Don't IEP Alone.
Inspired by her own son with disabilities, Lisa Lightner is an award-winning blogger and advocate. She has previously worked for her county's Arc and has served on the Boards of Directors for several disability organizations. Currently, she is her county's chairperson for the Right to Education Task Force, a federally decreed group set up in 1971 to ensure that all children in Pennsylvania had the opportunity to an education. When not attending IEP meetings with families or lobbying in Harrisburg and DC for disability rights, she can be found on the web at her IEP advice blog, A Day in our Shoes. She is known for her practical, realistic and implementable advice for parents. Warning: I've been told I have a Philly accent. I don't hear it. Also, I curse. It's something I'm working on as far as personal development. So please don't be put off. I'm trying. 📣Preorder my book on Amazon, Books-A-Million Bookshop.org Barnes & Noble!
Episodes
Mentioned in Episode:
OSERS Has Been Dismantled: What This Means for Disabled Adults and Their Families.
OSEP Is Gone: What It Means for Your Child’s IEP and What Parents Must Do Now.
🔴 Is Your Child's IEP Working?: 👉https://dontiepalone.com/iep-progress/
🚀 Sign Up for Special Education Advocacy Training: 👉 https://dontiepalone.com/online-special-education-advocacy-training/
⚠️More on FAPE: https://adayinourshoes.com...
Going off topic for a moment... but trust matters!
🔴 Is Your Child's IEP Working?: 👉https://dontiepalone.com/iep-progress/
🚀 Sign Up for Special Education Advocacy Training: 👉 https://dontiepalone.com/online-special-education-advocacy-training/
⚠️More on FAPE: https://adayinourshoes.com/fape/
🎯 Free IEP Binder for Parents: https://adayinourshoes.com/free-iep-binder/
Mentioned in Episode:
What is Specially Designed Instruction in Special Education?
50 Practical Instructional Strategies for Specially Designed Instruction in IEPs (examples)
Special Education Advocacy Training
Don't IEP Alone with Lisa Lightner, Special Education Advocate
Thank you for listening to this episode of Don't IEP Alone. See you next time!
Other ways I can help you with I...
Welcome back to "Don't IEP Alone" with Lisa Lightner! In this candid episode, Lisa gets real about the behind-the-scenes struggles of podcasting, from wrestling with ADHD and perfectionism, to navigating technical hiccups and the pressure of social media.
She shares her recent attempts to revamp the show, including her "5 Minutes to FAPE" experiment (and why it ended up in the digital trash bin), and reflec...
If your Present Levels are wrong, everything else in the IEP will fall like dominoes.
Article mentioned in video: https://adayinourshoes.com/present-levels-iep/
IEP Toolkit for Parents: https://dontiepalone.com/my-parent-iep-toolkit/
Don't IEP Alone with Lisa Lightner, Special Education Advocate
Thank you for listening to this episode of Don't IEP Alone. See you next time!
Other ways I can help ...
The Secret Suspension Problem: a MUST WATCH if the school is constantly calling you to come get your kid at school.
Resources mentioned in video:
Behavior Info for Families: https://adayinourshoes.com/tag/behavior/
Behavior mini course: https://www.dontiepalone.academy/courses/all-things-behavior-and-your-iep/preview
Don't IEP Alone with Lisa Lightner, Special Education Advocate
Thank you for listening to this...
IDEA is surprisingly non-specific about a lot of special education. Here's how to advocate when you're pretty sure you've been told something incorrect....but struggle to find proof.
Get your free FAPE guide here: https://birdsend.page/forms/1628/IrX2XebqwQ
Don't IEP Alone with Lisa Lightner, Special Education Advocate
Thank you for listening to this episode of Don't IEP Alone. See you next time!
I'm getting a facelift!
Ha, no, not me. The podcast. Details in this episode.
Don't IEP Alone with Lisa Lightner, Special Education Advocate
Thank you for listening to this episode of Don't IEP Alone. See you next time!
Other ways I can help you with IEPs:
🧰 IEP Toolkit for Parents
💻 Online Advocacy Training
👉 Ask an Advocate your IEP Question
⭐How to Write IEP Present Levels
...
