Guiding Hands: E&D Webinar
The ABLE Foundation

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz8UK_qQvG4
Automatic captions exported September 20, 2026. Names and wording may contain errors.

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[1:59] >> Mhm.
[2:04] >> [music]
[2:11] >> All righty, everybody. I see you guys
[2:13] are logging on and joining us. Thank you
[2:15] so much. We're going to get started at
[2:17] 1:00 p.m. But until then, get yourself
[2:19] situated, get a coffee, get a water,
[2:21] whatever you're drinking today, and
[2:23] we're really happy to have you here.
[2:26] As you see on the screen, we have our
[2:27] lovely pillar interns, which you'll be
[2:29] hearing from shortly.
[2:31] Uh yeah, looking forward to that.
[4:04] >> Alrighty. Hello everybody and welcome to
[4:07] Guiding Hands, a digital toolkit for
[4:10] understanding disability.
[4:14] We are your education and development
[4:16] pillar cohort one of the Able
[4:18] Foundation. My name is Melody Mon and I
[4:21] am your pillar fellow. I'll pass it on
[4:23] to the interns.
[4:25] Hey everyone. I'm Eugene Choi. I'm a
[4:27] junior at the University of Maryland
[4:29] studying public health science
[4:30] currently.
[4:31] Hello everyone. My name is Linda Fokum.
[4:33] I am a recent graduate from the
[4:35] University of Maryland where I studied
[4:36] public health science and English
[4:38] language and literature.
[4:40] Hello. My name is Natalie Jefferson. I'm
[4:42] a current special education coordinator
[4:44] at DCPS and a current doc student at
[4:46] Morgan State University.
[4:49] In addition to our lovely pillars, we
[4:51] also have our pillar coordinator, Ms.
[4:53] Courtney Thomas, who without her and the
[4:55] help of Mr. Andre Howard, we would not
[4:57] be able to put this project together. So
[4:59] we're looking forward to showcase with
[5:01] you what we've created.
[5:03] I myself am a PhD student at the
[5:05] University of Maryland studying
[5:06] sociology for disability studies. In my
[5:09] research and overall program right now,
[5:11] I have noticed some systemic gaps in how
[5:13] we operate and really understand
[5:15] disability.
[5:17] Culturally and linguistically diverse
[5:18] families often encounter encounter
[5:20] significant barriers when they're
[5:22] navigating the US special education
[5:24] system. There's a balance between
[5:26] legalities, federal law, and how this
[5:28] actually gets implemented into the
[5:29] classrooms. The Individuals with
[5:31] Disabilities Education Act guarantees
[5:34] procedural safeguards, parent
[5:35] participation, and equitable access.
[5:38] However, these rights are not
[5:39] experienced the same across all
[5:41] families.
[5:44] Our objective here at the education and
[5:46] development pillar with Guiding Hands is
[5:48] to cultivate the development of a
[5:50] strengths-based framework that really
[5:52] assists families from all backgrounds,
[5:55] no matter where they are in the special
[5:56] education process. Whether your coverage
[5:58] is through for an IEP is through IDEA or
[6:00] a 504 plan, we're here to help you
[6:02] understand what this legal jargon
[6:04] actually means. The initiative aims to
[6:06] serve both families and the
[6:08] professionals who engage with them by
[6:10] addressing gaps in communication,
[6:12] expectations, and shared
[6:13] decision-making. The toolkit features
[6:16] are mobile-friendly. They're designed to
[6:17] be used on demand and accessible for
[6:19] all. An exciting feature to our toolkit
[6:22] is that it is under ways for translation
[6:24] and will be available in Haitian Creole
[6:26] and Spanish as well, which caters to the
[6:28] DMV area and population.
[6:31] The toolkit is designed for families to
[6:34] aim to empower them by cultivating
[6:36] clarity, confidence, and community. And
[6:38] we also bolster educators and staff. We
[6:41] offer guidance on culturally aware
[6:43] communication, relational
[6:44] trust-building, and collaborative
[6:46] planning so that educators and
[6:48] stakeholders in the special education
[6:49] system can really understand how to work
[6:51] with diverse families.
[6:53] So, with that, we're going to be
[6:55] presenting our Guiding Hands toolkit for
[6:57] understanding disability. This is a
[6:59] high-level overview of what we'll be
[7:01] talking today. Our interns and myself
[7:03] have been hard at work this academic
[7:04] year to put together the resources you
[7:06] see on the screen. After the pod the
[7:08] webinar is over, you'll have the
[7:10] opportunity to go to our website, and
[7:12] later on, these materials will be
[7:13] uploaded for your use. Feel free to
[7:15] share them. Feel free to use them. We
[7:17] are here for you as a community for the
[7:19] community, so let's go ahead and get
[7:20] started.
[7:22] Starting up first, we have Eugene Choi.
[7:25] All righty. So, I will be walking
[7:27] through my four infographic series that
[7:30] I created as part of my unique toolkit
[7:32] deliverable. Um and so, the goal of this
[7:35] infographic series here is to make the
[7:37] IEP process and its related processes
[7:40] clear and understandable for parents and
[7:42] caregivers by breaking these steps down
[7:44] into clear visual steps using using
[7:46] large infographic style flyers.
[7:51] Cool. So, that's the general overview of
[7:53] this. It's a four infographic series
[7:54] that helps inform caregivers and parents
[7:56] again and just seeks to make it easier
[7:59] and more understandable and digestible.
[8:03] >> [snorts]
[8:03] >> Infographic one is the 10 steps of the
[8:05] IEP. This is the 10 key steps in the IEP
[8:08] process and it's read sequentially top
[8:10] to bottom from one through 10.
[8:12] As you can kind of see, it's it's a full
[8:15] process it's a full length process that
[8:16] focuses on starting all the way from
[8:18] student referral all the way down to the
[8:20] development and then also review of the
[8:22] actual IEP process itself.
[8:24] A couple of the few important key steps
[8:27] of this IEP process shown in the
[8:29] infographic that I'll highlight today
[8:31] include step two, which is the child
[8:33] evaluation step where the school
[8:35] assesses the child's needs and you know,
[8:37] if the parents are disagreeing with the
[8:39] school's evaluation, they're able to
[8:41] request an external evaluation for their
[8:43] child. Steps three and four outline the
[8:45] eligibility of the child for the IEP and
[8:47] then also 30-day window that schools
[8:50] have to you know, sit down and write
[8:52] this IEP plan for the child
[8:54] with the parents and the rest of the IEP
[8:55] team. And then step six I'll also
[8:57] highlight as well, which is the actual
[8:59] IEP meeting itself where the team meets
[9:01] to discuss and and implement and and
[9:03] plan this IEP out. The goal here is to
[9:05] show that the IEP isn't just one meeting
[9:08] or just one step or one process. It's a
[9:10] it's a cycle with many multiple
[9:12] checkpoints that have to be met
[9:13] throughout the cycle. So,
[9:15] um this infographic kind of just
[9:17] highlights the general one through 10 of
[9:19] of each step that has to be met through
[9:20] the process.
