She studied for every test and prepared for every quiz, and her grades still would not move. Then one evaluation in fifth grade changed the entire trajectory of her life. In this episode, Rachel Irizarry shares how the right special education supports, an IEP, and eventually her own self-advocacy took her from a struggling student to a doctorate track, and what every parent needs to know so their child does not slip through the same cracks she did.
Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss, walks through the supports that actually moved the needle, the high school IEP transition that failed when Rachel's records did not follow her, and the one move every parent can make this year to protect their child's plan.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
- The gut-check moment that tells a parent it is time to request an evaluation
- The classroom supports that changed Rachel's scores: in-class support, extended time, and fewer answer choices
- How to get accommodations while your child stays in general education
- Why IEPs fall apart in the transition to high school, and how to stop it
- What an IEP transition plan is and why it has to follow the student
- Karen's do-it-now move: print the full IEP, add a one-page summary, and give it to every adult who teaches your child
- Why the IEP is a "best informed guess" and when to call a meeting
- How to talk about learning disabilities without turning them into a label
This is the preparation most families never get taught. Do you know your rights? You don't know what you don't know, but you need to. This is why we sit at the table prepared.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Welcome and meet Rachel
00:40 Her SERVE initiative and platform
01:00 Fifth grade: when mom knew something wasn't right
01:30 The supports that changed everything
02:20 Turning her story into a platform
03:20 What happens without an advocate
04:30 Speaking to schools and spreading awareness
05:20 Attending her own IEP meetings
06:40 The high school transition that failed
08:00 Reading her full IEP ten years later
08:30 Karen's move: print the IEP and a one-page summary
10:00 Part of your story, not your whole story
10:40 Where to follow Rachel and her November competition
(Timestamps are approximate. Sync to the final edit.)
FREE + NEXT STEPS
Learn to sit at the table prepared. Special Education Academy is where parents, advocates, and professionals learn to navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes: https://specialeducationacademy.com
SUBSCRIBE for a new episode every week: https://www.youtube.com/@SpecialEducationAcademy
LISTEN ON YOUR FAVORITE APP
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-boss-with-karen-mayer-cunningham/id1805933912
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03I43tikXlYvR6xIe3F24w
Buzzsprout: https://specialeducationboss.buzzsprout.com
iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/271518986/
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d75378a3-0f8b-4fd1-989b-67a5723b5377/special-education-boss%C2%AE-with-karen-mayer-cunningham
FOLLOW RACHEL
Her SERVE initiative, Learning Disabilities Endless Possibilities: @ld_endlesspossibilities
Her titleholder journey: @missgardenstatevol
She competes in the Miss Volunteer America system this November in Ocean City, New Jersey.
ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION BOSS
Special Education Boss with Karen Mayer Cunningham helps parents, advocates, and professionals understand the special education system, the IEP and 504 process, procedural rights, and how to prepare for meetings so students get the support they need. This is educational training, not legal advice.
COMMENT BELOW: What would you put on your child's one-page IEP summary? Do you know your rights?
#SpecialEducation #IEPtips #LearningDisability
"When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody." — Karen Mayer Cunningham
Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss, walks through the supports that actually moved the needle, the high school IEP transition that failed when Rachel's records did not follow her, and the one move every parent can make this year to protect their child's plan.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
- The gut-check moment that tells a parent it is time to request an evaluation
- The classroom supports that changed Rachel's scores: in-class support, extended time, and fewer answer choices
- How to get accommodations while your child stays in general education
- Why IEPs fall apart in the transition to high school, and how to stop it
- What an IEP transition plan is and why it has to follow the student
- Karen's do-it-now move: print the full IEP, add a one-page summary, and give it to every adult who teaches your child
- Why the IEP is a "best informed guess" and when to call a meeting
- How to talk about learning disabilities without turning them into a label
This is the preparation most families never get taught. Do you know your rights? You don't know what you don't know, but you need to. This is why we sit at the table prepared.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Welcome and meet Rachel
00:40 Her SERVE initiative and platform
01:00 Fifth grade: when mom knew something wasn't right
01:30 The supports that changed everything
02:20 Turning her story into a platform
03:20 What happens without an advocate
04:30 Speaking to schools and spreading awareness
05:20 Attending her own IEP meetings
06:40 The high school transition that failed
08:00 Reading her full IEP ten years later
08:30 Karen's move: print the IEP and a one-page summary
10:00 Part of your story, not your whole story
10:40 Where to follow Rachel and her November competition
(Timestamps are approximate. Sync to the final edit.)
FREE + NEXT STEPS
Learn to sit at the table prepared. Special Education Academy is where parents, advocates, and professionals learn to navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes: https://specialeducationacademy.com
SUBSCRIBE for a new episode every week: https://www.youtube.com/@SpecialEducationAcademy
LISTEN ON YOUR FAVORITE APP
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-boss-with-karen-mayer-cunningham/id1805933912
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03I43tikXlYvR6xIe3F24w
Buzzsprout: https://specialeducationboss.buzzsprout.com
iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/271518986/
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d75378a3-0f8b-4fd1-989b-67a5723b5377/special-education-boss%C2%AE-with-karen-mayer-cunningham
FOLLOW RACHEL
Her SERVE initiative, Learning Disabilities Endless Possibilities: @ld_endlesspossibilities
Her titleholder journey: @missgardenstatevol
She competes in the Miss Volunteer America system this November in Ocean City, New Jersey.
ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION BOSS
Special Education Boss with Karen Mayer Cunningham helps parents, advocates, and professionals understand the special education system, the IEP and 504 process, procedural rights, and how to prepare for meetings so students get the support they need. This is educational training, not legal advice.
COMMENT BELOW: What would you put on your child's one-page IEP summary? Do you know your rights?
#SpecialEducation #IEPtips #LearningDisability
"When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody." — Karen Mayer Cunningham