What Does an IEP Advocate Do?
The role, the limits, and why having one in the room changes the outcome.
Read article →IEP Help for Families
125+ Free IEP Resources for Parents
Plain-language articles on IEPs, 504 plans, parent rights, and navigating the special education system, written by a BCBA with years on the school side.
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The IEP Meeting Survival Kit
What to bring, what to ask, and what the school isn’t required to tell you, written by someone who used to run those meetings.
Every guide in this library was written by Meghan Moore, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and IEP advocate who spent years working inside school systems before switching to the parent side. That inside experience, knowing how schools write IEPs, what they emphasize, and what they routinely leave out, shapes every article here.
Whether you’re trying to understand what your child’s IEP actually means, preparing for an upcoming meeting, or figuring out what to do when the school says no, these resources give you the specific, honest information you need to advocate effectively. Use the filters below to find guides by topic.
Showing 107 of 107 resources
Is an IEP Advocate Worth the Cost?
An honest answer from someone who has worked both sides of the IEP table.
Read article →What Is a BCBA and Why Does It Matter for Your Child's IEP?
How a Board Certified Behavior Analyst brings clinical depth to IEP advocacy.
Read article →IEP Advocate vs. Special Education Attorney: Which Do You Need?
The key differences, when to use each, and how to choose.
Read article →How IEP Advocacy Works: From First Call to IEP Meeting
What the process looks like when you hire an advocate for your child.
Read article →Virtual IEP Advocate: How It Works
How Zoom advocacy works, what to expect, and why it's just as effective.
Read article →Online IEP Advocate: What to Look For
Finding qualified virtual advocacy and what separates good from great.
Read article →Online IEP Advocate, Nationwide Virtual Services
How a BCBA advocate can serve families anywhere in the U.S. via Zoom.
Read article →Special Education Advocate vs. Case Manager: What's the Difference?
Why your child's school case manager cannot advocate for them.
Read article →How to Find an IEP Advocate
Credentials to look for, questions to ask, red flags to avoid.
Read article →Meghan Moore, BCBA: Charlotte IEP Advocate
Credentials, school-side background, and why she founded Mama Moore Advocacy.
Read article →IEP vs. 504 Plan: What's the Difference?
Which plan is right for your child and what each one can and can't do.
Read article →What Is FAPE? Free Appropriate Public Education Explained
The legal standard every IEP must meet and how to tell when it isn't met.
Read article →The IEP Process, Step by Step
From evaluation request to annual review, every step parents need to understand.
Read article →How to Read Your Child's IEP
PLAAFP, goals, services, placement, what each section means and what to watch for.
Read article →The IEP Evaluation Process Explained
What the school tests, what they must test, and how eligibility is determined.
Read article →IEP Eligibility: All 13 IDEA Disability Categories
Every category explained, with examples and what adverse effect means.
Read article →Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Explained
What LRE means, how placement decisions are made, and how to push back.
Read article →IEP Accommodations vs. Modifications: What's the Difference?
Why the distinction matters and which one your child actually needs.
Read article →IEP vs. Gifted Services: Can a Child Have Both?
Twice-exceptional children and navigating both systems at once.
Read article →The School Says My Child Doesn't Qualify. What Now?
Your options after an ineligibility determination and how to fight it.
Read article →How to Request More Services on Your Child's IEP
Building the case, the right language, and what to do when the school says no.
Read article →My Child's IEP Isn't Being Followed. What Can I Do?
How to document noncompliance and what formal steps are available.
Read article →How to Find Out If the School Is Following Your Child's IEP
How to track implementation, document failures, and hold the school accountable.
Read article →How to Disagree With IEP Recommendations
Staying in the room, protecting your rights, and building a paper trail.
Read article →IEP Goals Aren't Working. How to Change Them.
When goals need to be updated, how to request a review, and what better looks like.
Read article →How to Get Speech Therapy on an IEP
Eligibility, what SLP services on an IEP include, and how to advocate effectively.
Read article →School Denied an IEP Evaluation: Your Rights
What to do when the school refuses to evaluate, including your IEE rights.
Read article →How to Get an IEP for My Child
From first request to eligibility determination, the complete parent guide.
Read article →Your Child Was Just Diagnosed: What Happens Next at School
Concrete next steps after an autism, ADHD, or dyslexia diagnosis — what to ask the school and when to act.
Read article →IEP Transition Planning: What High Schoolers Need
What transition plans must include and how to prepare for life after graduation.
Read article →What Happens to Your Child's IEP When They Turn 18
Transfer of rights at age of majority — what parents lose, how to plan ahead, and what your child needs to know.
Read article →Moving to a New State: How to Protect Your Child's IEP
What IDEA requires when you move, comparable services, and how to transfer your child's IEP without losing ground.
Read article →Extended School Year (ESY) Services: A Parent's Guide
When ESY is required, how to request it, and what it should look like.