[9:23] Infographic two is your seat at the
[9:24] table, a guide to your rights, which is
[9:26] a infographic that outlines key parent
[9:28] rights in the special education IEP
[9:30] process.
[9:31] This highlights a lot of the important
[9:33] key rights that are protected that
[9:35] parents and caregivers have protected
[9:36] under the Individuals with Disabilities
[9:38] Education Act 2004.
[9:41] A couple of the key parent rights that
[9:43] I'll highlight on this infographic
[9:44] include uh participation in education
[9:46] decisions. This is where parents are
[9:49] really informed that they're not just
[9:51] guests at IEP meetings. They're a
[9:53] valuable and active part of the team. Uh
[9:55] prior written notice outlines that there
[9:57] should be no surprises or there aren't
[9:59] any surprises allowed in the IEP
[10:00] process. So, deviation from what's
[10:03] written in in paper, you know, what's
[10:05] written on the IEP plan is is not really
[10:06] allowed and so parents have the
[10:08] authority to kind of enforce that and
[10:10] they have that right protected.
[10:12] As well as parental consent authority,
[10:13] which is basically the yes or no button
[10:15] that parents and caregivers hold uh
[10:18] for application and and applica-
[10:20] application of of rights and resources
[10:22] for their child through the IEP process.
[10:24] The goal here is to empower parents and
[10:26] caregivers so that they feel like active
[10:28] uh members of the team and active
[10:29] players in the IEP process for their
[10:31] child rather than just passive observers
[10:33] in the process.
[10:36] Infographic three is be prepared, your
[10:38] IEP meeting checklist.
[10:41] This third infographic is designed as a
[10:43] parent-oriented checklist style
[10:46] infographic that they can use before
[10:47] meetings uh kind of going into into
[10:50] these meetings.
[10:51] Instead of just explaining the entire
[10:53] process in its own, uh it really just
[10:55] highlights a couple of the key things
[10:57] that parents and caregivers can do uh to
[10:59] maximize success and comfort during
[11:01] these meetings. Couple small things that
[11:04] are listed on this infographic would
[11:06] include things like what to bring. So,
[11:08] uh items like a notebook, pen, copies of
[11:10] past evaluations, even water or snacks
[11:14] for long IEP meetings. What to prepare.
[11:16] This includes writing samples from prior
[11:19] schools and previous education, uh
[11:21] prior medical or or therapy evaluations,
[11:24] as well as progress reports that parents
[11:26] might have for their child. So, this
[11:28] would be really important to bring. And
[11:30] And also what to review. Looking over
[11:31] past IEPs if if available if if if
[11:34] relevant, and then also progress reports
[11:36] and and other evaluations that might be
[11:38] relevant for the creation of the IEP
[11:40] plan.
[11:41] The goal of this infographic here is
[11:43] basically just to reduce anxiety and
[11:45] confusion for parents going into IEP
[11:46] meetings, especially if this is their
[11:48] first time entering into something of
[11:50] this nature, just to ensure that they
[11:52] feel comfortable going into it.
[11:56] Cool. And then the last infographic that
[11:58] I'll run down is understanding your
[11:59] child's IEP team. This is an infographic
[12:01] that highlights
[12:03] the role of each individual that you
[12:04] would expect to find in an IEP meeting.
[12:06] So it really just highlights the key
[12:08] role players and team members that
[12:10] you're going to be walking into the room
[12:11] with. This is a really important
[12:13] infographic because it really highlights
[12:15] the role and who exactly is going to be
[12:17] in the room creating your IEP plan for
[12:19] your child and who you're going to be
[12:20] collaborating with.
[12:22] Really just reduce anxiety and confusion
[12:24] and kind of just make sure you're you're
[12:25] know you know what you're walking into.
[12:28] Couple of the key roles, the student
[12:30] here is really the centerpiece and focus
[12:32] of this infographic and is also the
[12:33] center of an IEP meeting just because
[12:35] the IEP plan is going to be created and
[12:37] kind of structured for them. Your parent
[12:39] or the caregiver, you know, this is the
[12:40] most important advocate in the room that
[12:42] has the most knowledge of the child and
[12:44] and understands the needs and
[12:45] experiences of
[12:47] the student who who the IEP is being
[12:49] written for. And then special education
[12:51] provider, this is the teacher at the
[12:53] school who's going to be providing these
[12:55] services for your child through the IEP
[12:57] plan. And then other related service
[12:59] providers too. Um this could be like
[13:01] speech therapists, other like medical
[13:03] providers that you know have evaluations
[13:05] or knowledge of your child
[13:07] as well. So the purpose of this
[13:08] infographic here is to really highlight
[13:10] that the IEP meeting is collaborative
[13:12] and that each person plays a very
[13:13] specific role and to understand that as
[13:16] a very important thing for parents going
[13:17] into it. So as a whole I kind of wrap up
[13:19] the the overall gist of the infographic
[13:22] series, I really just want to make sure
[13:24] that I used a lot of background
[13:25] information and and some interview
[13:27] insights to ensure that the
[13:28] accessibility uh element of the
[13:30] infographics was really clear and so
[13:32] that they were easy to to access for
[13:34] parents and caregivers as well as the
[13:35] fact that reducing complex jargon or
[13:38] special education
[13:39] terminology was at a very very minimum
[13:41] so that
[13:42] the infographics could be understood by
[13:44] anyone reading them. So.
[13:47] Awesome. Thank you so much for that,
[13:49] Eugene. And up next we have Linda Fokum.
[13:53] Thank you, Melody, for the introduction.
[13:55] So, now we will be moving into social
[13:57] scripts. So, through analyzing
[14:00] literature and interviews with
[14:03] professionals and caregivers, we found
[14:05] that it can be overwhelming to attend
[14:07] and participate in IEP meetings like
[14:09] Eugene stated. Because of that, we
[14:11] developed social scripts for families
[14:14] and students to help reduce that fear.
[14:16] The main purpose of these scripts is not
[14:18] only to explain the IEP process, but to
[14:20] make it more manageable and predictable
[14:22] by breaking it down to steps and phases
[14:24] so that everyone knows what to expect,
[14:26] and also for families to feel more
[14:27] confident in participating.
[14:30] So, the first of these social scripts is
[14:33] a 10-page script that is catered to
[14:35] caregivers, and it is titled titled the
[14:37] IEP Meeting Social Overview and Insights
[14:40] for Caregivers. This script is designed
[14:42] to help caregivers understand the common
[14:44] phases of an IEP meeting, but I also
[14:47] want to mention that schools and
[14:49] districts might have their own specific
[14:50] protocols for how their meetings are
[14:52] conducted. So, this resource is meant to
[14:54] serve more as a general overview of what
[14:56] to expect during an IEP meeting.
