Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham

• Medical Diagnosis vs. IDEA Eligibility + Live Q&A

  Does a medical diagnosis guarantee an IEP? Not under IDEA. Today, Karen breaks down medical diagnosis vs. educational eligibility—and why the IEP team makes the call based on educational impact and specially designed instruction, not just a doctor’s note. Then we dive into your Q&A: ADHD suspensions in K, Tourette’s (OHI), MDRs & safety, private school obligations, 504 vs. IEP, re-evals, para shortages, and more.We’re not giving legal advice. We’re educating you.What You’ll LearnDx ≠ Eligibility: How a medical diagnosis informs—but doesn’t decide—IDEA eligibility.IEP Team = Decision-makers: Who sits at the table and why your data matters.IEP vs. 504: Accommodations alone vs. specially designed instruction + related services.Capture both: Note medical conditions and write goals/services for all needs shown by evaluation data.Safety first: No learning without safety—document, convene, and decide LRE with data.Join The Academy (250+ hrs): https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/aboutPre-order The Epic IEP on Amazon (search “The Epic IEP”)Claim $500 in pre-order bonuses: TheEpicIEP.comWork with an Advocate: [email protected]“Do you know your rights?”“You don’t know what you don’t know—but you need to.”“This is why we sit at the table prepared.”When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everyone. 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 Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: 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.) ...

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• Due Process Hearings 101: Timelines, Exhibits, and Winning with Data

  If you ever land in a due process hearing, your documents become your voice. In today’s SEB Live Q&A, Karen Mayer Cunningham breaks down how hearings actually work—resolution sessions, mediation, exhibits (joint, petitioner, and respondent), witnesses, timelines—and why clean, consistent documentation is the difference between overwhelm and outcomes.What we coverDue Process ≠ TV drama: what really happens in an administrative hearing15-day resolution session window and how timelines run outside the school calendarJoint vs. Petitioner vs. Respondent exhibits (what goes where and why it matters)How to “hearings-proof” your IEP paperwork (deliberations, emails, logs, attachments)When and how digital exhibits (audio/video) are authenticatedProcedural vs. substantive violations (and why both can matter)Witness strategy: who actually testifies (hint: the service providers, not the “district yahoos”)504 red flags that scream Child Find → Full IDEA evaluationReality check: most cases settle—so build the record long before you ever fileResources & CTAsJoin The Academy (weekly series + 250+ hrs of training): https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/aboutPre-order The Epic IEP on Amazon (claim $500 in bonuses at TheEpicIEP.com after purchase)Contact: [email protected] 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 Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: 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.) ...

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• Live Q&A: Hard Truths, Real Questions, and Why The Epic IEP Changes Everything

  Karen shares why she wrote The Epic IEP, who it’s for, and how this book delivers a clear roadmap for parents, educators, and advocates to navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes — without guesswork, confusion, or misinformation.💬 Inside this episode:Who The Epic IEP is really for (and why every teacher, parent, and advocate needs it)The biggest lies told in IEP meetings — and how to respond with truth and dataWhat to do when schools retaliate against parents or ignore IDEA timelinesWhen to request compensatory time, a due process hearing, or a state complaintWhy the Epic IEP isn’t just a book — it’s a movement for changeStories of hope, heartbreak, and humor from real IEP tables across AmericaKaren also previews her upcoming Paraprofessional Webinar and the Epic IEP Mastery Summit (February 6) — both designed to equip you to train, lead, and advocate with clarity.📘 Pre-order The Epic IEP today:👉 Amazon Link🎁 Then go to TheEpicIEP.com to unlock $500 in pre-order bonuses, including your FREE ticket to the Epic IEP Mastery Summit (February 6).🎓 Want ongoing weekly training?Join The Epic IEP Academy — the premier professional development community for parents, educators, and advocates.👉 https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about📱 Follow @SpecialEducationBoss on TikTok, subscribe on YouTube, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. 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 Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: 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.) ...

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• Live Q&A: The Heart, Humor, and Hard Truths Behind The Epic IEP

  Welcome back, y’all! In this Special Education Boss® episode, we’re taking you inside our Live conversation about the launch of The Epic IEP — my brand-new, world-changing book written for parents, educators, and advocates navigating the special education process.Grab your latte and lean in as we talk about:☕️ The story behind The Epic IEP — and why it’s my love letter to every parent, teacher, and advocate sitting at the IEP or 504 table.📘 How one pandemic pivot in 2020 turned into a nationwide advocacy movement.💬 Why we must stop “agreeing to disagree” when it comes to children’s rights — and how to communicate with clarity, compassion, and conviction.🧩 What makes this book different: it’s not just what to do, but how to do it.💡 The real meaning of procedural safeguards and how missteps can permanently impact a child’s future.❤️ Stories of transformation, inclusion, and hope — from tears in the IEP meeting to life-changing outcomes for students.😂 A few bleach-blonde jokes, bins, and laughter (because we can’t do this work without a little humor).If you’ve ever left an IEP meeting frustrated, overwhelmed, or confused… this episode will remind you: you’re not alone and you’re not powerless.🎯 Get your copy of The Epic IEP today at Amazon, then head to TheEpicIEP.com to unlock over $500 in pre-order bonuses, including your free ticket to our upcoming Epic IEP Mastery Summit on February 5th.💻 Ready to learn and grow every week?Join The Epic IEP Academy — the premiere weekly professional development community for parents, educators, and advocates.👉 https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about📱 Follow @SpecialEducationBoss on TikTok, subscribe on YouTube, and listen to more episodes of Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.Because here’s the truth: When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everyone. 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 Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: 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.) ...

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• Can the School Do That?

  What happens when you find yourself asking, “Can the school do that?”In this episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham — Special Education Boss and author of The Epic IEP — breaks down one of the most common (and frustrating) questions in special education.Karen explains the difference between what schools can do, what they should do, and what’s legally enforceable under IDEA and FAPE. Drawing from nearly three decades of advocacy experience and thousands of IEP meetings, she shares why focusing on “what’s next” is far more powerful than asking “why did they do that?”You’ll learn:✅ When a school’s actions cross the line from wrong to unlawful✅ How to use your procedural safeguards to take effective next steps✅ What makes a strong state complaint or OCR complaint✅ Why special education isn’t just a program — it’s a civil right✅ How to keep the focus on solutions, not frustrationKaren also answers real questions from parents and educators on:IEP disagreements and signaturesPrivacy violations by staffInclusion and self-contained modelsAdaptive PE and 504 confusion📘 Order the book: The Epic IEP — your powerful playbook for parents, educators, and advocates navigating the special education process.👉 Order on AmazonThen visit TheEpicIEP.com to claim $500 in exclusive bonuses!💡 Join The Academy:The EPIC IEP Academy is the premier weekly professional development community training parents, educators, and advocates to navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes — in real time.👉 Join here 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 Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: 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.) ...

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