Inclusive Education Project (IEP) Podcast Inclusive Education Project

We're happy to bring you some of our listener favorites during the next few weeks. These episodes are sure to pique your interest by featuring topics important to each of us Enjoy!
We are pivoting from our normal education-centric topics today to take a broader view of the financial side of raising a child with a disability. We want to make sure that families, and people working with these families, have all the resources and tools for a well-rounded toolkit for supporting their kids. We welcome James Lange to the podcast to share his practical insights and expertise.
James Lange is a CPA, a state attorney in Pennsylvania, and the author of nine best-selling financial books. He is a nationally recognized IRA, 401(k), and retirement plan distribution expert. As a result of his daughter’s disability, James developed a passion for helping parents who need to provide sufficient care for a disabled child even beyond their own lifetime. He explains how he and his wife are providing for their daughter’s future and what parents of a disabled child should do right now to ensure the financial future of their child. 
Show Highlights:
James’ plan to provide for his daughter for the rest of her lifeJames’ mission to help parents of children with disabilities optimize their financial assetsThree steps to take right now for your disabled child: Get your child qualified for government benefits in the SSI or SSDI. (James explains the #1 mistake most parents make in applying for these benefits.)Get your estate planning done appropriately with the proper trust or conservatorship option. (Don’t rely on “Joe Schmo Attorney” for this!)Get the Roth IRA conversion strategy done right by a financial professional. (The difference in doing this correctly and incorrectly can amount to a huge difference in available funds for your child.) Best resources for parents to use in their education and planning:Get James’ FREE book, Retire Secure for Parents of a Child with a Disability. Click here!Sign up for Expert Advice for Parents of Children with Disabilities: A Virtual Summit, June 18-20, 2024. Click here for more information about this FREE event!
Links/Resources:
Connect with James Lange: Disabled Child Planning,  Pay Taxes Later, and LInkedIn
Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org   
Thank you for listening! 
Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.
If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.
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We're happy to bring you some of our listener favorites during the next few weeks. These episodes are sure to pique your interest by featuring topics important to each of us Enjoy!
We recently had the chance to speak at the BOOST Conference about our podcast, the IEP system, and special education in general. The BOOST Conference is an annual event to inspire youth, learning, and change. Many different educational professionals attend the conference in Palm Springs, California to participate in classes, workshops, and networking events, and to explore the latest in technology and innovation related to education. Join us to hear this live presentation and the Q & A session!
Show Highlights:
An overview of the IEP podcastWhat is an IEP? What are IEP meetings?The importance of collaboration in the entire IEP processIndividualization, not comparison, is most helpful in the IEP process.The vital need for parents to talk to the teachers before the IEP meeting95% of the conflict in IEP meetings is due to a communication breakdown.
Links/Resources:
Find out more about the BOOST Conference: Website
Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org   
Thank you for listening! 
Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.
If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.
Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:
Facebook
Instagram–We are doing videos on Instagram, so connect with us here and send us your questions!
Twitter
IEP website
Email us: admin@iepcalifornia.org

We are taking a summer break for July to soak up a little summer fun with our families, so we are replaying some of our most popular episodes that are packed with information and inspiration. We will be back in August with new episodes to prepare us for the 2024-2025 school year. Today’s replay first aired a few weeks ago during Mental Health Awareness Month. Maria Barrera helps us understand the need for a more comprehensive and relevant curriculum focused on skill-building and emotional awareness instead of reacting to students’ mental health needs “after the fact.” Doesn’t it make more sense to support “mental wellness” than to simply address “mental illness”? That’s the idea behind Clayful! Join us to learn more!
Maria Barrera is the founder and CEO of Clayful, a company that began as a way to address the mental health crisis in a more preventative way. Clayful offers supportive tools and resources to help students become more resilient and emotionally aware before they get to their breaking point. Maria is committed to addressing the youth mental health crisis, and her dedication to training a diverse mental health workforce and establishing partnerships with schools have impacted thousands of students across the country. 
Show Highlights:
The need for more targeted interventions and skill-building in schoolsThe origins of Clayful to address students’ needs during the pandemicThe challenge in supporting students with behavior regulation issuesLabels and language have POWER!The gist of CA Assembly Bill 2173: to change the language from “emotional disturbance” to “emotional disability”Clayful’s work in destigmatizing the need for emotional supportClayful allows students to connect with a coach every week to develop a “protective layer.”The mental health crisis is here! We need to partner together to help as many young people as possible!
Links/Resources:
Connect with Maria Barrera and Clayful: Website and Email
Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org   
Thank you for listening! 
Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.
If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.
Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:
Facebook
Instagram–We are doing videos on Instagram, so connect with us here and send us your questions!
Twitter
IEP website
Email us: a href="mailto:admin@iepcalifornia.org" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

