Today’s episode of The Epic IEP™ is going to be a little bit longer — but you’re going to want to hear this. Karen Mayer Cunningham, The Special Education Boss®, shares a story that is funny, frustrating, fantastic, and absolutely essential for anyone sitting at an IEP table.
Karen walks you through a real meeting where a student with a vision impairment was receiving 15 minutes a semesterof “consult.” The team insisted it was enough. The paperwork looked “fine.” The VISIT form was “calculated.” But the child still wasn’t receiving the direct services he needed.
In this episode, you’ll learn how Karen broke it down:
• Why zero minutes would force a DNQ
• How to use functional tools (like the VISIT/VSST) in real-life conversations
• How an advocate sees the paperwork from a different lens
Karen also explains why parents and school-based staff are equal stakeholders, and why disagreement is not a problem — it’s part of the process. Parents rarely know their safeguards or how to interpret evaluations, and schools are often too close to the student to recognize when a need has grown or changed.
The heart of this episode:
Data tells the story. Data drives decisions. Data determines services.
Your job is to listen to the data — not the feelings, not the assumptions, not the “we’ve already calculated it.”
If you’ve ever been in a meeting where things drag on, stall out, or go in circles — this episode gives you the clarity and language to move forward with confidence.
📘 Get your copy of The Epic IEP
Official Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom
👉 Join The Academy (250+ hours of training):
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.)
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