All Episodes
Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham — 151 episodes
26 Years in the Classroom: A Veteran Teacher Sounds the Alarm
Celebrating the Disability Community: Uniquely You Comes to North Houston (with Lauren Hasz & Brodie Simmons)
Where Are All the Special Education Attorneys? The Truth About Reading, IEPs, and Enforcement — with Diane Dragan
When Advocacy Isn't Enough: Special Education Due Process Explained (with Attorney Maria McGinley)
Beyond Behavior Management: What the Science Actually Says
Early Pickups, ESY Denials, and the Truth About IEEs - Summer IEP Questions Answered
EP Minutes, Comp Services, ESY & Retention — Ask the Advocate LIVE
She Knew Something Was Wrong. She Was Right. | Mia's Story | Special Education Boss®
IEP Questions Parents Are Asking Right Now: Paras, Placement, Progress & Support
Prior Written Notice, ESY, Dyslexia Evaluations & What to Do When Districts Break the Law | Ask the Advocate | Special Education Boss
Behavior Is Communication: Trauma-Informed Strategies for Special Education Teams
What Special Ed Teachers Need You to Know | Chana Dixon & Karen Mayer Cunningham | Special Education Boss
Can They Drop the IEP by Phone? Remove Kids on Test Day? Skip Resource? No, No, and No.
Procedural Safeguards, Child Find, Prior Written Notice, and Parent Rights in Special Education
Can a Paraprofessional replace a special educatin teacher?
The Para Problem: What Every Parent and Advocate Needs to Know Right Now
Paras, Pain Plans & the Truth Nobody Told You | Ask the Advocate
From Struggle to Strength: ADHD, Dyslexia & Real-World Success
Vision Impairment in Special Education, What Parents and IEP Teams Must Know
Ask the Advocate: IEP Questions Parents Are Asking Right Now
From Classroom to Advocate: What Schools Do When You Bring an Advocate to the IEP Table
IEP Implementation, ESY & Compensatory Services | Ask the Advocate LIVE
RTI Is NOT a Gatekeeper + Why Schools Can’t Delay Evaluations (Live Q&A Fire)
From 504s to One-on-Ones: Real Talk from the IEP Table | Special Education Boss®
IEP Meetings, Procedural Safeguards & What Schools Don’t Want to Put in Writing | Ask the Advocate
Ask the Advocate: Compensatory Services, Eligibility Traps, IEP Teams & School Pushback
“Paras Can’t Take Data”? Let’s Finish the Sentence. | Ask the Advocate
When Schools Say “No”: AAC Updates, Triennials, Toileting Support, and Your IEP Rights (Q&A)
Stop Playing the “Draft IEP” Game + Why Paras Can’t Replace Certified SPED Minutes
Behavior Is Communication: Safety, Structure & Relationship with John Vergara
Ask the Advocate: Recording IEP Meetings, Paras, Inclusion, FAPE & Out-of-District Placement
Ask the Advocate: Truancy, One-to-One Aides, LRE, and The Epic IEP Book
Ask the Advocate: IEP Data, 504 vs IEP, Behavior, RTI, and Comp Time Q&A
Cold Reads Don’t Lie: An Epic IEP Story Every Parent Needs to Hear
When Vision Minutes Go Wrong: How to Use Data to Fix an Epic IEP
Why Disagreement Isn’t Disrespect: A Real IEP Story
Epic IEP Meetings Gone Wild: Services, LRE, Vision Minutes & Telling the Truth About Data
When “She’s Doing Fantastic” Isn’t True: The Resource Room Fight Every Parent Faces
“He Has a Disability Every Day”: The Schedule-of-Services Fight You Won’t Believe
“You Wanted This!”: When a Teacher Flips Out in an IEP Meeting
The ESY Myth That Stops Services: Why “Regression Only” Is Wrong
What Schools Miss About ADA, Access & the Law
From MTSS to the IEP Table: What Schools Aren’t Teaching (Hope, Clarity & The Epic IEP)
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know — But You Need To
Actionable IEPs, Real Evaluations, and Your Epic IEP Playbook
Q&A: One-to-One Aides, Bullying, Transportation, and Real IEP Strategy
Medical Diagnosis vs. IDEA Eligibility + Live Q&A
Due Process Hearings 101: Timelines, Exhibits, and Winning with Data
Live Q&A: Hard Truths, Real Questions, and Why The Epic IEP Changes Everything
Live Q&A: The Heart, Humor, and Hard Truths Behind The Epic IEP
Can the School Do That?
