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© 2025 Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham
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The Special Education Boss® Podcast is where advocacy meets action. Join Karen Mayer Cunningham each week as she empowers parents and professionals to understand their rights, navigate the system, and show up strong at the IEP table.
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f your child’s IEP feels incomplete, confusing, or delayed—you are not alone. In this episode of Ask the Advocate, Karen Mayer Cunningham tackles rapid-fire questions from parents, educators, and advocates facing real-world special education challenges. ✨ Inside this episode: What makes present levels “pristine, prescriptive, and puffy” (and why most are pitiful).Paraprofessional roles: what the law actually says about direct supervision.How to request an Independent Educational Evaluation (I...
What happens when a school tries to take away a diabetic student’s cell phone used for monitoring? Or when IEP goals are written at only the 20th percentile? Or when districts “table” evaluation requests for months? In this Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham—The Special Education Boss®—answers rapid-fire questions from parents and teachers, bringing clarity, humor, and straight talk to situations families face every day. ✨ In this episode, you’ll learn: Why every child with diab...
What if girls learned early that their identity sits on an unshakeable foundation—not a number on a scale or a grade on a test? In this conversation, Karen sits down with Dr. Tiff Watson—performance coach, sports psych pro, and author of Your Unique FIZEEK! A Girl’s Guide to Faith, Fuel, and Finding Your Superpowers—to talk food–mood connections, confidence, and practical tools for families and pre-teen girls. You’ll hear: Why “food is fuel” matters for focus, emotions, and daily resilienceT...
SDI isn’t a buzzword—it’s the heart of special education. In this episode, Karen breaks down why special education = specially designed instruction (SDI), how SDI is different from accommodations, and the exact questions to ask in your IEP meeting to reveal what’s really being taught, how, by whom, and when. You’ll learn: Why SDI is instruction (not an accommodation or simple “differentiation”)The 3 SDI elements: Content (what), Methodology (how), Delivery (who/where/when)How strong present l...
In this Related Services session, Karen Mayer Cunningham breaks down what IDEA really says about services that support a student’s access to FAPE—and how schools should write and deliver them. What we cover: Physical Therapy in schools vs medical/therapeutic models (what PT is and isn’t in an IEP; realistic frequency and access needs)Psychological Services vs Counseling as a Related Service (definitions, when each is appropriate, why psych services don’t have to tie to a goal—but counseling d...
Karen Mayer Cunningham’s new book, The Epic IEP™: A Powerful Playbook for Parents, Educators, and Advocates Navigating the Special Education Process, is here! 📚 This episode of Ask the Advocate is dedicated to unpacking why this book is a game-changer, how it equips parents, teachers, and advocates to sit confidently at the IEP/504 table, and what makes The Epic IEP™ different from anything else out there. Inside this episode: ✨ The BIG announcement: Karen’s book launch with Simon & Schus...
In this Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham—The Special Education Boss®—answers your most pressing special education questions with clarity, humor, and straight-to-the-point strategies you can take to the IEP or 504 table. From dyslexia progress monitoring to behavior plans and field trip access, Karen reminds us: parents don’t have to settle for “we don’t do that here.” The law, the data, and your child’s needs drive the process—not convenience. ✨ What you’ll learn in this episo...
In Session 2 of our OSEP Letters series, Karen Mayer Cunningham—The Special Education Boss®—breaks down Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs): what they are, when to request one, who chooses the evaluator, how districts must respond, and how to use OSEP guidance to keep your team compliant. Using the February 20, 2004 OSEP letter to Dr. Parker, Karen covers: When an IEE is triggered: after a parent disagrees with a district evaluation (or part of it).The exact language: “I disagree with ...
Happy Monday, Advocates! In this Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham—The Special Education Boss®—tackles another round of rapid-fire questions from parents, teachers, and advocates across the country. From recess rights to PCS plans, and from tardy notes to 1:1 aides, Karen brings clarity, humor, and real strategies you can use in the IEP/504 process today. ✨ In this episode, you’ll learn: Why we don’t advocate by diagnosis (CP, autism, ADHD, etc.), but by the characteristics of ...