[14:58] The social script also highlights common
[15:00] misunderstandings when it comes to key
[15:02] terms with the goal of helping
[15:03] caregivers feel more comfortable in
[15:05] special education spaces. The script is
[15:07] broken down into five phases, which is
[15:10] what you see in the circle,
[15:11] that most IEP meetings follow, and it
[15:14] includes introduction and rights, where
[15:16] the team is established and caregivers
[15:19] legal protections are reviewed. Next, we
[15:21] have present levels of also often seen
[15:24] as PLAAF, P, which is a discussion of
[15:27] where the students
[15:29] is currently performing and academically
[15:31] and functionally. After that, we have
[15:33] goals and objectives where specific
[15:35] measurable targets are set for the
[15:37] students in the coming year.
[15:39] After that, we have services and
[15:40] accommodation, which focuses on how
[15:43] the supports and accommodations that the
[15:45] student will be receiving and
[15:49] what they will also need to order to
[15:51] succeed. And lastly, we have placement
[15:53] where the entire team comes together to
[15:55] determine the setting in which these
[15:56] services will occur or take place.
[15:59] So, our second resource is understanding
[16:01] my IEP, which is a social script
[16:03] specifically designed for students
[16:05] receiving special education services.
[16:08] It's important to note that students are
[16:10] a vital part of their IEP team and in
[16:13] many cases they're required to be
[16:14] invited to the I the IEP meeting
[16:16] starting at the age of 13.
[16:18] The purpose of having them attend their
[16:20] own meeting is to help them begin to
[16:21] understand their learning needs and also
[16:23] participate in planning their future.
[16:26] To allow students to be a part of their
[16:27] IEP meeting, I created this social
[16:29] script and it's similar to the caregiver
[16:32] social script in a sense that it is a
[16:33] general overview, but it also includes
[16:35] talking points, which you can see on the
[16:37] right, to help um students
[16:41] throughout the entire meeting process
[16:43] and also to give them ideas of what they
[16:45] want to talk about.
[16:47] So, another note is for professionals.
[16:50] You can also use these scripts as an
[16:52] opportunity to create space for both the
[16:53] student and caregiver to actively
[16:56] participate. Many families attending the
[16:58] meetings um have a varying level of
[17:00] familiarity. Therefore, in meeting them
[17:02] at their current level of understanding
[17:04] is not only crucial, but also allows for
[17:07] a smooth integration of both caregivers
[17:09] and students into the IEP team.
[17:12] So, next we have additional resources
[17:15] that are designed to help further
[17:16] empower caregivers and strengthen their
[17:18] advocacy skills. The first of these is
[17:21] the Caregiver's Conversation Guide.
[17:24] Through literature
[17:26] analysis and interviews with caregivers
[17:28] and professionals in special education
[17:30] spaces, I found out that a lot of times
[17:33] caregivers may not always know what
[17:34] questions to ask during the IEP meeting,
[17:37] which makes it more difficult for them
[17:38] to be an active member of the meeting.
[17:40] The conversation guide is meant to
[17:42] support them by providing specific
[17:43] talking points to allow them to feel
[17:44] more prepared going into the meeting. As
[17:47] caregivers, I just want to remind you
[17:48] all that you are an equal partner in
[17:50] your child's education and you have the
[17:52] full right to actively participate in
[17:54] every step of the process.
[17:56] This is why this guide includes ways to
[17:58] ask for clarification when you don't
[18:00] understand terms and phrases, how to
[18:02] navigate how your child's goals in their
[18:04] IEP will be monitored, how to discuss
[18:07] how your child's IEP will showcase their
[18:09] personality, and also many more talking
[18:11] points.
[18:12] This guide can be used as a foundation
[18:14] for the questions you want to you may
[18:16] want to ask, but you can also expand on
[18:18] them in your own way to make them unique
[18:20] to your child.
[18:21] So, after that, we have the 10 unwritten
[18:23] rules of special education. This
[18:25] resource was actually inspired by
[18:27] literature by Professor Stephanie
[18:28] Sanders Smith and her team, who
[18:31] researched how many immigrant who found
[18:33] that many immigrant families are not
[18:34] introduced to the unspoken rules of
[18:36] school systems, including what questions
[18:38] to ask teachers and staff, and how
[18:40] decisions are made in the institutional
[18:42] academic setting.
[18:44] Without the context, families often felt
[18:47] unsure about how to fully engage in the
[18:49] educational process, and I found this is
[18:52] the same for families of children with
[18:54] special needs. So, using her paper, I
[18:56] want to translate the same idea to an
[18:58] infographic for families with children
[18:59] using special education services, and
[19:02] this is how this infographic came about.
[19:05] The main purpose of this infographic is
[19:07] to break down important rights and
[19:08] realities of special education that
[19:11] professionals often know about but
[19:13] families are still unsure or have not
[19:14] heard about. There are 10 different
[19:16] rules listed, but the main idea of all
[19:18] these rules are that first, you do not
[19:20] have to immediately agree to everything
[19:23] that is presented to you during the IP
[19:25] meetings or during discussions with
[19:27] staff.
[19:28] Second, you can advocate for your child
[19:31] in your own language, cultural context,
[19:33] and advocacy style. And lastly, as a
[19:35] caregiver, you are an expert at the
[19:37] table, especially when it comes to your
[19:39] child's experiences, strengths, and
[19:41] needs. And there are no institutional
[19:43] barriers that can legally stop you from
[19:44] being part of the IP and special
[19:45] education team.
[19:47] Finally, the last resource we created is
[19:50] a glossary of common IEP terms. One of
[19:53] the most common concerns that came up in
[19:54] interviews was how confusing special
[19:56] education acronyms and terminology can
[19:58] be. These terms are frequently used in
[20:01] meetings by professionals and sometimes
[20:02] are not explained or elaborated so that
[20:04] caregivers can understand. This glossary
[20:07] is meant to make these terms more
[20:09] accessible and easier to understand for
[20:11] caregivers so that so that they can
[20:13] easily navigate the meeting.
[20:14] The glossary contains multiple education
[20:16] terms, acronyms, and common diagnoses in
[20:19] an A-to-Z dictionary style and also
[20:21] includes examples to help everyone
[20:23] better understand how these terms show
[20:24] up in practice.
[20:26] So ultimately, all of these resources
[20:28] were created with one shared goal, which
[20:30] is to make the IP and special education
[20:32] process feel more accessible,
[20:34] transparent, and inclusive for everyone
[20:36] involved. Whether you are a caregiver, a
[20:38] student, or professional, understanding
[20:41] the process is what allows for
[20:42] meaningful participation to happen. So
[20:45] by breaking down complex information,
[20:47] offering practical tools, and creating a
[20:49] space for different voices, we hope to
[20:51] shift the IP meetings from something
[20:53] that feels overwhelming to something
[20:54] that feels more collaborative and
[20:56] empowering.
[20:58] Thank you so much for that, Linda. Up
[21:01] next, we have Natalie Jefferson.
[21:06] Thank you.