Who Is The Epic IEP For? | Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham
SEA Podcast | Remote & Virtual Services in Your IEP (+ Q&A)
Homework, IEPs & Questions of the Day
Homework, 504s, and IEP Questions Answered
Dismissing an IEP Team Member | Special Education Boss with Karen Mayer Cunningham
What Goes in an IEP? Present Levels + Questions of the Day
IEP Progress, Evaluations, Behavior, and the Epic IEP Playbook | Ask the Advocate with Karen Mayer Cunningham
Ask the Advocate: Paraprofessionals, IEP Myths, and the Truth About Special Education Law
EP Meeting Game Plan: Drafts, Present Levels, Goals, LRE & Services
Panel Q&A: Real Special Education Scenarios Every Parent and Advocate Needs to Hear
Live Q&A: Real IEP Scenarios, Parent Rights & Special Education Solutions
Paraprofessionals, 504 vs IEP, PWN, and Back-to-School Prep
Latte & Learn: DATA First, IEP Prep, Homeschool vs. Public School, and Rapid Q&A
Quick Rapid-Fire Q&A with Karen Mayer Cunningham
Do you know what to do once you receive your Full Individual Evaluation (FIE)?
Time, Prep & Participation in IEP Meetings: How Parents Can Secure Their Rights
Requesting a Full Individualized Evaluation: Time, Prep & Participation in IEPs
Child Find Explained: How Schools Must Identify & Test Students Under IDEA
What Every Parent Needs to Know About IEEs, LRE, and IEP Minutes | Ask the Advocate
Ask the Advocate: Cell Phones, Resource Minutes, ESY, STAR Test & Tough IEP Questions
Raising Confident Girls with Dr. Tiff Watson: Your Unique FIZEEK!
SDI = Special Education: The 3 Elements & Questions to Use in IEPs
Related Services 101: Physical Therapy, Psych Services, Counseling, Nursing & Social Work in IEPs
Ask the Advocate: The Epic IEP™ Playbook Every Parent & Educator Needs
Ask the Advocate: Dyslexia Progress, Music Therapy, 504 vs IEP, FAPE, and Tough School Scenarios
OSEP Letters, Part 2: The Truth About IEEs (Independent Educational Evaluations)
Ask the Advocate: Recess Rights & Tough IEP Questions
OSEP Letters, Part 1: Twice-Exceptional Students, SLD Eligibility & the End of “Severe Discrepancy”
Ask the Advocate: Cell Phones, Resource Minutes, ESY, STAR Test & Tough IEP Questions
Ask the Advocate: Transportation, Dyslexia, MDRs & IEP Meeting Notes
Ask the Advocate: FAPE, Discipline, Transition, and Tough IEP Questions Answered
Paraprofessional Roles & Boundaries in Special Education: What Federal Law Requires
Preparing for a Powerful IEP/504 Year: Your “Why,” Outcomes, and What Actually Works
IEP Eligibility, Evaluations, and Parent Rights: Your Questions Answered
Ask the Advocate: IEP Signatures, ESY Services, Compensatory Time & More
What Is Specially Designed Instruction? | Part 1
Your Top Special Education Questions Answered | Rapid Fire with the Special Education Boss®
Demystifying Prior Written Notice (PWN) in Special Education: What Parents Must Know
Ask the Advocate: School Shenanigans, Paraprofessionals, and IEP Questions Answered
Ask the Advocate: Dexcom Denials, Aides, Accommodations & LRE Truths
Unpacking the Supreme Court Decision: A.J.T. vs. Osseo Area Schools with Dr. Mitchell Yell
Understanding Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) in Special Education
Falsified Service Logs, Shortened Days, and IEP Complaints Explained | Special Education Boss®
IEP & 504 Q&A: Resource Classes, Behavior Goals, Health Plans, and More
IEP & 504 Q&A: Placement, Accommodations, Modifications, and Advocacy Tips
Parents’ Procedural Rights – Part 1: Procedural Safeguards & Child Find
Back-to-School Special Education Q&A: IEP Meetings, Teacher Certification, and Advocacy Tips
504 vs. IEP: Why the Difference Changes Everything
Back to School, Back to the IEP Table: Rapid-Fire Q&A for 2025-2026
