Episode 31: The Child at the Center - A PLAAFP for Special Ed Systems

Have we forgotten the child at the center of special education?This week on The Whole Child Advocate, Dominique McLellan takes a deeply personal and professional look at the growing cracks in special education systems — from Houston ISD’s proposed restructuring plans to growing concerns in Ontario, Canada, to an ARD meeting happening this very morning near The Woodlands, Texas involving a student with Tourette’s whose disability-related behaviors are being treated more like a disciplinary problem than a need requiring support.This episode dives into:• predetermination and meaningful parent participation• negatively written IEPs and deficit-based thinking• why behavior plans must focus on regulation and skill-building, not punishment• how systems built for children have too often become centered around budgets, logistics, and adult convenience• and why it may be time for schools, districts, states, and even countries to complete a “PLAAFP” on themselvesBecause no matter the district, state, or country… the same painful truth keeps emerging:Parents are desperate to be heard.Teachers are overwhelmed.And children are caught in the middle.This is one of the most honest episodes of The Whole Child Advocate yet — and a challenge to all of us to do better for students, families, and educators alike.✨ Plus: Learn more about the upcoming launch of Whole Child Collective — a place for meaningful parent connection, advocacy resources, courses, templates, and Whole Child Insight, our proprietary AI-powered special education support tool.Referenced articles:Houston ISD:https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/05/15/hisd-parents-demand-answers-over-proposed-special-education-changes/Ontario, Canada:https://nationalpost.com/opinion/randall-denley-special-education-for-ontario-kids-is-a-steaming-mess