[21:07] Hello, everyone. This is a toolkit that
[21:10] was inspired through our initial search
[21:12] of online resources made to support and
[21:14] educate culturally and linguistically
[21:16] diverse parents regarding the IEP
[21:18] process.
[21:20] It was done during our first week of our
[21:21] internship. So during my search, I found
[21:24] that a lot of the resources explained
[21:26] the process, but many of them were not
[21:28] in layman's terms and they didn't give
[21:30] too much insight on how the parent could
[21:32] be an active participant.
[21:35] Our initial search consisted of a
[21:36] variety of resources included but not
[21:38] limited to Maryland State Department of
[21:40] Education, United Rehabilitation
[21:43] Services, peer-reviewed journal
[21:45] articles, and other sources.
[21:47] My initial thoughts were
[21:49] overall I found the links useful. Some
[21:51] of the links were dense with information
[21:53] and many had other links and buttons to
[21:55] navigate. So I imagined a toolkit that
[21:59] didn't require much navigation once
[22:01] we've reached the resource.
[22:03] Also, one of the provided links on the
[22:04] website, it actually took us to
[22:06] something else that wasn't what it said
[22:08] it would be.
[22:09] So, the most beneficial resource I found
[22:12] actually came from a parent. This
[22:14] resource was an example of a IEP folder
[22:16] and it had pre-made templates of
[22:18] questions, how to track important dates,
[22:21] and what to keep for parent records and
[22:22] information of what to gather and
[22:24] prepare for meetings.
[22:26] So I currently work as a special
[22:27] education coordinator and it's my job to
[22:29] conduct IEP meetings and this resource
[22:32] hit every part of the IEP process and it
[22:34] gave great tips for parents to prepare
[22:37] and cover all of the areas that I would
[22:39] cover during meetings with parents. So
[22:41] bringing my own work knowledge together
[22:43] with the search of resources, I decided
[22:45] that explaining the process in layman's
[22:47] terms and sharing how parents can be
[22:49] active participants in each part would
[22:51] be helpful.
[22:53] So first I start with the knowledge in
[22:54] that the process can be overwhelming and
[22:57] I explain that just because your child
[22:58] is referred for special education
[23:00] services, it does not mean that they
[23:02] will be automatically placed in special
[23:03] education.
[23:05] I inform parents that at this step they
[23:07] can request a meeting to discuss with
[23:08] staff what interventions have been done
[23:11] to support their child before staff
[23:12] decided on placing a referral. Ask for
[23:15] concrete examples to show areas of
[23:17] deficit, and I also explain to parents
[23:19] that they can place the referral
[23:20] themselves, and if they did place the
[23:22] referral, they can also request a
[23:24] meeting to share their reasons for
[23:26] requesting special education services.
[23:29] So, next I dive into the IEP timeline. I
[23:31] just lay out exactly the steps from the
[23:33] referral to the reevaluation, which is a
[23:36] 3-year mark, and it completes the full
[23:38] cycle of the IEP process. And I explain
[23:41] that this cycle repeats as long as the
[23:43] student is eligible for IEP services. I
[23:46] explain in the toolkit that this full
[23:48] process is not repeated every year. Once
[23:50] the initial IEP is implemented, the
[23:52] process does not include all of these
[23:54] meetings.
[23:56] This is generally what most states
[23:57] follow from the federal legislation.
[24:00] However, it is adapted at each state
[24:02] level, and this resource is this
[24:04] resource that I made is specifically for
[24:06] DC Public Schools.
[24:08] So, in DCPS, they have a unique added
[24:11] meeting, which is called an AED meeting,
[24:13] and it stands for analyzing of existing
[24:15] data.
[24:16] Where the IEP team gathers information
[24:18] on the child to determine if they have
[24:20] enough information to proceed to
[24:21] evaluation, or if based on the data they
[24:24] believe the child does not need to be
[24:25] evaluated at the time, and maybe they
[24:27] can just benefit from intervention.
[24:30] So, during this section, I explain that
[24:32] the parents can gather work samples they
[24:34] have, or they can bring up the progress
[24:36] that's being made at home. They can also
[24:39] bring in any outside evaluations or
[24:41] reports if your child is already
[24:42] receiving outside services such as
[24:44] speech therapy or occupat- occupational
[24:46] therapy.
[24:48] This is the time to share any
[24:49] information to help the IEP team get a
[24:51] full picture of the child, and sharing
[24:53] things that the team may not otherwise
[24:55] have access to is a great way to be an
[24:57] active participant.
[24:59] Throughout the presentation, I also
[25:00] explained that the process may stop at
[25:02] different points for some parents, such
[25:04] as this AED meeting or at the evaluation
[25:07] meeting. If the child was evaluated, but
[25:09] the results showed that they did not
[25:11] qualify for an IEP. I also provide
[25:13] different supports parents can ask for
[25:16] if their child is not found eligible.
[25:18] So, next I discuss when services are
[25:21] provided. This is one of the times in a
[25:23] process where this is not actually a
[25:25] meeting, but just a step being made at
[25:27] the school level.
[25:29] Once services are implemented, I
[25:30] explained that a way parent can be an
[25:32] active participant is to inquire about
[25:34] how the change in schedule is affecting
[25:36] their child. Is there any specific
[25:38] language being used at school that they
[25:40] can mirror at home? And ask for informal
[25:43] or formal updates on progress.
[25:45] You can also access speak to your You
[25:47] can also speak to your child about
[25:48] services, how they're going, so their
[25:51] child can be aware that you know what
[25:53] things are happening at school.
[25:56] Lastly, I discuss reevaluation.
[25:59] I explained that children are
[26:00] reevaluated every 3 years, and this is
[26:03] to determine if the child is still
[26:04] eligible for services or has made enough
[26:07] progress to be exited from the program.
[26:10] It protects children from being
[26:11] forgotten in special education, and a
[26:14] reevaluation can be requested at any
[26:16] time from both parents and staff if they
[26:18] feel that the child has made enough
[26:20] progress to exit services.
[26:23] Overall, throughout the presentation, I
[26:25] share information with parents such as
[26:27] documents they can gather, questions
[26:29] they can ask, and what the meeting will
[26:31] actually look like or if it's not a
[26:33] meeting and just information being
[26:35] shared.
[26:36] I hope that this will give parents and
[26:37] guardians a better understanding of
[26:39] what's to come, and I chose to use
[26:41] voice-overs in my presentation because
[26:43] reading all of this information can be
[26:45] overwhelming, and sometimes just using
[26:47] conversation to break down our education
[26:49] acronyms and jargon can be more
[26:51] beneficial to parents. I also wanted to
[26:53] make something easier for our targeted
[26:55] audience of culturally, linguistically,
[26:57] and diverse parents to access as the
[27:00] Able Foundation is working to get all of
[27:01] our toolkit items translated into
[27:03] different languages.