Understanding Evaluations: What Every Parent and Advocate Needs to Know
Diagnosis vs. Eligibility: What Every Advocate Needs to Know
Divorce, Disability & IEPs: What Every Parent Needs to Know with Mary Ann Hughes
From Special Ed Teacher to Advocate: Rachel Mottern’s Story of Bold, Brave Transition
How to Request and Navigate Special Education Testing & Evaluations
Writing Measurable, Meaningful IEP Goals
OCR Complaints Part 3: Mediation, Rebuttal, and Resolution Explained
Ask the Advocate: Paras, Placements, Phones & IEP Problems—Answered
IEP or 504? Budget Excuses, OT Battles, and Why Data Always Wins | Ask the Advocate
OCR Part 2: Next Steps Unveiled — Navigating Post-Complaint Procedures with OCR
Rapid-Fire Q&A: IEP Services, Transition Plans, 504 Misconceptions & Parent Advocacy
What Schools Get Wrong: Q&A on One-to-One Support, Service Minutes, and Your Parent Rights
How to File an Effective OCR Complaint (Part 1): Know Your Rights and Get It Right
The Testing Talk: How to Get Your Child Fully Evaluated for Special Education
How to Make a Formal Special Education Request (Say This Exactly)
AI, Authenticity, and Saving 10 Hours a Week: A Conversation with Matt Fornito
Hot Topics + Hot Deals: July Q&A with the Special Education Boss®
Dispute Resolution in Special Education: What Are Your Rights
What Is a Due Process Hearing—and What Does It Mean for Parents and Advocates?
Ask the Advocate: Mid-Year Wake-Up Call + Your Top IEP Questions Answered
From Mom Guilt to Systemic Change: Angie Pannuti's Special Education Advocacy Journey
From Classroom to Advocacy: Why This Educator Walked Away to Stand Up for Kids
Ask the Advocate: Summer Services, Speech Support, and the 50% Off Sale!
Fort Bend ISD Whistleblower Reveals IEP Failures, FERPA Violations & Retaliation
From Classroom to Advocacy: Why Alan Driggers Left Teaching to Fight for Families
Ask the Advocate: Summer School, Services Denied, and Screaming Goats
From Classroom to Advocacy: Cindy’s Journey from Teacher to Special Education Advocate
LRE & FAPE: Placement, Predetermination, and the Continuum of Services with Dr. Mitchell Yell
Don’t Overcomplicate It: Testing Requests, Service Denials, and Straight Talk on Advocacy
FAPE for All: Real Talk on IEPs, Comp Ed, and What’s Actually Right
Understanding the Continuum of Special Education Services: Myth-Busting LRE, Resource, and More
How to Get Your Child Fully Tested for Special Education Services
Ask the Advocate: Live Special Education Q&A — Your Most Pressing IEP, 504, and Transition Questions Answered
Denied. Retaliated. Silenced. — A Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired Speaks Out
Amazing Things for Individuals with Disabilities
From Gym Class to Game Changer: How Adaptive Fitness Empowers Young Adults with Disabilities with Mike Lutey, Franchise Owner – Special Strong Houston
Ask the Advocate: Mayhem, Misconceptions, and Must-Know Answers
From Lion King Backpacks to Federal Reform: Karen’s Founding Story on Founders Future
Ask the Advocate: IEP Drama, Pre-K Confusion, and the Truth About 504 Plans
From Surviving to Living: A Special Conversation with Jennifer Swan
Your IEP Questions, Answered!
Mastering Specially Designed Instruction and Progress Monitoring with Dr. Mitchell Yell
How to Write Compliant IEP Goals That Actually Help Kids Thrive
Know Your Rights: The Truth About Procedural Safeguards in Special Education
IEP Chaos, Charter School Myths & Advocate Q&A
The 5 Pillars of an Amazing IEP
Ask the Advocate – Real Questions, Real Answers, Real Advocacy
Mutually Agreed Upon Time
What You Don’t Know Will Cost Your Child: Restraints, Paras, and Filing Complaints
You Can’t Make This Up: Real Questions, Real Answers
Ask the Advocate: Real Questions, Real Answers from the IEP Frontlines