IEP or 504? Budget Excuses, OT Battles, and Why Data Always Wins | Ask the Advocate

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: [e-mail]

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 [e-mail]

📱 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.)

...