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by Lisa Lightner (Author)
An easy-to-understand guide to navigating and implementing your child's individualized education plan (IEP)
In Your IEP Playbook: A Parent's Guide to Confident Advocacy, disability parent and special education advocate Lisa Lightner delivers a practical guide for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities doing their best to navigate their individualized education plans (IEPs). This collection of realistic and implementable advice walks you through how to apply federal and state law in your unique situation, develop an advocacy strategy that works, and collaborate with schools and the professionals involved in your child's education.
You'll learn about common mistakes made by people advocating for a child with special education needs and how to avoid them. You'll also discover how to ensure that your child's needs and priorities aren't overlooked or under-supported. The book also contains:
- Advice on how to break down and understand the different parts of an IEP, including what they mean, how to read one, and what to document
- Guidance and reproducible exercises to determine, reach, and monitor progress of IEP goals
- Strategies for composing advocacy letters to your child's school and how to time them for maximum impact
Perfect for the parents and guardians of pre-K to grade 12 children with special needs, Your IEP Playbook is also a must-read for special education teachers, case workers, and people advocating for children in foster care.
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Everything you need to empower your child through an individualized education program (IEP)
Written by disability parent and special education advocate Lisa Lightner, Your IEP Playbook: A Parent's Guide to Confident Advocacy is your easy-to-understand guide to navigate and implement your child's IEP, delivering all of the information, tools, and resources that parents and caregivers need to support their children beyond the classroom. This book provides a chapter-by-chapter breakdown for each of the two dozen parts of an IEP, including thinking and writing accuracy, and shows how to tailor an IEP for their special needs child in particular.
Readers will learn how to apply laws to their needs, develop an advocacy strategy and collaborate with schools and helping professionals, write letters that actually get a response, and follow up with schools, reviewing all of your options if the school isn't supportive. Lightner also highlights the many common mistakes that she and other parents made and how you can avoid them, helping parents get the absolute best for their children right from the start.
Your IEP Playbook: A Parent's Guide to Confident Advocacy is an essential resource for all parents and caregivers seeking to better support the development of their special needs children.
"This book is an invaluable guide for parents seeking to navigate the IEP process with clarity and confidence. It breaks down a complex process into manageable, practical steps and offers clear, effective guidance grounded in deep expertise. If you've ever felt overwhelmed or unsure of how to advocate for your child, this book will be a steady and empowering companion. It's the kind of resource I wish every parent had from the very beginning."
--TERA SUMPTER, MA, CCC-SLP, author of The Seeds of Learning
Author Biography
Lisa Lightner, disability parent and special education advocate, is founder of A Day in Our Shoes. A Day in Our Shoes helps parents navigate the individualized education program (IEP) for their kids. She has testified in front of state senate committees and been featured in numerous media publications. Visit https: //adayinourshoes.com to learn more about her work.