We promised you a Part 2 with Michael Hingson—and here it is! We don’t always get the opportunity to follow up a guest interview with a second part, and that’s why we are thrilled to bring you more of Michael’s inspiring story and his important work in the field of accessibility. Michael first joined us last May for an episode titled, “Approaching Life with an Unstoppable Mindset.” (Click here to listen!)
Michael Hingson has a fascinating life story. With a master’s degree in physics, he is an educator, best-selling author, inspirational speaker, and disability advocate—and he is blind and a 9/11 World Trade Center survivor. When his premature birth called for a pure oxygen environment, his retinas were irreparably damaged, and he has been blind ever since. His parents were urged to institutionalize him because “no blind child can ever amount to anything or contribute to society”---or so the doctors said. His parents refused and gave Michael every chance to learn as any other child, sending him to public schools throughout his life and demanding that he adapt to his disability to live an independent life. He earned his physics degree and secondary education teacher credential, going on to become an accomplished salesman and sales manager. He is a coveted keynote speaker, author of Thunder Dog: The Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust, and host of the Unstoppable Mindset podcast.
Show Highlights:
Diversity, inclusion, and disability (According to the CDC, 25% of Americans have some sort of disability.)Why we don’t talk about disabilityFear can be a powerful tool to focus us when we feel blinded, paralyzed, or overwhelmed.Michael’s next book (August 2024), Live Like a Guide Dog: True Stories from a Blind Man and His Dogs about Being Brave, Overcoming Adversity, and Walking in FaithMichael’s work with AccessiBe to advance accessibility with AI technologyAccessibility technologies for those with cognitive disabilities, ADHD, etc. Changing the thinking around disability and “visual impairment”A glimpse into Michael’s full life today: traveling, speaking, podcasting, and working tirelessly to advance accessibility for everyone
Links/Resources:
Connect with Michael Hingson: Website, Thunder Dog book, Live Like a Guide Dog book, and the Unstoppable Mindset podcast.
Find out more about AccessiBe.
Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center:...

Today’s episode is Part 2 of our conversation with Santanna Ficken, a mental health practitioner who proudly identifies as a disabled, autistic/ADHDer with multiple neurodivergencies. Santanna is a passionate advocate with MnNEAT (Minnesota Neurodivergent Education, Advocacy, and Therapy Services), which focuses on building trust and relationships in the neurodivergent community while advocating for social justice for all disabled people. Today’s episode is focused on how IEPs can be improved to be neurodiversity-affirming. Join us to learn more!
Show Highlights:
Understanding what it means to be neurodiversity-affirmingIEPs for neurodiverse students should respect autonomy, validate differences, assume competence, adjust expectations, encourage self-advocacy, adapt to systems/environments, and honor ALL forms of communication.The goal in IEPs should NOT be to change or “fix” the student!Examples of trauma for students caused by the IEPSantanna’s experience in school as a neurodivergent studentThe process of rewriting IEPs to be neurodiversity-affirmingIEP data misses a lot of relevant information about the student’s experience.What Santanna would like school administrators to know
Links/Resources:
Connect with Santanna Ficken and MnNEAT: Website
Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org   
Thank you for listening! 
Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.
If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.
Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:
Facebook
Instagram–We are doing videos on Instagram, so connect with us there and send us your questions!
Twitter
IEP website
Email us: admin@iepcalifornia.org

Today’s episode is Part 1 of our conversation with Santanna Ficken, a mental health practitioner who proudly identifies as a disabled, autistic/ADHDer with multiple neurodivergencies. Santanna is a passionate advocate with MnNEAT (Minnesota Neurodivergent Education, Advocacy, and Therapy Services), which focuses on building trust and relationships in the neurodivergent community while advocating for social justice for all disabled people. Join us to learn more!
Show Highlights:
Santanna’s background in advocacy and support for neurodivergent children and their familiesAbleism—what people should know about this form of discriminationUnderstanding the three types of ableism: institutional, internalized, and interpersonalThe IEP process is clearly systemic ableism, as Santanna explains. Our focus on “fixing” a disability is wrong. The difficulties in trying to redirect IEP conversations to ensure that every child has an affirming educational experience with accessibilityWhat Santanna wants every school team to knowThe need for plain language in IEPs that focuses on supporting the child
Links/Resources:
Connect with Santanna Ficken and MnNEAT: Website
Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org   
Thank you for listening! 
Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.
If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.
Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:
Facebook
Instagram–We are doing videos on Instagram, so connect with us here and send us your questions!
Twitter
IEP website
Email us: admin@iepcalifornia.org