What do you do when the IEP isn’t followed? When a para is left unsupervised? When your child is denied services due to a “lack of staff”? Or when a cell phone ban interferes with their support plan?

In this rapid-fire Q&A episode of Ask the Advocate, Special Education Boss® Karen Mayer Cunningham tackles your most pressing questions about special education—straight from the front lines. No fluff. No legal jargon. Just real answers to real problems.

Topics we cover in this episode:

✅ Are all paras qualified to serve students with disabilities?
✅ Can you be hired without certification? (Short answer: Yes. Long answer: You better listen.)
✅ Can a child be denied VO-Tech or transition services?
✅ What if the principal ignores IEP violations?
✅ When should compensatory services be offered—and what if they’re never delivered?
✅ Can a parent request a one-to-one aide?
✅ What’s legal when it comes to substitutes in inclusion classrooms?
✅ How do students access their phones if there’s a safety plan or doctor’s note?
✅ What’s the deal with Level 1, 2, or 3 autism labels in schools?
✅ Can a school make a placement decision without a meeting?

💡 BONUS: Karen shares what federal law actually says about paraprofessionals and IEP implementation—plus how to get her most requested resource:
Working with Paraprofessionals: A Resource for Educators of Students with Disabilities. Request it: advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

📱 Download the Special Education Academy App:
Find it in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Just search Special Education Academy and look for the lightbulb with the grad cap!

🎓 TRAININGS:
✔️ 2-Day Intensive (On-Demand) — 50% off with code JULY
✔️ Mastermind Cohort — Starts July 27, 2025
✔️ Weekly Training in The Academy — Every Monday @ 8 PM CST

📚 Join The Academy

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everyone.”
— Karen Mayer Cunningham

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...

What’s the real difference between an IEP and a 504?
Spoiler: one of them is a “waste of good paper”… and Karen does not hold back.

In this rapid-fire Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham answers the most pressing questions from parents, teachers, and advocates navigating special education. From whether schools can deny services based on budget to how to respond when accommodations “aren’t being implemented,” Karen gives straight answers with humor, heart, and strategy.

Topics Covered:

• How to request special education testing (what to say + how to say it)
• IEP vs. 504 — and why that matters more than ever
• Can good grades cancel an IEP?
• Why schools push for life skills programs — and how to push back
• What to do when raw data is missing (or obviously fake)
• How to advocate for one-to-one support, ESY, or out-of-district placement
• When to file a complaint, skip mediation, or request an IEE

Plus: Karen dishes out solid gold on how YOU can become an advocate—and why the system needs you now more than ever.

🎧 Listen, laugh, learn—and leave ready to advocate with confidence.

👇 Dive deeper with us:
Join The Academy
Explore the 2-Day Intensive (on-demand)
Want to become an advocate?

Email us: advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and share this episode with your team, your friends, or anyone sitting at the IEP table.

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everyone.”
— Karen Mayer Cunningham

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...

So you filed an OCR complaint… now what?

In Part 2 of our 3-part training series, Karen Mayer Cunningham walks you through exactly what happens after you hit "submit" on an OCR (Office for Civil Rights) complaint—because filing is just the beginning.

This training picks up where we left off in Part 1 (go back and listen if you haven’t yet!). We’re moving into what the federal process looks like after your complaint is received—including consent forms, timelines, clarification calls, documentation requirements, and what it actually means when they say they’re “gathering facts.”

You’ll learn:

✅ What happens after filing an OCR complaint
✅ The difference between a dismissal letter and a notification letter
✅ What to expect during the clarification call
✅ What role retaliation plays in a complaint
✅ Why you must stick to the facts—not feelings

Karen breaks down real-life examples of complaints she’s filed, including those on behalf of individual students and groups, and what districts are required to do under Section 504, ADA Title II, and other civil rights laws enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.

📌 Important Reminder: OCR is a neutral fact-finding body. They're not on your side. They're not on the district's side. They are there to determine if the facts support a violation of civil rights. You need documentation, clarity, and preparation to navigate this process successfully.

This episode is packed with actionable insight for parents, advocates, and professionals. Whether you’re mid-complaint or just getting started, don’t skip this one.

🔗 Join The Academy and get trained by Karen inside

🔗 Listen to Part 1 here
🎙️ Subscribe, share, and follow for more weekly training on your rights under IDEA, 504, FAPE, and special education guidelines.

Support the show

✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨

👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.

👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Academy

📬 Have a question? Email us at advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

📱 Follow Karen on:

• TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy

🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.

📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)

...