Parents, get your free IEP binder: https://adayinourshoes.com/free-iep-binder/
Get your free IEP goal tracker: https://adayinourshoes.com/iep-goal-tracker/
Welcome back to Don't IEP Alone with your host, Lisa Lightner. In this episode, Lisa dives into the rapidly changing landscape of special education and the overwhelming wave of recent changes in the Department of Education. She unpacks the intentional chaos des...
Parents, get your free IEP binder: https://adayinourshoes.com/free-iep-binder/
Get your free IEP goal tracker: https://adayinourshoes.com/iep-goal-tracker/
Welcome back to Don't IEP Alone with Lisa Lightner! In today's episode, Lisa tackles one of the most common questions she gets from parents: "What can I ask for on my IEP?" Drawing from over 15 years of advocacy experience, Lisa breaks down the g...
Lisa Lightner is a dedicated advocate for parents navigating the IEP process. With her trusty mini desk fan by her side—an essential comfort for women of a certain age—Lisa brings warmth, humor, and understanding to her work.
Through her podcast and social media reels, stories, and videos, she shares practical advice and encouragement for families working through IEP meetings and advocacy efforts. Lisa’s mission is to help par...
Welcome back to the Don't IEP Alone podcast with Lisa Lightner! In today’s episode, Lisa dives into the importance of contacting your representatives—even if you sometimes feel like your voice won’t make a difference. Drawing from her own advocacy experiences and conversations with legislators, Lisa explains why it’s crucial for constituents to reach out, share their stories, and hold elected officials accountable, even in dis...
Welcome back to Don't IEP Alone! In this episode, host Lisa Lightner shares a heartfelt update from the thick of summer, reminding parents to communicate their children's special health needs—like temperature regulation—to their IEP teams. Lisa dives into some unique Pennsylvania special education history, spotlighting the origins of IEPs and the creation of "intermediate units" and local task forces that advoca...
The school has asked for access to your child's medical records. Now what?
Do I have to share my child’s medical records with the IEP team?
Other ways I can help you with IEPs:
🧰 IEP Toolkit for Parents
💻 Online Advocacy Training
👉 Ask an Advocate your IEP Question
⭐How to Write IEP Present Levels
Don't IEP Alone with Lisa Lightner, Special Education Advocate
Thank you for listening to this episode of Don't IEP Alone. See you next time!
Other ways I can help you with IEPs:
🧰 IEP Toolkit for Parents
💻 Online Advocacy Training
👉 Ask an Advocate your IEP Question
⭐How to Write IEP Present Levels
And hey, my book is on sale today at Barnes & Noble!
Don't IEP Alone with Lisa Lightner, Special Education Advocate
Thank you for listening to this episode of Don't IEP Alone. See you next time!
Other ways I can help you with IEPs:
🧰 IEP Toolkit for Parents
💻 Online Advocacy Training
👉 Ask an Advocate your IEP Question
⭐How to Write IEP Present Levels
What parents need to know about IEEs-Independent Education Evaluations. When and how to ask for one, what criteria to use to ask for one and what to do once you've received an IEE report.
Other ways I can help you with IEPs:
🧰 IEP Toolkit for Parents
💻 Online Advocacy Training
👉 Ask an Advocate your IEP Question
⭐How to Write IEP Present Levels
Hiring an IEP advocate or Special Education Advocate is a tough decision. Here are some things to consider before you take the plunge.
Other ways I can help you with IEPs:
🧰 IEP Toolkit for Parents
💻 Online Advocacy Training
👉 Ask an Advocate your IEP Question
⭐How to Write IEP Present Levels
Students with IEPs can continue in public schools until ages 19 or even 25. But should they? And who decides?
Other ways I can help you with IEPs:
🧰 IEP Toolkit for Parents
💻 Online Advocacy Training
👉 Ask an Advocate your IEP Question
⭐How to Write IEP Present Levels
A bill just passed in the House that could mean big cuts to Medicaid—even though the word Medicaid isn’t in it. Sound sneaky? That’s because it is.
In this episode, I’m breaking down:
✅ What this bill actually does
✅ The myths about Medicaid fraud that keep getting repeated (and why they’re bogus)
✅ Why we must take action—today, not tomorrow
✅ How to call, email, and visit your senator to make your voice heard
Our ki...
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