DiscoverSpecial Education Boss® with Karen Mayer CunninghamWhat Every Parent Needs to Know About IEEs, LRE, and IEP Minutes | Ask the Advocate
What Every Parent Needs to Know About IEEs, LRE, and IEP Minutes | Ask the Advocate

What Every Parent Needs to Know About IEEs, LRE, and IEP Minutes | Ask the Advocate

Update: 2025-09-30
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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 (IEE)—and who pays for it.
  • LRE vs. self-contained: when mainstreaming is appropriate, and when it isn’t.
  • FBAs, BIPs, and behavior—why responses aren’t enough without interventions.
  • 504 vs. IEP: the real differences and why settling for accommodations often fails students.
  • Transportation, speech/assistive technology minutes, and what happens when schools are out of compliance.
  • Discipline, manifestation meetings, and the truth about DAEP placements.

📘 Karen also introduces her brand-new book, The Epic IEP™—a powerful playbook for parents, educators, and advocates. Pre-order now and unlock $500+ in exclusive bonuses: https://theepiciep.com

➡️ Next step for families & advocates:
Join The Academy for weekly live coaching and 250+ hours of professional development: Enroll in The Epic IEP™ Academy

📩 Need an advocate to attend meetings or review records? Email us at advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. —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 advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

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🧠 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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What Every Parent Needs to Know About IEEs, LRE, and IEP Minutes | Ask the Advocate

What Every Parent Needs to Know About IEEs, LRE, and IEP Minutes | Ask the Advocate

Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education boss®