[27:07] Alrighty, thank you so much Natalie,
[27:09] Linda, and Eugene. As you've had an
[27:11] opportunity to hear from our interns,
[27:13] you've seen how they've been bridging
[27:14] accessi- accessibility gaps in research
[27:16] and online resources by amplifying
[27:19] utility of lived experiences. I'm going
[27:21] to continue this research-to-practice
[27:23] presentation as we get into what we've
[27:25] actually been doing here in the pillar
[27:26] throughout the academic year. As Natalie
[27:29] mentioned, through weeks 1 through 2, we
[27:31] focused on readily available resources
[27:33] that a parent, guardian, or stakeholder
[27:36] would find readily online. This is when
[27:38] you're sitting down, you get notified
[27:39] that your child has a disability, and
[27:41] you had to Google because sometimes the
[27:43] documents provided to you don't really
[27:44] make sense. So, you want to hear it from
[27:46] a parent, you want to hear it from a
[27:47] peer, or what something simplified has
[27:50] to say. We've compiled a compilation of
[27:52] resources that are readily available
[27:54] online for everyone to access. There
[27:56] brief explanations that we've included
[27:58] next to every hyperlink that will
[27:59] accompany your understanding what that
[28:01] resource is and this is a mixed media
[28:03] formatting for your ease of navigation.
[28:05] There's a mixture of blog posts, videos,
[28:07] infographics, and websites that you can
[28:10] follow through to get information in
[28:11] different formats. This is an extension
[28:13] of the already existing resources that
[28:15] are included on the Parents' Place of
[28:17] Maryland. So, feel free to check this
[28:19] out and this is our English guide. In
[28:21] addition to English, we also have a
[28:23] Spanish guide. This mirrors the English
[28:25] version and it is also free to access in
[28:28] any format and this is also an extension
[28:30] of Parents' Place of Maryland's guide in
[28:32] Spanish. As of right now, you can see we
[28:34] have four resources included on this
[28:36] guide. We are continuing to grow and
[28:37] improve this as we are uh diving into
[28:40] our translation services, so more to
[28:42] come, a lot to look forward to.
[28:45] As we get into the toolkit items, it's
[28:47] one thing to understand law, policy, and
[28:49] action when we see it in a resource,
[28:51] it's one thing to hear about the action
[28:53] steps in the 10-step process. But, what
[28:55] is it like for the student who actually
[28:57] goes through these processes and looks
[28:59] at life after high school? I had the
[29:01] pleasure of opportunity of professional
[29:03] MC who talks about his experience with
[29:05] the IEP process, how it played out for
[29:07] his family, himself, how he understood
[29:09] his rights as a student, and then
[29:11] continued to navigate higher education
[29:13] and make a career. Where once he was
[29:15] told by his disability he wouldn't be
[29:17] able to do something, he ended up
[29:18] proving his goals and his plan wrong and
[29:21] defying those norms and becoming what he
[29:23] wanted to be in a way that was unique to
[29:25] him. This podcast episode will be
[29:27] included in the toolkit for your
[29:29] reference just to humanize the
[29:30] experience for that it's not just a
[29:33] document, it's not just a plan. These
[29:35] are real-life lived experiences and
[29:37] these are professionals that you may see
[29:39] walking around in the spaces every day.
[29:42] Extending on from this, this toolkit was
[29:44] not
[29:45] um nothing short of a labor of love. We
[29:47] have a white paper included in the
[29:49] toolkit to help you understand the
[29:50] foundational points that inspired this
[29:52] project. Not only guided by my
[29:54] dissertation research and the work that
[29:55] we've done in this pillar, but we've
[29:57] also guided our toolkit creation through
[29:59] the breakdown of logic, theory, and
[30:01] background for what digital toolkits and
[30:03] supports exist for special education and
[30:05] how we can adapt our resources to mirror
[30:07] this.
[30:09] Following through, not only are we
[30:11] working on a white paper, but with the
[30:13] founder and CEO of the Able Foundation,
[30:15] Howard, we're also working on a
[30:17] literature review to get our findings
[30:18] published for culturally and
[30:20] linguistically diverse families. With
[30:21] the help of interns, their codings and
[30:23] insights and weekly logs, we are putting
[30:25] together this literature review to
[30:27] better understand the nature of
[30:29] culturally and linguistically diverse
[30:30] caregiver experiences in IEP meetings.
[30:33] We have our research questions shown
[30:34] here on the screen, more to come and
[30:36] develop with this, so keep an eye out on
[30:38] your academic journals. This will be
[30:39] made available for you that you can take
[30:41] it back to your districts, take it back
[30:43] to your communities, and share widely
[30:45] because when it comes to decision-making
[30:46] spaces, having that citation sometimes
[30:49] does carry the weight.
[30:51] Lastly, we have our intern insights. Our
[30:53] pillar interns have been really hard at
[30:55] work as you've heard from their
[30:56] wonderful presentations about what
[30:58] they've been doing to bridge
[30:59] accessibility gaps, whether this was
[31:01] reviewing research and policy, web-based
[31:03] resources, we brought to you validated
[31:05] supports. We're going to be including
[31:07] their thoughtful remarks throughout the
[31:09] year of their experiences of learning on
[31:11] a weekly basis, engaging in article
[31:13] talks and live workshops every
[31:15] Wednesday, and just their lessons,
[31:17] observations, and discussion points that
[31:19] you can bring home to your families and
[31:20] educators alike.
[31:23] So, with that said, we have a message
[31:24] from our pillar for closing remarks for
[31:26] how to absorb the information that was
[31:28] shared with you today.
[31:31] It takes a village to raise a child, and
[31:33] it was never supposed to be your journey
[31:34] to walk alone. We are here to support
[31:37] you. There are mechanisms in place to
[31:38] combat the inequities that we see
[31:40] unfolding every day. Although these
[31:42] systems are not designed for families of
[31:44] color, we stand united in compassion to
[31:47] cultivate heart, empathy, and collective
[31:50] growth together.
[31:52] Therefore, everybody, we thank you
[31:53] kindly for your time today. To learn
[31:55] more about the toolkit and the Able
[31:56] Foundation, please feel free to scan the
[31:59] QR code below. Questions or comments,
[32:01] you can feel free to reach out to us to
[32:03] learn more. And if you the QR code for
[32:05] whatever reason is not working for you,
[32:07] feel free to type into Google the Able
[32:09] Foundation and you'll find our website,
[32:11] and this toolkit will be listed under
[32:12] education and development pillar. Thank
[32:14] you so much for your time, and at this
[32:16] time we're open for questions.
[32:26] All righty, if there will leave it open
[32:29] for about 2 minutes. If we don't see
[32:31] that there's any questions coming in,
[32:32] we'll go ahead and wrap up. But again,
[32:34] we thank you for your time and look
[32:36] forward to hearing from you.
[33:17] Alrighty, it looks like we got our first
[33:19] question. The question reads, "What
[33:21] would you suggest for those who find out
[33:23] later in the process, like in high
[33:25] school?" So, do we have an intern that
[33:27] would like to take this question about
[33:29] whether or not you figure out your child
[33:31] has a disability in high school?
