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July 15, 2025 30 mins

Is your child struggling in school, and you're wondering if special education testing is the next step?
In this powerful episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham breaks down the entire process of requesting and navigating special education testing—from suspected needs to formal evaluations.

If you've ever been told "your child doesn’t qualify" or "we don’t think there’s a learning disability," this episode is for you.

📌 In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Who qualifies for special education testing
  • What ages are eligible (starting as early as 2.5!)
  • The 8 areas of a full evaluation (including speech, cognition, behavior, and more)
  • How to write a clean, concise, and clear formal testing request
  • What happens after the request
  • What to do if the school denies testing or misidentifies eligibility
  • What your parental rights are (and what schools are legally required to do)

You’ll also hear real Q&A from parents asking:

  • “What if my request was denied?”
  • “Do verbal requests count?”
  • “What if I don’t agree with the eligibility category?”
  • “How can I be heard at IEP meetings?”

Karen pulls back the curtain on the red tape, simplifies the legal language, and gives you real, actionable tools so you can confidently advocate for your child without fear or confusion.

📣 Don’t wait another day. If you know something isn’t right—start now.

“Testing does one of two things: it identifies or eliminates. Either way, we want answers.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education Boss®

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:

🧠 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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