Our Blog
The Smarter Steps® IEP Blog allows parents and professionals the opportunity to review topics related to children with special needs. Check out the categories on the right side to search the Smarter Steps® IEP Blog topics or enter key words in the search bar. We welcome your blog comments and questions for discussion.
LRE vs. “Inclusion” of Special Needs Students in Regular Classrooms: The 6th Circuit Hyde Decision
A Tennessee school district has been ordered to pay $103,274 to reimburse the family of a student with Down Syndrome for the cost of private school tuition and tutoring. The District Court ruling follows a decision by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals that the Hamilton...
Endrew Decision: How Do You Write ‘Ambitious’ IEP Goals?
If you’re an IEP team member, you already know that IEP goals drive everything to help students with disabilities. The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Endrew vs. Douglas County School District (2017) stated that IEP goals must be “appropriately ambitious.” Now, IEP...
Dyslexia and Specific Learning Disability in Reading: School Assessment Versus Medical Diagnosis
The parent who tries to start a dialogue about their child’s reading challenges often finds that legal and medical jargon get in the way. Parents who are accustomed to using the word “dyslexia” to describe their child’s learning disability may become confused when...
Creating SMARTER IEP Goals
Creating IEP Goals: 3 Tips to Get Started We want your school year to begin on the right foot! As each IEP is annually reviewed, begin to develop S.M.A.R.T.E.R goals for your students. Tips on updating specific features are available throughout the...
Focus Point: Parent to Teacher Communication
Tune in as Kelly and Lara discuss how difficult it can be for parents to share pertinent information with teachers. Learn ways to help them communicate the positive strengths and abilities of their child. SUBSCRIBE TO VIEW OUR FREE WEBINAR "HOW TO SAVE TIME AND...
Focus Point 24: Graduate Training on Goal Writing
Listen as Kelly and Lara reminisce on their graduate training related to writing goals. Laugh with them as they share their experiences and reflect on best practices. SUBSCRIBE TO VIEW OUR FREE WEBINAR "HOW TO SAVE TIME AND DEVELOP LEGALLY COMPLIANT IEP GOALS" “How to...
Focus Point 23: Goals Drive the Services
Kelly & Lara discuss goal writing across therapeutic and academic settings. While the mandates are different in various work environments, it is always the goals that should drive the services we provide. SUBSCRIBE TO VIEW OUR FREE WEBINAR "HOW TO SAVE TIME AND...
Focus Point 22: Professionalism & Emails
Kelly and Lara share their experiences about sending work emails. They highlight the pitfalls associated with formal written communication. They laugh at the dreaded "reply to all" mishaps that have occurred. SUBSCRIBE TO VIEW OUR FREE WEBINAR "HOW TO SAVE TIME AND...
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