticking clock. Too often, we hear from families in late August who are suddenly scrambling to fix a broken plan or prepare for a high-stakes meeting just days before school begins.

Here’s why you shouldn’t wait—and what you can do now to protect your child’s progress and peace of mind.

A well-written Individualized Education Plan (IEP) can be a lifeline for a student with disabilities. It can unlock access to instruction, build independence, and help a child make real, measurable progress. But that only happens when the goals within the IEP are clear, targeted, and built to address the student’s actual needs.

Too often, IEP goals are vague, overly broad, or impossible to track—leaving families frustrated and students underserved. So how do we make sure IEP goals actually do what they’re meant to do?

When your child is struggling—whether academically, socially, or emotionally—it’s hard to know where to start. You may be hearing from teachers about incomplete work, noticing meltdowns at home, or sensing that something just isn’t right. For many families, this period is filled with uncertainty, frustration, and a sense of helplessness. But the good news is you don’t have to navigate it alone, and there are steps you can take to support your child effectively.