Karen kicks off a multi-part series on must-know guidance letters from the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Today’s focus: the Dec 20, 2013 letter about twice-exceptional (2e) students and how states may—and may not—determine Specific Learning Disability (SLD) eligibility under IDEA. What you’ll learn: Why high cognition does not disqualify a student from IDEA eligibility.The two-part test for IDEA eligibility (impairment + need for special education/related services).The 200...
What happens when a school tries to take away a diabetic student’s cell phone used for monitoring? Or when IEP goals are written at only the 20th percentile? Or when districts “table” evaluation requests for months? In this Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham—The Special Education Boss®—answers rapid-fire questions from parents and teachers, bringing clarity, humor, and straight talk to situations families face every day. ✨ In this episode, you’ll learn: Why every child with diab...
Are your IEP meeting notes inaccurate? Has your child been placed on a 504 when you know an IEP is needed? Are you being told your student can’t get transportation or that grades prevent eligibility? You don’t know what you don’t know—but you need to. In this Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, The Special Education Boss®, answers real parent and teacher questions about IDEA, IEPs, 504s, and procedural safeguards. She brings clarity, humor, and step-by-step advocacy strategies y...
Are you sitting at the IEP or 504 table feeling unprepared, overwhelmed, or unsure of your rights? You don’t know what you don’t know—but you need to. In this Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, The Special Education Boss®, tackles your most pressing questions with clarity, humor, and no-nonsense advocacy strategies. From discipline laws in Texas to IEP services not being implemented, Karen explains what IDEA requires, how to respond to school pushback, and why being...
Paraprofessionals change lives—but confusion about their role can lead to serious violations. In this training, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, explains exactly what federal law requires so teams can support students properly and protect FAPE. What you’ll learn: Why paras must work under the direct supervision of a certified teacherHow to identify when districts are using paras in place of special educatorsWhat to ask at IEP meetings to verify who is delivering services a...
New school year, clean slate. Before the meetings start, let’s get crystal clear on your reason (your “why”), your expected outcomes, and how you’ll get there—so your child actually receives an educational benefit (the standard in IDEA), not just more paperwork. In this episode, Karen walks you through the four anchors for preparing an effective school year: Your “Why” – Why your child has a 504 or IEP, and whether it’s delivering resultsEducational Benefit vs. Everything Else – What the law ...
Do you know your rights? In this Ask the Advocate Q&A, Karen tackles the most common—and confusing—special education questions parents face, from eligibility and evaluations to services, placement, and what to do when the school says “no.” In this episode: OHI vs. SLD — what they mean, how they’re determined, and why it’s not “either/or.”ADHD — 504 accommodations vs. when an IEP is warranted (instruction + goals).Refusals to evaluate — how to respond and why prior written notice matters.W...
Feeling lost in the maze of special education? In this Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham answers rapid-fire questions about IEP signatures, extended school year (ESY), RTI, para support, compensatory time, evaluations, and more. Get clear, direct, and empowering guidance every parent and advocate needs. Inside this episode: ✅ Why there’s no such thing as implied consent in an IEP ✅ What schools must provide when a student is suspended or placed elsewhere ✅ The truth about 504 v...
What is Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) — and why is it the foundation of special education? In this brand-new series, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, breaks down one of the most misunderstood (and misused) concepts in IDEA: special education is specially designed instruction. In Part 1, we cover: ✅ Why SDI is different from accommodations or modifications ✅ How to ask teachers the right questions to uncover whether SDI is really happening ✅ Why strong IEP goals are ...
It’s one of our most popular formats—rapid-fire Q&A straight from TikTok Live! In this episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, answers your biggest special education questions with her signature mix of clarity, humor, and straight talk. We cover everything from: ✅ Do you need a meeting to add accommodations to an IEP? ✅ Can dyslexia teachers serve without special ed certification? ✅ What to do when services are missing or reduced without consent ✅ Retention, transpor...
In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham unpacks one of the most overlooked yet powerful safeguards in special education: Prior Written Notice (PWN). Most parents don’t realize that a PWN is not optional—it’s federally required. And it’s the school’s responsibility to complete it whenever they propose or refuse changes to your child’s identification, evaluation, placement, or services. Here’s what Karen covers in this training: ✅ The eight required components every P...
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