Dr. Dannette Taylor

If your child has been struggling to read for YEARS, please don’t assume they just need more time.

If they haven’t been evaluated to determine WHY they’re struggling, it may be time to ask for a special education evaluation.

Your child’s reading struggles may not be about effort, motivation, or how much you read with them at home.

And if your child already has an IEP but continues to struggle with reading, here are 5 things I wish I had paid closer attention to, based on my own mistakes as a mom, and even worse, a mom who was an educator.

Time is NOT your child’s friend.

At or before every IEP meeting:

1. Check the Present Levels. Do they clearly describe your child’s reading strengths AND weaknesses with current, quantifiable data?
2. Look for baselines. Are your child’s specific reading needs documented with data showing exactly where they are starting?
3. Check the reading goals. Make sure there are reading goals that address ALL areas of reading need. If your child is struggling with decoding, fluency, comprehension, or another reading skill, where is that need being addressed in their goals?
4. Make sure the goals are measurable. Can you actually tell from the data whether your child is making progress?
5. Stop repeating what isn’t working. If your child is not making progress, ask what needs to CHANGE. Don’t allow the same program or approach that isn’t working to continue year after year.

I learned some of these lessons the hard way with my own son.

Don’t wait years to start asking harder questions.

SAVE this and take it to your next IEP meeting.

Every child with autism doesn’t belong in an autism classroom.

Some do. Some don’t.

Some belong in general education.

Some belong in a gifted classroom.

Some may even belong in a class for students with intellectual disabilities.

Autism is the disability you CANNOT put in a box.

There are even some students that may need a general education classroom for specific a subject but a special education classroom for others.

Placement should always be based on data and the needs of the student.

Nothing less.

Well, I’m not even mad…My face is getting old. 🤣🤣🤣 But two weeks ago he said he was ready to move out. I guess it’s good to know that he doesn’t plan on putting me in a nursing home. 🥹🤣

If your child is approaching transition age, don’t just ask:

“Is there a transition plan in the IEP?”

Ask:

“Is this transition plan actually preparing my child for life after high school?”

Because those are two very different questions.

A meaningful transition plan should connect what your child is working on today to where they are trying to go after high school.

When you review the plan, start with these 3 questions:

1. Where is my child trying to go after high school? College or training? Employment? Independent or supported living? Community participation?
2. What measurable goals and transition services are helping prepare them for that future?
You should be able to see the connection between your student’s identified postsecondary goals and what the IEP is actually doing to help prepare them.
3. Who is responsible for helping make that happen?
Don’t leave the meeting knowing what is supposed to happen but unclear about who is providing the instruction, service, experience, or support.

The transition section shouldn’t just be something the team completes because it’s required.

It should help answer one of the biggest questions we have as parents: What are we doing now to prepare my child with a disability for what comes next?

Save this and revisit before your child’s next IEP meeting.

I’ve been trying to get my son with autism to let me create content and he hasn’t wanted to do any videos lately. Well, I decided to take matters into my own hands and set up a candid camera. I just hope he doesn’t see this…I’ll be in big trouble! 🤣 JK. He loved it. Now he’s going to be looking to see if I have my camera rolling all the time.