[33:37] I would say, um, it's the same process
[33:39] if you find out early. Um, it depends on
[33:42] what the, uh,
[33:43] what the diagnosis is, um, what what the
[33:46] disability is, um, and depending on it
[33:48] if they if they made it this far, um,
[33:51] and are just now being identified for
[33:54] needing services,
[33:56] either
[33:57] it's they fell through the cracks, which
[33:59] is not a good thing, or, um, they have
[34:01] been able to they have been able to make
[34:04] it this far with the tools that they
[34:06] have already in their toolkit. So, um,
[34:08] as soon as you can get services, the
[34:09] better, um, and it's just the same
[34:11] process. So, finding those resources,
[34:13] um, making sure that you advocate for
[34:15] your child, and, um, just following the
[34:17] steps.
[34:18] Yeah. And building off of what Natalie
[34:20] mentioned, kind of what Linda said
[34:21] earlier as well, starting at the age of
[34:23] 13, um, students are required to attend
[34:25] the IEP meetings. So, if you're
[34:27] diagnosed later at the onset of 13,
[34:29] you're required to show up to your
[34:30] meetings. And essentially, when you
[34:32] enter 11th and 12th grade in high
[34:33] school, you're entering your
[34:34] transitionary plan phase of the IEP,
[34:38] which is when schools in the K-12 system
[34:40] are getting ready to prepare you for
[34:41] life after high school. This can be
[34:43] transitioning into the workforce,
[34:44] independent living, or exploring high
[34:46] school. Although at the or excuse me,
[34:49] exploring college. Although at the
[34:50] college level, the IEP does not exist as
[34:52] a formalized plan, many universities and
[34:55] and community colleges actually have
[34:57] adaptations to this plan. It'll be the
[34:59] disability services It'll be the
[35:02] accommodation center. So, depending on
[35:03] if you go the post-secondary route, you
[35:05] can continue your services and
[35:06] accommodations there. If you're entering
[35:08] the workforce or a certification
[35:10] program, you can also advocate for
[35:11] yourself there as well.
[35:18] And yeah, thank you guys so much for
[35:21] attending our live stream. We really
[35:23] thank you. Oh.
[35:25] Excuse me. We have another question. The
[35:27] question reads, "If I suspect my child
[35:29] has a disability or needs an IEP, what
[35:32] is the best way to start the process
[35:33] with my child at school?"
[35:37] Do we have any interns that like to take
[35:39] this question?
[35:41] I would say the best way is to reach out
[35:43] to the general education teacher or if
[35:46] you have access to the special education
[35:47] teacher or the special education
[35:49] coordinator, um and just tell them, "I
[35:51] would like to place a special education
[35:53] referral." And they can't deny you, um
[35:56] and then once they start that process,
[35:58] they should contact you with the meeting
[36:00] and then you can tell them your
[36:01] concerns. You say, "This is This is what
[36:03] I'm concerned about. Um I'm seeing
[36:05] deficits in this area." Or it could be
[36:07] something as, you know, this this
[36:09] disability runs in the family. I'm
[36:12] dyslexic, or my brother's dyslexic, how
[36:14] whatever it may be, um and just bring
[36:16] your concerns. And once you bring your
[36:18] concerns, they have to start the
[36:19] process. So, just talk to the gen ed
[36:21] teacher or the special education
[36:22] teacher.
[36:25] Yeah, and just to build of off of that
[36:27] on that. Um, when you suspect your child
[36:30] has a disability and bring up to the
[36:32] school, they undergo this process under
[36:35] the child find, which is a free
[36:37] mandatory process that's under the IDEA
[36:39] Act. And it's going to locate, evaluate,
[36:42] and identify a child that's suspected to
[36:44] have disabilities. And like I said, it's
[36:46] mandatory, so no school can
[36:49] ignore any of your concerns. So, your
[36:52] child's going to be evaluated
[36:54] regardless.
[36:56] Right. And [clears throat] to add on to
[36:58] that, what was just said as well, a big
[37:00] part of that would be that even if the
[37:01] school somehow determines that your
[37:03] child may not qualify for a disability,
[37:06] you can still go and request an
[37:08] independent external evaluation, an IEE,
[37:11] uh, to have your child reevaluated. And
[37:12] often times you can get the school to
[37:14] cover that cost as well. So, that's kind
[37:16] of like the final step as well if you
[37:17] disagree with the initial evaluation
[37:19] that the school provides. So.
[37:22] Yeah, and don't feel afraid to advocate
[37:24] for yourself if the initial evaluation
[37:26] is not something that makes sense to
[37:27] you, please feel free to leverage the
[37:29] toolkit. We have conversation script,
[37:31] external links and videos and
[37:32] walk-throughs and talk-throughs that'll
[37:34] actually guide you through how to
[37:35] navigate the process. Cuz sometimes it
[37:37] can seem daunting to disagree with
[37:39] someone who's a representative of a
[37:41] school district that's telling you
[37:42] something, but you know your child. You
[37:44] are the advocate and you live with your
[37:46] child the most, so feel free to insert
[37:48] your knowledge as well because you are a
[37:49] valued member of the team.
[37:52] Up next, we have another question.
[37:54] If I'm volunteering If I'm a volunteer
[37:56] teacher at a weekly weekend school and I
[37:58] suspect that a student has a disability
[38:00] or needs an IEP, what is the best way to
[38:03] start the process with the parents?
[38:12] I If you have the relationship with the
[38:15] family, um, you can bring it up if you
[38:17] feel comfortable.
[38:19] Uh, however, as a volunteer teacher, I
[38:21] would, um, I would talk to staff that
[38:24] work directly at the school and have
[38:28] them have that conversation.
[38:30] But again, just
[38:32] it's never okay to just diagnose a child
[38:34] because even as professionals, we are
[38:36] not we are not able to diagnose them.
[38:38] So, bringing up these concerns is is a
[38:40] really really hard conversation. So, I
[38:43] would just again, share it with a
[38:45] teacher who works directly at the
[38:46] school, but never bring up these
[38:48] conversations without concrete facts.
[38:50] So, the same way I tell the parents to
[38:52] ask for concrete evidence. Make sure
[38:54] that you have enough information.
[38:57] So, work samples and compare it to the
[39:01] average of the other children in the
[39:03] classroom to say, "Hey, you know, the
[39:05] average child is performing at this
[39:07] level, but I see your daughter, she may
[39:08] be down here. We are seeing a little bit
[39:11] of deficits." And just make sure you
[39:13] have those concrete examples. But as a
[39:15] volunteer, I wouldn't recommend that you
[39:16] bring up the conversation unless you
[39:19] have that great relationship with the
[39:20] family.
[39:22] And yeah. Yeah,
[39:23] sorry.
