Know Your Rights: The Truth About Procedural Safeguards in Special Education

Do you know your rights—or are you just hoping the school will tell you the truth?In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham dives deep into the procedural safeguards that every parent, guardian, and educator needs to understand. From child find and prior written notice to the myths surrounding 504s and referrals, Karen exposes how misinformation, manipulation, and policy “spin” are keeping families in the dark.🚨 You don’t need to be a lawyer to understand your legal protections—but you do need to stop depending on someone who’s never read the law.What you’ll learn: ✅ What “procedural safeguards” really are and why they matter✅ When you MUST receive them—and why a signature isn’t understanding✅ How schools twist language, deny testing, and delay services✅ What IDEA’s Child Find provision guarantees—and how to use it✅ Why 60% of an IEP is never enough✅ How to spot manipulation in meetings (including referral “stall” tactics)✅ What to say when you’re told “this is just policy”✅ How to demand testing—without begging or proving your case✅ The power of knowing your rights before walking into the meetingPlus, Karen shares one of the most absurd school responses she’s seen in a referral meeting—and how she shut it down with grace, fire, and a whole lot of federal law. 🔥🎧 Whether you’re brand new to advocacy or deep in the trenches, this episode will empower you with real knowledge, practical tools, and a Karen-style dose of confidence to enforce and invoke what your child is legally entitled to.📥 Want the Reading Conversion Chart Karen mentioned in this episode?Email: advocate@specialeducationacademy and we’ll send it your way! Support the show✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources🔗 Learn more at The Epic IEP™ Academy  First month free, after that, cancel anytime. 📱 Follow Karen on:TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationbossYouTube: Special Education Academy🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)Because when...