This week on Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham is back behind the mic—and not holding back. From surprise IEP changes to last-minute general ed placements, Karen shares exactly what to do when your child’s services suddenly shift, your 504 isn’t enough, or you're navigating retention, testing, accommodations, and more.

💥 Plus, Karen answers:

• What rights do you actually get with a 504?
• Can a substitute really deliver IEP services?
• Why does your child suddenly not need special ed next year?
• When should you file a state or federal complaint?
• Can a teacher just copy/paste the old IEP goals?

💡 Spoiler: the answer is always in the data.

Whether you're a parent, educator, or advocate, you’ll walk away better equipped to stand your ground—and serve students with confidence.

🧠 Want more weekly training?
Join The Academy and get live Monday night sessions + 250+ hours of recorded training.
👉 www.specialeducationacademy.com

🎧 Subscribe. Share. Show up. Because when we get it right for the child—we get it right for everybody.

✨ 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.)

...

In this heartfelt and unforgettable episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham is joined by Jennifer Swan—a constitutional lawyer, caregiver, and speaker who shares her extraordinary journey raising her daughter Kennedy, who lives with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

More than just a story of survival, this is a message of radical perspective, courage, and joy in the face of lifelong medical challenges. Jennifer shows us how to shift from feeling trapped by our circumstances to choosing a life worth living—for ourselves and our children.

🌟 QUOTE WORTH REMEMBERING:

📲 Connect with Jennifer:
IG + TikTok: @diagnosis_magical
Interested in coaching or her curriculum? DM her to learn more about:
• Living Proof: Limits Are an Illusion (for special needs caregivers)
• Engage Your Inner Counsel (for individuals being called to more)

💥 This is more than a story—it’s a roadmap for anyone navigating complex needs, grief, or feeling stuck in the “waiting room” of life. Jennifer reminds us: “The circumstance isn’t a cage—it’s a portal.”

🧠 Need representation or help navigating your IEP meeting?
Email us: advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

✅ Subscribe to our channel for weekly episodes, trainings, and real answers:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@SpecialEducationBoss

🎧 Prefer audio? Catch this episode on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Just search: Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham

👩‍🏫 Want to train as an advocate? Join our next Two-Day Intensive:
https://www.specialeducationacademy.com/training

👣 Want more trainings, resources, and advocacy support? Join The Academy:
🔗 https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about

✨ 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.)

...

In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen dives into a rapid-fire Q&A answering the real questions families and teachers are facing right now—from placement and eligibility to SDI, IEPs, 504 plans, behavior, executive functioning, transition, and more.

If you've ever left an IEP meeting feeling confused, overwhelmed, or ready to throw a chair (Karen’s words, not ours), this episode is for you.

🎯 Here’s what Karen covers:

• Can a child have a 504 and an IEP at the same time?
• Why executive functioning isn’t a class—and what really works
• What ESY is (and isn’t), and when it applies
• Can a para deliver specially designed instruction?
• Why goals must be based on need, not just placement
• What happens when the school won’t follow LRE?
• How to prepare for transition services (hint: start sooner than you think)
• Karen’s origin story and why she’ll always fight for your kid

📣 Be sure to: 👉 Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen
👉 Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/918iqLJtGb8
👉 Join The Academy for 300+ hours of training + live weekly support: https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about

✨ 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.)

...

In this powerful episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham is joined by Dr. Mitchell Yell—renowned special education expert, author, and hearing officer—to unpack the heart of what makes an IEP truly effective.

Together, they dive into:

• The definition of Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)
• Why software and canned goals aren't enough
• How to craft measurable, meaningful IEP goals
• The critical difference between procedural and substantive violations
• What happens when schools fail to monitor student progress
• How parents and advocates can hold schools accountable without escalating unnecessarily

Dr. Yell shares practical advice for school-based staff, advocates, and parents alike, plus reveals key insights about the Supreme Court case A.C. v. Osseo Area Schools and why it matters to special education nationwide.

✨ Whether you're a parent, advocate, teacher, or admin, this conversation will leave you better equipped—and more empowered—to support students with disabilities.

📚 Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Progress Center: https://promotingprogress.org/
• Intervention Central: https://www.interventioncentral.org/
• National Center on Intensive Intervention: https://intensiveintervention.org/
• Oyez (to listen to SCOTUS oral arguments): https://www.oyez.org/
• SCOTUS Blog: https://www.scotusblog.com/

✨ 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.)

...

Do you know what really makes an IEP goal compliant, effective, and life-changing for students?

In this training-style episode, Karen breaks down:

• The 6 types of IEP goals (spoiler: academics are just ONE type)
• Why present levels matter more than you think
• The truth about SMART goals (and what most teams are getting wrong)
• What to say when someone tells you a student “doesn’t qualify because they’re getting A’s and B’s”
• How to base goals on expectation and rate of progress—not generic standards

This episode is a must-listen for any parent, teacher, or advocate who wants to ensure students get the supports and services they deserve.