[39:25] Oh, yeah. I was just going to say I
[39:27] agree. And to add on, be careful
[39:30] with the how you proceed with referring
[39:33] the
[39:35] the student's case to a special
[39:36] education staff or another staff that
[39:39] kind of has more involvement with the
[39:42] student because language does matter and
[39:44] the way that you bring up diagnosis
[39:47] or concerns do matter because parents no
[39:50] one wants to really hear that their
[39:52] student has a diagnosis or is on some
[39:55] form of or needs special education
[39:57] services. So, like I said, and also the
[40:00] evaluation process is extensive. So, the
[40:02] way that you bring it up and also the
[40:04] way that it is evaluated and discussed
[40:06] with parents, that all matters. So, to
[40:09] sum it all up, I'm just trying to say
[40:11] language does matter and the way that
[40:12] you approach this topic also does.
[40:15] Yeah. Building off of what Natalie and
[40:17] Linda both shared, we're not by any
[40:19] means dismissing your concerns and your
[40:20] observations. It's just as long as you
[40:22] have definitive data points is what we
[40:24] usually call them. Making sure that
[40:26] you're charting those differences in
[40:27] your observations. Talk having an open
[40:29] relationship with whoever your lead
[40:31] teacher is, head teacher is, or
[40:33] administrative party is at that school
[40:36] that you're working at. Get everybody
[40:37] involved in the conversation because
[40:39] your intel does matter, your input does
[40:41] matter. And make sure that it's a team
[40:42] effort to approach the family and
[40:44] approach the student because it is an
[40:46] emotional journey that we all take
[40:48] together. No one person is left out of
[40:50] it. So, it's something that we just walk
[40:51] on together. But, thank you so much for
[40:53] bringing up that question.
[40:57] Leading into
[40:59] the next part of this, I wanted to ask
[41:02] the interns specifically, what has been
[41:04] your experience with just developing the
[41:06] toolkit items? I know we heard briefly
[41:08] that you mentioned that you were walking
[41:10] through a series of assignments, weekly
[41:12] webinars, preps that we were doing, and
[41:14] even like live work shopping, whether it
[41:17] was coding, whether it was looking at
[41:19] interviews, outreach. Can you start us
[41:21] off with just sharing how that
[41:22] experience has been for you? Maybe we
[41:24] can start with Eugene.
[41:26] Yeah. So, for me, I think even from week
[41:29] one, we were doing
[41:31] an analysis of existing resources for
[41:33] parents and caregivers and families to
[41:35] navigate the IP. I already, even from my
[41:38] perspective, kind of putting my shoes,
[41:40] putting myself in the shoes of those
[41:41] individuals, like trying to navigate the
[41:43] process, I already figured out that a
[41:45] lot of it was just a lot like a huge
[41:47] complex mess
[41:49] of very, very long PDF documents and
[41:52] kind of like links that lead to nowhere,
[41:53] like Natalie and Linda mentioned. So,
[41:57] I think that, on top of the literature
[42:00] review
[42:01] process that I underwent, as well as the
[42:03] interview process and kind of keeping
[42:05] all those in mind when creating my
[42:07] toolkit item, really just helped me
[42:10] focus on the two things as I mentioned,
[42:11] like accessibility, so making sure that,
[42:14] you know, clicking on something leads
[42:15] you exactly where you're supposed to to
[42:17] go, and kind of making sure that it's
[42:19] easy for for individuals to kind of
[42:21] access it, whether it's digital or or
[42:23] actual like a physical tangible
[42:24] material,
[42:25] as well as just like the lack of jargon,
[42:27] I think the the use of like I think just
[42:30] reducing the amount of crazy acronyms
[42:32] and then long complex special education
[42:34] terminology.
[42:36] And just breaking that down into the
[42:37] language that pretty much the average
[42:39] person can just read and understand for
[42:41] the most part,
[42:42] were the two biggest things that I
[42:43] focused on and I really tried to
[42:44] implement into my my personal individual
[42:47] toolkit deliverables, so.
[42:50] I'm seeing. Thank you so much, Eugene.
[42:52] And how about you, Linda? What was it
[42:53] like for you? Yeah, it was almost the
[42:55] same process as Eugene's, starting from
[42:57] week one, just going through the sources
[42:59] and really finding the gaps
[43:01] in what I saw, which was mainly a lot of
[43:04] information and also information that
[43:07] wasn't accessible in terms of how the
[43:09] layout was. So, from that to the
[43:12] literature reviews, I learned a lot
[43:14] about the importance of language and the
[43:16] importance of having the families
[43:19] integrated in the system, which kind of
[43:22] made the process easier because once
[43:24] they're integrated and accepted in an
[43:26] academic situation or setting, they're
[43:29] allowed to feel confident, empowered to
[43:31] advocate, and also to
[43:33] um bring up any of their concerns. So,
[43:36] leading to my toolkit items, cuz I
[43:38] started designing my toolkit items
[43:40] before I conducted my interviews.
[43:43] I really focused on the language that I
[43:45] use, and sometimes it was a lot of words
[43:47] just because I felt like I had to
[43:50] always, you know, I had to write
[43:52] everything, but in general, no one wants
[43:54] to read everything, so I really focused
[43:57] on making sure that the words that I did
[44:00] include, it all made sense and all you
[44:02] got the gist or the main idea that I
[44:04] wanted to use. And also colors and
[44:07] images, like the graphics that I used in
[44:09] the social scripts. At first, there were
[44:11] many different types, but I realized
[44:12] that keeping it really cohesive, which
[44:15] is why I chose a monoline design, kind
[44:17] of makes it a little bit more
[44:18] accessible, especially for the students
[44:20] toolkit. And also for the students
[44:21] toolkit, I researched what colors are
[44:24] attracted and easy for students,
[44:26] especially students with autism. That's
[44:28] the diagnosis that I decided to really
[44:31] base my toolkit on.
[44:33] Um so, that's why I chose a kind of pale
[44:37] blue and a pale red because they said
[44:39] that red is a very exciting color and
[44:41] blue is easy to look at for them. And
[44:45] when my interviews were conducted, I
[44:46] learned about some other struggles and
[44:49] gaps that both professionals and
[44:50] caregivers found, which was mainly
[44:52] language and also acronyms. So, that is
[44:55] what led to me creating the glossary and
[44:57] also including talking specific talking
[45:00] points in my toolkit items because I
[45:02] just wanted to create, you know,
[45:04] information and resources that benefit
[45:07] everybody, caregivers, students, and
[45:10] also to help professionals because
[45:12] sometimes they just don't know what
[45:14] they're missing cuz they've been doing
[45:15] it for so long. So, hopefully through my
[45:17] toolkit items, um they can use it to
[45:20] kind of refresh how to bring parents or
[45:23] caregivers and families in general into
[45:26] the IEP setting and the special
[45:27] education process.
[45:29] Um thank you so much, Linda. And
[45:31] speaking of professionals, we are
[45:32] honored to have a professional in the
[45:34] room here with us ourselves. So,
[45:35] Natalie, this experience like for you
[45:37] because you do this everyday. This is
[45:39] like the bread and butter that you
[45:40] breathe and you provide and you care
[45:41] for. Um how was it like developing your
[45:44] toolkit items and what was your
[45:45] experience been?
