IEP meetings can shape a family’s entire educational journey, yet many parents leave feeling unheard, overwhelmed, or uncertain about the decisions being made. In Episode 26, we continue the conversation with Michael Plummer to explore the emotional side of IEP leadership and how trust, communication, and collaboration influence outcomes for students and families.

This episode goes beyond policies and procedures to focus on the human experience inside IEP meetings. We unpack how leadership styles, team dynamics, and the way data is shared can either build confidence or create lasting IEP trauma. From diploma versus certificate track decisions to student self-advocacy, this conversation highlights how schools and parents can move from conflict toward true partnership.

This conversation is not about blaming schools or parents. It is about understanding how power dynamics, communication choices, and decision-making processes affect families and how meaningful collaboration can change a child’s experience. If you’ve ever felt dismissed in an IEP meeting or unsure how to navigate difficult discussions, this episode will give you language, perspective, and practical guidance.

🌱 In this episode, we explore:

✨ How leadership and communication shape the tone of IEP meetings

✨ Why parents often feel unheard and how trust can be rebuilt

✨ The emotional impact of diploma vs certificate track decisions

✨ How data should be explained so families truly understand it

✨ The importance of student voice and self-advocacy in planning

✨ Strategies for reducing conflict and improving team collaboration

✨ How schools can move from authority to partnership with families

✨ Practical ways parents can prepare for difficult IEP conversations

✨ What meaningful support and long-term planning should look like

If you’ve ever walked away from an IEP meeting feeling confused, emotional, or unsure of what comes next, this episode is for you. Understanding the human side of IEP leadership helps families advocate with confidence, build stronger partnerships, and make informed decisions that truly support their child’s future.

🎧 Listen to Episode 26 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube.

www.youtube.com/@FlorDeAmelia

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1TC4pMJxQrwcyStNfnc9Rd?si=b77353d4aea34a3d

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/starting-with-iep/id1828187191

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3a1b111a-750f-4c5e-a3c5-38c55ee4e2d4/starting-with-iep

✨ Connect with Michael and explore his knowledge:

LinkedIn: Michael A. Plummer

💡 Don’t forget to grab your 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗜𝗘𝗣 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸. Comment IEP PROCESS below.

👉 Parents, has a teacher or school shown you compassion during the IEP journey? Share your experience with us!

Let’s Connect!

Turn IEP stress into confidence. I share useful resources every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday across all my social media platforms.

Podcast Website:

Grade retention is one of the most complex and emotional decisions in special education. Families often feel torn between academic data, emotional readiness, and school recommendations, without fully understanding how IEP teams actually make these decisions.

In Episode 25, I talk with Michael Plummer about what really happens behind grade retention discussions, diploma track decisions, and IEP team conversations. This episode goes beyond simple explanations and explores how schools weigh data, developmental factors, and long-term outcomes when determining whether retention is appropriate.

This conversation is not about labeling retention as good or bad. It is about understanding the factors that influence these decisions, the role of parents in the process, and why the same child can be viewed so differently depending on perspective. If you’ve ever felt unsure about whether retention is the right path or confused by the reasoning shared in meetings, this episode will give you clarity, language, and insight.

🌱 In this episode, we explore:

✨ How IEP teams evaluate grade retention and diploma track decisions

✨ The difference between academic performance and developmental readiness

✨ Why retention decisions often feel inconsistent or unclear to families

✨ The role of data, assessments, and professional judgment in IEP meetings

✨ Emotional, social, and long-term impacts of retention

✨ How parents can meaningfully participate in retention discussions

✨ Common misunderstandings about retention in special education

✨ Practical guidance for interpreting school recommendations

✨ Strategies for advocating effectively during IEP conversations

If you’ve ever left an IEP meeting feeling uncertain about a retention decision, this episode is for you. Understanding how these decisions are made doesn’t just clarify the process—it empowers families to ask better questions, advocate with confidence, and make informed choices about their child’s educational path.

🎧 Listen to Episode 25 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube.

www.youtube.com/@FlorDeAmelia

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1TC4pMJxQrwcyStNfnc9Rd?si=b77353d4aea34a3d

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/starting-with-iep/id1828187191

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3a1b111a-750f-4c5e-a3c5-38c55ee4e2d4/starting-with-iep

✨ Connect with Michael and explore his knowledge:

LinkedIn: Michael A. Plummer

💡 Don’t forget to grab your 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗜𝗘𝗣 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸. Comment IEP PROCESS below.

👉 Parents, has a teacher or school shown you compassion during the IEP journey? Share your experience with us!

Let’s Connect!

Turn IEP stress into confidence. I share useful resources every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday across all my social media platforms.

Podcast Website: http://www.startingwithiep.com/

Website:...

Occupational therapy is one of the most misunderstood services in special education. Families are often told their child “doesn’t qualify” for school-based OT while simultaneously paying for private OT multiple times a week.

In Episode 24, I talk with occupational therapist Cody Lukasik about the real reasons behind this disconnect. This conversation goes beyond surface-level explanations and dives into how schools define educational impact, how private practice defines clinical need, and why those two frameworks often collide instead of align.

This episode is not about blaming schools or therapists. It is about understanding how eligibility decisions are made, how training and interpretation shape outcomes, and why a child can clearly struggle yet still be found “not eligible” in the IEP process. If you’ve ever wondered why your child receives private OT but not school-based OT, or felt that the explanations in meetings were incomplete or overly technical, this episode will give you language, clarity, and context.

Cody explains how occupational therapy actually works in educational settings, why compensatory strategies often replace rehabilitation, and how underlying skills like visual-motor processing, sequencing, and sensory integration are frequently overlooked in eligibility decisions.

🌱 In this episode, we explore:

✨ The difference between educational impact and clinical need in OT eligibility

✨ Why a child can receive private OT but not qualify for school-based OT

✨ How standardized assessments shape school decisions

✨ The hidden skills behind tasks like writing, cutting, and gluing

✨ Visual-motor, sensory, and cognitive factors that affect academic performance

✨ The role of training and continuing education in OT evaluations

✨ Why accommodations often replace true skill-building in schools

✨ The immersion model and what integrated therapy in classrooms can look like

✨ Common misunderstandings families have about OT under IDEA

✨ Practical insights to help parents interpret evaluations and IEP decisions

If you’ve ever left an IEP meeting feeling that the explanations didn’t fully reflect your child’s needs, this episode is for you. Understanding how occupational therapy is interpreted across settings doesn’t just clarify eligibility, it gives families a stronger foundation to question, advocate, and push for services that address the underlying skills, not just the visible symptoms.

🎧 Listen to Episode 24 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube.

www.youtube.com/@FlorDeAmelia

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1TC4pMJxQrwcyStNfnc9Rd?si=b77353d4aea34a3d

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/starting-with-iep/id1828187191

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3a1b111a-750f-4c5e-a3c5-38c55ee4e2d4/starting-with-iep

✨ Connect with Cody and explore his knowledge:

Website: https://www.emergingkids.org/

Instagram: @emergingkidsot

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