📚 Get our SMART Goals Template and Reading Conversion Chart:
https://specialeducationacademy.com

📥 Advocate with us or ask questions:
advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-boss-with-karen-mayer-cunningham/id1805933912
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03I43tikXlYvR6xIe3F24w
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI3YgeQrpe51K4Ia4GWqS3fTnGj_DGLan

🛒 Shop Karen’s Advocate Bookshelf (Amazon):
https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
We may earn a small commission from purchases. Thank you for your support!

✨ 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.)

...

Do you know your rights—or are you just hoping the school will tell you the truth?

In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham dives deep into the procedural safeguards that every parent, guardian, and educator needs to understand. From child find and prior written notice to the myths surrounding 504s and referrals, Karen exposes how misinformation, manipulation, and policy “spin” are keeping families in the dark.

🚨 You don’t need to be a lawyer to understand your legal protections—but you do need to stop depending on someone who’s never read the law.

What you’ll learn:

✅ What “procedural safeguards” really are and why they matter
✅ When you MUST receive them—and why a signature isn’t understanding
✅ How schools twist language, deny testing, and delay services
✅ What IDEA’s Child Find provision guarantees—and how to use it
✅ Why 60% of an IEP is never enough
✅ How to spot manipulation in meetings (including referral “stall” tactics)
✅ What to say when you’re told “this is just policy”
✅ How to demand testing—without begging or proving your case
✅ The power of knowing your rights before walking into the meeting

Plus, Karen shares one of the most absurd school responses she’s seen in a referral meeting—and how she shut it down with grace, fire, and a whole lot of federal law. 🔥

🎧 Whether you’re brand new to advocacy or deep in the trenches, this episode will empower you with real knowledge, practical tools, and a Karen-style dose of confidence to enforce and invoke what your child is legally entitled to.

📥 Want the Reading Conversion Chart Karen mentioned in this episode?
Email: advocate@specialeducationacademy and we’ll send it your way!

✨ 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.)

...

In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham is back with answers, attitude, and all the legal clarity you need to navigate the wild world of special education.

She tackles it all:
✅ The legality of removing non-verbal students without parent notification
✅ Why dual-certified teachers can’t wear two hats at an IEP meeting
✅ Whether charter schools are really doing right by students with disabilities (spoiler: they're not)
✅ What data actually drives Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) decisions
✅ How to use IDEA law to stand your ground — and when to file that state complaint
✅ The problem with “collaboration” minutes and mystery staff in the classroom
✅ What to say when someone throws “House Bill 4545” at you like it’s a solution
…and more.

This episode is equal parts fire and facts. If you’re in the trenches — whether you’re a parent, teacher, advocate, or school-based member — you don’t want to miss this one.

📚 Resources Mentioned:
→ SpecialEducationAcademy.com
→ Email us: advocate@specialeducationacademy.com
→ Want the book Karen referenced? Grab the Advocate’s Bookshelf

🎧 Available wherever you listen to podcasts
📌 Subscribe, rate, and share — because when we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.

✨ 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.)

...

Welcome back to Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham, where we train everyone who sits at the 504 and IEP table to navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes.

In this episode, Karen breaks down the five foundational pillars of a powerful IEP, equipping parents, educators, and advocates with the tools to understand what belongs in the IEP — and what doesn’t.

📚 From decoding the legal language to understanding how to actually implement supports that move the needle, Karen walks you through:

• The #1 question every parent must ask before writing an IEP.
• What to include in the initial evaluation request — and what most schools leave out.
• Why speech and language to include pragmatics is a non-negotiable in your testing.
• The three Ps of quality evaluations (Pristine, Prescriptive, and Puffy!).
• The eight areas of testing you should always request.
• The difference between academic performance and educational need.
• What Present Levels should really look like (hint: not a copy-paste of the last report card).
• How to write goals that are appropriately ambitious in light of the child’s unique circumstances.
• Why most accommodation pages are a mess (and how to fix them).
• What “least restrictive environment” is not — and why general ed is not always the answer.
• Why para support alone does not equal special education.
• The truth about FAPE and what it actually means for your child.

Karen also shares:

✔️ When to revisit your IEP mid-year (especially before transitions)

✔️ How to hold the team accountable to timelines and testing obligations

✔️ How to use your voice, your data, and your knowledge to drive outcomes — not emotion

Whether you're new to the process or you've been in it for years, this episode will give you the roadmap to step confidently into your next meeting — and walk out with clarity, not confusion.

🗣️ Karen says it best:
"We're not trying to make the disability disappear — we're teaching strategies to self-manage it."

👉 Subscribe to the Special Education Boss® podcast so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Thursday!

🙋‍♀️ Need more support?
Join The Academy — your go-to resource

✨ 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.)

...