Special Education; Parents' Library of Useful Information

David Poeschl
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This no-nonsense, no interview program is for parents who want to hear research-based information about the IEP process.`   In addition, parents can hear about the latest research in the field that has practical implications for classroom practices.   Research is clear that parents who know more about the special education process are able to get better IEP programs and outcomes for their children with disabilities  (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10631414/).    David Poeschl is a retired school district special education director and California State University Lecturer.  He currently works as a parent advisor with a non-profit agency in Northern California providing no fee consultancy and training to parents in the area.   This program is intended to be a library for parents who need information on a wide variety of special education related topics. Most of the research reviews are the result of questions from parents the host works with.

  1. DEC 18

    Matrix Parents Presents: The Power of Peer Mentoring for Adolescents with Autism

    Matrix Parent Network and the Marin Center for Independent Living funded and supported the production of this podcast.  Pairing students with autism with neurotypical peers is proving to be a powerful tool in teaching the critical life skills of self-advocacy and self-determination. We'll define these terms and explain how they fit together before looking at the research and model programs that use mentoring as a tool. Articles used for this podcast: 1.) Advanced Autism Mentorship (https://www.advancedautism.com/post/the-role-of-peer-mentorship-in-autism-support-programs) 2.) Peer Support in Autism - Autism Research Institute (https://autism.org/peer-support-in-autism/) 3.) That Connection With Community… it is just a positive thing - Mentoring autistic adolescents participating in community coding programs(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11933780/) Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

    12 min

  2. DEC 17

    Quick Listen: 5 Minutes or Less. Positive Behavior Support Part 5: The Imporantance of Recognizing Partial Success

    In this short episode you will learn why the "almost there" times, when a child makes progress on a behavior goal, but there is still a ways to go, those are the times they need to be recognized and reinforeced for that partial success. The episode may be short, but I have found this concept alien to many educators.  You can make sure partial successes are recongized by your child's teachers.  You can also incorporate this concept into your home immediately. It's a matter of looking at adjusting how you view behavioral success. Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

    3 min

  3. DEC 2

    Matrix Parents Presents: Expanding Parents' Power in Special Education and Beyond

    Matrix Parent Network and the Marin Center for Independent Living funded and supported the production of this podcast.  If you are the parent of a child with a disability you have very likely experienced a feeling that you missed something when you walk out of an IEP meeting.  Many parents report that schools seem to go through the steps of the IEP but what comes out is a muddled mix of goals, accommodations and services. Parents also report that they don't feel like they are true members of their IEP team, that the IEP document they are asked to sign was developed by school staff with little or no input from those who know the child the best. This episode explores what parent participation really means, that the definition goes beyond school to encompass the child's entire life, in and out of school.  Research indicates that parents of children with disabilities have strong desires for their children to work on skills at home and in the community versus in school.  Other parents report focusing on involvement outside of school as a strategy to escape the anxiety and confines of school expectations and potential feelings of judgement from their special education teams.  article referred to in the episode: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12356156/ Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

    13 min

  4. DEC 1

    Matrix Parents Presents: SMART Goals

    Matrix Parent Network and the Marin Center for Independent Living funded and supported the production of this podcast.  S.M.A.R.T. Goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, Time Bound, are the basis of a good IEP.  Everything either leads to the creation of goals or lead from it in the form or services and placement. Research indicates there is a direct relationship between parental knowledge and their satisfaction with their children’s special education programs.  In this case, knowledge truly is power. The most effective way to increase your ability to communicate with your IEP team, and thus avoid conflict, is to learn and use knowledge of the special education process to help your child succeed. Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

    13 min

  5. NOV 25

    Matrix Parents Presents: Article Review: What I Wish You Knew: Insights on Burnout, Inertia, Meltdown, and Shutdown From Autistic Youth

