How to Request Special Education Testing + What Happens Next
Special Education Boss® Podcast | Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham

Confused about how to get your child tested for special education services? You’re not alone—and you’re in the right place.

In this powerhouse episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, The Special Education Boss®, breaks down what every parent, educator, and advocate needs to know about requesting and navigating special education evaluations.

📚 We’re covering:
✅ How to request an FIE (Full Individual Evaluation)
✅ IDEA timelines and eligibility basics
✅ 504 vs. IEP: Which one applies—and when?
✅ What goes into a proper evaluation (academic, speech, OT, behavior, etc.)
✅ How to prepare for the results and advocate for appropriate supports
✅ Writing goals based on data—not feelings
✅ Behavior plans, assistive tech, and related services
✅ Real Q&A from parents and educators just like you

Whether you're new to this journey or knee-deep in evaluations, this training gives you clarity, confidence, and action steps to move forward.

🧠 Want more support? Join The Academy. New training sessions weekly, 250+ hours available now.

📲 Download the free SEA app for access, updates, and community.

“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.)

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How to Ditch SMART Goals, Align with Present Levels, and Meet the Endrew F. Standard

Most IEP goals aren’t measurable—and that’s a big problem.

In this episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham is joined by Dr. Mitchell Yell, special education expert, professor, and hearing officer, to break down how to write IEP goals that actually meet legal standards and support real student progress.

Together, they cover:

• Why SMART goals fall short
• A simple 3-step formula for writing measurable goals
• How to align goals to present levels (not just state standards)
• What the Endrew F. case says about student progress
• How to fix goals that are vague, invisible, or rolled over year to year
• When to change instruction (not just lower expectations)

This is essential listening for parents, educators, and advocates who want to get IEPs right.

🎧 Listen in and train with us weekly inside The Academy.
👉 Join The Academy:
📺 Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/@SpecialEducationBoss
🎤 Follow Karen: @SpecialEducationBoss

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.)

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What happens after you file an OCR complaint?
In Part 3 of our special series on how to file effective OCR (Office for Civil Rights) complaints, Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education Boss®, walks you through everything that happens once your complaint is opened for investigation—including mediation options, rebuttal strategies, and meaningful resolutions.

This episode covers:

✅ What the OCR looks for when opening an investigation
✅ Why mediation is always voluntary—but often powerful
✅ Real examples of how compensatory services and training were negotiated
✅ What to include in your rebuttal if a district disputes your claims
✅ Why every complaint needs clear documentation, timelines, and expectations
✅ What to say (and not say) when engaging with investigators
✅ How to respond when your case is transferred to a new investigator
✅ What "resolution" really means—and how to make it work for your child

Whether you're a parent, advocate, or professional supporting students with disabilities, this deep dive gives you the language, tools, and mindset to stay in the fight for a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

📌 Related trainings mentioned:
➡️ Part 1: How to File an OCR Complaint
➡️ Part 2: What Happens After You File
📚 Get 50% off the 2-Day Intensive On-Demand Training until the end of JULY: Use code JULY at checkout
🔗 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 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.)

...

Have a question about IEPs, special education rights, or how to advocate for your child? In this rapid-fire episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, answers YOUR burning questions from parents, teachers, and advocates across the country.

✨ From transition services at age 16 (or earlier!) to paraprofessional-only classrooms, related services, and the legal difference between an IEP and a 504, this episode is packed with clear, actionable insight.

🔍 Topics covered include:

• What to do when the school refuses a transition plan at age 16
• Can a classroom be run by paras only?
• Why "extremely low IQ" isn't enough without data
• What’s required for behavior intervention plans (BIPs)
• How long is “without unnecessary delay”?
• When to Request an IEE (Independent Educational Evaluation)
• How to advocate for AAC devices like a light box
• Can self-contained students be dismissed early? (Spoiler: NO!)
• Can a school end an IEP without parent consent?
• And so much more…

💬 Karen also explains why “extremely low” isn’t a legal term, how parents should handle emotionally charged meetings, and what to do if the team “dictates” the IEP.

🎓 Want more support?
Join The Academy for full access to over 250+ hours of training, ongoing weekly updates, and a community that knows how to navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes.

👉 Join The Academy:
📩 Need an advocate? Email: advocate@specialeducationacademy.com
🎧 Listen to past episodes on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.”
— 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.)

...

Do you know your rights when it comes to makeup services, one-to-one support, and placement decisions?
In this powerful, unfiltered Q&A session, Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education Boss®, breaks down REAL questions from parents and educators navigating the IEP table.

We’re covering everything from:

• Can a school deliver compensatory minutes before talking to the parent?
• Is one-on-one support really “too restrictive”?
• What to do when a school says “It’s all or nothing” on placement
• How to respond when your child’s related services were never delivered
• The truth about paras providing IEP minutes (yikes)
• What to say when denied dyslexia testing or told your child is “too low to help”
• And yes... how to explain SLD (Specific Learning Disability) in parent-friendly terms

💥 Plus: Karen shares her favorite due process win, when to file a state vs. federal complaint, and why the phrase “That’s it” has NO place in IDEA.

➡️ If you’ve ever been told “we don’t do that here” or “your child doesn’t need that,” this episode is your roadmap to push back — respectfully, legally, and strategically.

⚠️ Bonus Highlights:

• Why denying access to AAC or lunch = OCR complaint
• What to do if your child is carried in a trash can 😡
• What the 7 Gs are — and why they matter in IEP testing
• Why charter schools may not be the best fit for SPED students
• How to explain accommodations vs. modifications to staff

Listen now and join the movement of informed, prepared, and empowered parents and professionals who are changing the game in special education.

💡 Join The Academy
📲 Get the app → Search “Special Education Academy” in your App Store
📧 Need help? advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.”
— 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.)

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