[45:46] I
[45:47] It was hard for me because um I had so
[45:49] much information that I wanted to
[45:51] condense. Um and when we did our initial
[45:55] search, it was it was great seeing what
[45:56] information was out there. Um and like I
[45:59] said, the best resource actually came
[46:01] from a parent. So, I'm trying to bring
[46:03] my knowledge of what I do at work every
[46:06] day and the resources that were
[46:08] available,
[46:09] I try to figure out the most accessible
[46:11] easy way. Like, okay, let me do
[46:13] something somebody can look at and they
[46:15] can listen to at the same time because
[46:17] even for me going through the resources
[46:20] and trying to read all of the
[46:21] information and trying to digest it and
[46:23] remember it and things look good with
[46:26] pictures and charts and everything, but
[46:28] it's it's a lot to process. Um like we
[46:30] said with the acronyms and all of the
[46:32] different jargon. So, I just wanted it
[46:34] simple and just really trying to make it
[46:37] easy, you know, not too much because as
[46:39] we're
[46:40] as we're going through a hard transition
[46:43] of you know, your child possibly being
[46:46] identified as having a disability,
[46:48] that's a lot right there to process. So,
[46:51] trying to process even more information
[46:53] in this whole new world, it it it can
[46:56] take a lot. So, I wanted something
[46:58] simple and I chose to do the
[47:00] voice-overs, but as I started doing the
[47:03] voice-overs and making the toolkit, I'm
[47:05] like, okay, I have to tell about this
[47:07] part. I have to tell about this part.
[47:08] But, what if this doesn't happen and I
[47:10] have to talk about assessments and I
[47:12] have to talk about this part. So, just
[47:14] really trying to condense everything um
[47:17] and trying to take into
[47:19] taking the data from the articles, the
[47:20] literature review that we did. It talked
[47:23] about how schools focus on the process
[47:25] and not the feelings of the parent and
[47:28] it talked about how we have translators,
[47:31] but the translators don't really
[47:32] understand the the cultural aspects of
[47:35] the language. So, they're translating
[47:36] the words, but they're not understanding
[47:38] the feelings and the context behind what
[47:40] they're saying. So, it's still like
[47:42] you're not talking to somebody. So,
[47:44] again, just using simple words, just
[47:46] having a conversation um and I kind of
[47:49] use my teaching background in it. Just
[47:51] small words, small words, short, simple
[47:55] to talk to families and not necessarily
[47:58] trying to attack anybody's intelligence,
[48:00] but again, it's a hard transition. So,
[48:02] just making sure that it was simple and
[48:04] easy so we can translate it into the
[48:06] different languages.
[48:07] Uh but, I think bringing my professional
[48:10] life
[48:11] kind of hindered me a little bit um just
[48:14] because I know I had so much to share um
[48:16] and it's not about me sharing, it's
[48:18] about what the parents can access at the
[48:20] time. So, for the IEP process, I tried
[48:23] to make it as condensed as I could um
[48:25] and just tell them from the beginning to
[48:27] the end what it would look like and the
[48:28] different things that they can look for
[48:30] because I see every day where parents
[48:33] come into meetings and they don't know
[48:35] what the meeting is going to be about.
[48:36] They they don't know what questions to
[48:38] ask and they don't know how to prepare
[48:39] for the meetings. So, just that simple
[48:41] piece, as long as we can tell you, "This
[48:44] is what it looks like. This is how to
[48:45] prepare."
[48:46] I think they can then come in and then
[48:49] hopefully, if you have a good
[48:50] professional, they will take it the rest
[48:52] of the way, but I think I gave enough
[48:54] information to get them for them to get
[48:56] started.
[48:57] Yeah. Uh sometimes it's a blessing and a
[49:00] curse to be part of the field and also
[49:02] try to provide and give back in a way
[49:04] that is a different lens on perspective
[49:06] taking. I definitely relate to that. Um
[49:08] I used to be a classroom teacher myself,
[49:09] which is what inspired this project
[49:11] because I was called in to serve as a
[49:13] translator for a couple of IEP meetings
[49:15] where my district didn't have
[49:16] translation services in certain
[49:17] languages that I spoke, but
[49:19] traditionally, you're supposed to be a
[49:21] verified translator who receives
[49:22] clearance to be a part of those
[49:23] meetings, but sometimes in those moment
[49:26] pin drop moments where you need someone
[49:28] uh you're bringing people from a
[49:29] classroom, you're bringing people that's
[49:31] the staff working in a cafeteria, you're
[49:32] trying to make ends meet the best as you
[49:34] can because often times policy and law
[49:37] doesn't match the everyday. So, the real
[49:39] inspiration of this toolkit was
[49:41] essentially highlighting what happens at
[49:43] the everyday because we read about these
[49:45] things, we see these things, we hear
[49:46] these things, that's great, but what
[49:48] does this look like in practice? And
[49:50] with all your hard work, interns, um,
[49:53] that's possible. We have the toolkit and
[49:55] we really look forward to, um,
[49:57] everybody just having access to this. So
[49:59] again, as a reminder, please feel free
[50:01] to scan the QR code to learn more about
[50:03] what we do. In addition, my toolkit
[50:06] items will really showcase the thought
[50:08] process of what went behind the Able
[50:10] Foundation's thought process for the
[50:11] education and development pillar. As we
[50:13] are cohort one, we really wanted to
[50:15] bring together and lay the foundation
[50:17] for what cohorts that are coming after
[50:19] us are going to do to build, bolster,
[50:21] and bring this project to life even
[50:23] further. We are proud to say that we're
[50:24] partnered with Parents' Place of
[50:26] Maryland, which is a federally appointed
[50:28] special education resource center here
[50:30] in the state of Maryland. Um, each state
[50:32] is appointed their own parent their own
[50:34] resource center. So where whether or not
[50:36] you live in Maryland or not, you're in
[50:38] the DMV or you're through the United
[50:39] States broadly, these resources will
[50:42] mirror and look the same as the
[50:43] resources that may be in your state. But
[50:45] please note, just as Natalie mentioned,
[50:46] in DC area, they have the AED meeting.
[50:49] Federal law can be translated at the
[50:51] state level, at the district level, even
[50:53] at the community and school level. So
[50:55] although we are not a whiz and we can't
[50:57] tell you absolutely all the answers in
[50:59] the world, we are taking the first steps
[51:01] towards creating that equity, that
[51:02] inclusion, and that foundation to get
[51:04] you guys there. So again, we want to
[51:06] thank you so much for your tuning into
[51:08] our live stream. We appreciate your time
[51:10] and we look forward to seeing what you
[51:12] guys have to say. Feel free to leave us
[51:14] comments, feedback, hit us up on our
[51:16] email and our social accounts, and we
[51:18] hope to see you next time. Thank you so
[51:20] much and have a great day.
[51:23] Bye-bye.