The Mom Panel - IEP Meetings 101: How to Advocate for Your Child (When No One Teaches You)

The IEP process can feel impossible to navigate—especially when no one teaches parents what to ask for, what their child is legally entitled to, or how to push back when a school district cuts corners. In this episode of The Mom Panel on BTDubs Podcast, Jackie, Michelle, Jill, and Tiesha break down what families need to know about special education, IEP meetings, and school evaluations, including why a quick screener isn’t the same as a full assessment and how federal special education law impacts what schools must provide.

Michelle shares real-world insight from her first client IEP meeting and explains key concepts parents hear all the time—like FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education), Child Find, LRE (Least Restrictive Environment), accommodations, goals, and what meaningful progress should look like. We also talk about how parents can get “wait and see” or “we don’t see it at school” responses, why kids can mask behaviors in the classroom, and why documenting concerns matters.

Plus, the conversation expands into real-life parenting: screen time, behavior changes, how technology affects kids’ frustration tolerance, and how overwhelmed parents can still find ways to show up for their child’s needs—without shame.

If you’re a parent of a child with learning differences, ADHD, autism, behavioral challenges, or you’re simply wondering whether your child needs support at school, this episode will give you language, confidence, and next steps.

In this episode, we cover:

• What to expect in an IEP meeting and how to advocate for your child
• Screeners vs. full evaluations (and why assessments matter)
• How to request an evaluation using Child Find
• IEP goals, progress monitoring, and what schools are required to do
• General education vs. resource support vs. special education settings (LRE)
• Screen time, behavior, and why kids act different at home vs. school

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