    Matrix Parent Network and the Marin Center for Independent Living funded and supported the production of this podcast.  This month we look at a common barrier to successful transition from school-based programs to adulthood for students with high functioning autism.  The acronym BIMS stands for burnout, inertia, meltdowns and shutdown.  These are the most common reactions many autistic people experience when facing overload from stress, anger and other negative emotions.  Being able to respond to the stressors of life without using a BIMS can help autistic people live more successfully in society, and live happier and more fulfilling personal lives.  Listen to the experiences and feelings of the children and teens who participated in the study to see how they deal with the stressors that lead to the use of BIMS. Link to article used for this program: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.741421/full Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

    14 min

  6. NOV 25

    Matrix Parents Presents: Transition to Adult Life and a Key to Success: Self-Advocacy

    Matrix Parent Network and the Marin Center for Independent Living funded and supported the production of this podcast.  Self-Advocacy is a phrase that is used often in special education, but often with little context as to what it means.  What does it mean for a student to be an effective self-advocate  and why it is so important? In this episode of the Matrix Parents Practical Special Education Podcast for Parents, we look at what the term really means and why it is a critical skill to learn and practice, particularly in high school.   We'll look at racial and socio-economic factors that are largely responsible for low levels of the concept of "societal shorthand", that is, the understanding how institutions work and how to access the help they are designed to provide. And we'll bring it back to the conclusion that learning the way our society works, and how to access it's benefits, is more important than wealth, education and even cognition in determining who wins and who loses out on a successful transition to adult life. Here are citations and resources related to this episode: 1.   My Life: Effects of a longitudinal, randomized study of self-determination enhancement on the transition outcomes of youth in foster care and special education https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190740912002927  2.   Self-Determination and the Education of Students with Disabilities Author: Michael Wehmeyer September 2002: https://transitionca.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/SD-Article-Wehmeyer.pdf  3.   Vanderbilt University’s IRIS Center      https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/tran-scp/cresource/q2/p03/#content  4.   Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy (JLSP)https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1028&context=njlsp  5.   E.D. Hirsch on ‘Cultural Literacy’https://newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-7/committed-knowledge-the-modern-past/e.d.-hirsch-on-cultural-literacy   Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

    12 min

  7. OCT 4

    Autism and Anxiety: the Role of Interoception

    Interoception, the ability to recognize  bodily signals like heart rate, hunger, temperature..., is often a significant  source of  stress and anxiety in autistic youth.   They may struggle to control the overload their body is experiencing by being unable to recognize the physical symptoms they are experiencing, leading to a potential crisis when the build up becomes too much. Or, an autistic youth may go without eating or drinking anything for an entire school day.  A student may wear clothes that are inappropriate to the weather, seeming not to recognize heat and cold.   Or, some may experience both depending on the situation and stimulus.  The study that I used for this episode explores the issue and presents effective ways to lessen to impact of interoceptive weaknesses. Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

    8 min

  8. OCT 1

    Navigating the IEP Process: Accommodations

    In this episode, the first in my IEP Basic Series, we’ll look at accommodations (and modifications) on an IEP.  This is the first in the series due to the critical nature of accommodations to learning for students with disabilities, and also the complex nature of actually having them work in a classroom.  There are many times a student would have little chance to survive in a general education setting, much less succeed without effective accommodations.  Accommodations provide the scaffolding and the safety net for students with disabilities to experience the benefits of an included education.  For a related episode, listen to, “Universal Design for Learning: Creating Classrooms for ALL Children”.  Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

    12 min
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About

This no-nonsense, no interview program is for parents who want to hear research-based information about the IEP process.`   In addition, parents can hear about the latest research in the field that has practical implications for classroom practices.   Research is clear that parents who know more about the special education process are able to get better IEP programs and outcomes for their children with disabilities  (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10631414/).    David Poeschl is a retired school district special education director and California State University Lecturer.  He currently works as a parent advisor with a non-profit agency in Northern California providing no fee consultancy and training to parents in the area.   This program is intended to be a library for parents who need information on a wide variety of special education related topics. Most of the research reviews are the result of questions from parents the host works with.

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