Special Education

Testing support for students with disabilities starts with preparation, advocacy, and the right accommodations. In this article, families will find practical ways to prepare for test day, reinforce IEP accommodations, and help children manage testing stress. A few simple steps can help students approach assessments feeling prepared and supported. The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time: new classrooms, new school supplies, meeting new kids, and new special

Back to school with an IEP can bring extra questions for military families. These six tips can help parents prepare, get organized, and start the school year with confidence. As summer winds down, you may be settling back into the back-to-school routine. There’s a lot to think about: new teachers, schedules, and routines. If you recently PCSed, you may also be adjusting to a new home and school. As both a special education teacher and a parent of a child with an IEP, I unders

Make This Summer Work for Your Family Summer can bring a welcome break from homework and busy school schedules, but for military families raising children with disabilities, it can also bring uncertainty. Therapies may pause, routines change, and for many families, summer is PCS season. While those transitions can be challenging, they also create an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming school year and make meaningful memories as a family. Whether your child already has an

What are Extended School Year (ESY) Services? ESY services are special education and related services provided to children during long breaks from school if evidence shows that a student would otherwise require an excessive amount of time to regain previously learned skills. They are directly tied to Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals and are not the same as summer school. Typically, ESY is provided for a shortened duration during the summer, but it should be long e

Happy Month of the Military Child! With Spring comes flowers, rain showers, warmer weather, and, of course, the chance to give some extra-special attention to the military-connected children and exceptional learners in our lives. Why Celebrate the Month of the Military Child? According to Military OneSource, there are over 1.4 million military-connected children across the total force. We all know that being a military-connected student is hard. Frequent moves and deployments

Self-advocacy is the art and nuance of teaching children (and adults) to recognize and name their needs, and to work toward meeting those needs in an appropriate and effective way. Why Self-Advocacy Is More Than Speaking Up Being a self-advocate is more than just speaking your needs aloud. It's an appropriate accommodation to a world that can feel less than welcoming. Becoming a self-advocate takes practice. I am not an expert by any definition, but I am a parent of tenaciou

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and peer support for military families during deployments are key tools for staying emotionally strong and connected throughout the challenges of military life. Deployments are a tough time for military families. Through my own experience, I’ve learned how demanding they can be. The impact reaches both our service members and the families who support them. The absence of a loved one can bring a mix of emotions, from loneliness and anxiety to st

December consistency strategies become especially important as the holidays bring excitement, anticipation, and a calendar full of special events. However, it also brings disrupted routines, sensory overload, and unpredictability that can make the school day harder for many students. For children with disabilities, anxiety, or sensory sensitivities, these changes can feel overwhelming. With thoughtful planning and strong home/school collaboration, families and teachers can he

What is Dyslexia? One of the most common definitions of dyslexia, as provided by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), has recently been updated. Originally published in 2002, IDA defined dyslexia as a specific learning disability of neurobiological origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, as well as poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of

At Partners in PROMISE (PiP), we recognize that the power of partnering to improve progress reports lies in understanding and using data effectively. Data drives decision-making. When it comes to tracking your child’s Individual Education Program (IEP) progress, collaboration with your school’s Special Education team ensures that every goal is clearly measured and monitored throughout the year. These goals and objectives should be SMART goals. This means they are specific, me

“Between complex educational needs, frequent moves, and drastic differences in special-needs supports from state to state, homeschooling seemed to be the best option to allow my son to thrive.” Homeschooling was never off the table, but I doubted my ability to teach my special needs child. After a rough start in public school and challenges in private school, homeschooling became our only option. As a military family with frequent moves, I’ve learned that transitions often br

Back-to-school tips for military families in special education can make the difference between a stressful start and a smooth transition. August often feels like a whirlwind—last-minute summer adventures, the start of sports and clubs, the final days with friends, and back-to-school shopping. For military-connected families, especially those who have just completed a PCS, it often means something more: a new school, a new routine, and a new team of educators to partner with.

Back-to-school Individualized Education Program (IEP) preparation is best done before the start of the school year. With just a few weeks left of summer, now is the perfect time to set your child up for success. Use this time to review the IEP, organize important records, build executive functioning routines, and introduce your child to their new teachers. Here's how to get started. Assess Your Child’s IEP for Back-to-School IEP Preparation Take a long look at your child’s IE

Preventing an individualized education program (IEP) summer slide can be a challenge when school is out and specialized instruction pauses for the season.You can help your child maintain the growth they’ve made during the school year and avoid losing valuable progress on their IEP goals. Preventing IEP Summer Slide with Weekly Goal-Based Activities For those students who have qualified for Extended School Year (ESY) services, it can help students maintain growth between schoo

Preventing summer learning loss is a top concern for many families. This is especially true for parents of K–12 students with special needs. As a special education advocate, I work with parents throughout their child’s education. This topic comes up at every stage of the journey. Strategies to Keep Kids Engaged Over Summer Break How can you help your child stay prepared for the next school year while still enjoying the summer? It’s possible to do both. Over the years, friends

Recently, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I had the chance to sit down with two amazing colleagues who serve as school counselors. We talked about the many ways they support students and families, not just during May, but throughout the school year. Our conversation highlighted how deeply they care about encouraging children to have a voice, fostering relationships, and creating safe, supportive environments for all kids, especially those facing unique circumstance

This report from Partners in PROMISE investigates the unique challenges of military-connected children with disabilities. The report "The State of Military-Connected Children with Disabilities" talks about the special problems military families face when their kids need extra help in school because of disabilities in 2025. It looks closely at important topics like how the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) can be made better. It also discusses how difficult it can be to

Related services have been crucial for my military family throughout the challenges of frequent moves. Under §300.34 of IDEA, services like speech therapy, school counseling, and occupational therapy from school personnel to community therapists have supported my son's continuity of care. How Related Services Have Helped My Family Related services have been part of my family’s life for over a decade through three permanent change of stations (PCSs). Each time we PCS, it cause

Gifted and talented students represent a unique group within the educational landscape, possessing exceptional abilities or potential in one or more areas, such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacities. They may think faster, exhibit advanced problem-solving skills, or tackle problems uniquely. But like all students, they need the right environment and support to thrive. To better understand this exceptional group, I spoke with a colleague who is a licens

It’s February; before we know it, summer will be here. For military families, that may mean a PCS. Sound familiar? Even though that might be months away, it’s time to get prepared and talk about Special Education Procedural Safeguards and Subpart E of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004, a reauthorization of the IDEA. For military families, especially families who move frequently, it is important to understand that each state presents it