Read article →Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) Explained
What a good BIP contains, how to evaluate whether yours is working.
Read article →Functional Behavior Assessment: A Parent's Guide
What an FBA is, how it informs the BIP, and what makes one credible.
Read article →Related Services on an IEP: What Your Child Is Entitled To
Speech, OT, PT, counseling, transportation, and the full list of what schools must provide.
Read article →Assistive Technology on an IEP: What to Ask For
Devices, software, and low-tech tools schools must consider for your child.
Read article →IEP Goals: What Good Looks Like (and What to Watch For)
How to spot a weak goal, what makes a goal measurable, and how to push for better.
Read article →IEP Summer Services: Extended School Year (ESY) Deep Dive
Building a regression-recoupment case and fighting for the summer services your child needs.
Read article →Medicaid Waivers and the IEP: What Parents Need to Know
How waivers interact with IEP services and why schools can't use Medicaid to reduce what they owe.
Read article →Private Evaluation vs. School Evaluation
The conflict of interest problem, what private evals offer, and when to get one.
Read article →COVID Learning Loss and Your Child's IEP: Compensatory Ed Rights
How to document missed pandemic services and request make-up services from the district.
Read article →How to Prepare for an IEP Meeting
The complete parent checklist: documents to gather, questions to ask, things to watch for.
Read article →What Happens at an IEP Meeting? A First-Timer's Guide
Who is in the room, what the agenda looks like, and how to participate effectively.
Read article →Questions to Ask at an IEP Meeting
20 questions every parent should be ready to ask at the table.
Read article →What to Bring to an IEP Meeting
The documents, data, and notes that strengthen your position before you walk in.
Read article →IEP Annual Review: What Parents Should Know
How to use the annual review strategically rather than just sign and leave.
Read article →How to Request an IEP Meeting
You can call a meeting at any time. Here's how to do it correctly in writing.
Read article →IEP Meeting Tips for Parents: Before, During, and After
Practical tactics for staying focused, calm, and effective throughout the meeting.
Read article →How to Advocate at an IEP Meeting Without Being Dismissed
How to speak up effectively, push back on weak proposals, and be taken seriously by the team.
Read article →What to Do After an IEP Meeting
The critical steps in the 48 hours after the meeting that most parents skip.
Read article →How to Write Your IEP Parent Concerns Section
The one section parents own entirely and how to use it strategically.
Read article →What Are Your Rights as a Parent in an IEP Meeting?
The IDEA rights that put you on equal footing with the school team.
Read article →Parent Participation Rights on the IEP Team
What meaningful participation means legally and how to enforce it.
Read article →Prior Written Notice: What the School Must Tell You in Writing
When PWN is required, what it must contain, and how to use it.
Read article →Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE): Your Rights
When and how to request a school-funded private evaluation under IDEA.
Read article →Can You Record an IEP Meeting? Know Your State's Rules
Recording consent laws, how to ask, and what to do with the recording.
Read article →IEP Dispute Resolution: All Your Options Explained
State complaint, mediation, due process, and when to use each one.
Read article →When to Hire a Special Education Attorney
The escalation point where an attorney becomes the right tool, not an advocate.
Read article →IEP Reimbursement for Private School Placements
When schools fail FAPE, parents may be entitled to tuition reimbursement under Burlington/Carter.
Read article →Section 504 vs. ADA: What Happens After High School?
How disability rights shift when your child leaves K-12 and enters college or work.
Read article →IEP to College: What Happens to Disability Services After High School?
The legal cliff at graduation and how to prepare before it arrives.
Read article →Can a Parent Bring an Advocate to an IEP Meeting?
Yes. Your IDEA rights and what schools cannot do to stop you.
Read article →IEP Confidentiality and Parent Records Rights
FERPA and IDEA give you strong rights to access, control, and correct your child's records.
Read article →Manifestation Determination: IEP Discipline Rights Explained
What it is, when it's triggered, and what happens if the behavior IS the disability.
Read article →When Your Child with an IEP Gets Suspended: What the School Must Do
IDEA discipline protections, the 10-day threshold, and what parents must demand before any long-term removal.
Read article →Special Education Due Process: A Parent's Guide
When to file, what the hearing involves, and whether you need an advocate or attorney.
Read article →IEP Advocacy for Autism: What Parents Need to Know
ASD-specific IEP strategies, BCBA services, and what good autism support looks like.
Read article →IEP for a Child with ADHD
OHI eligibility, executive function supports, and the right accommodations for ADHD.
Read article →IEP for Anxiety: School Accommodations That Help
Eligibility paths for anxiety, what services help, and why a 504 often isn't enough.
Read article →Twice-Exceptional (2e) IEP: Gifted and Learning-Different
How giftedness can mask disability, and how to get both needs recognized.
Read article →Speech Delay and IEP Services: What to Ask For
Eligibility under SLI, what speech therapy on an IEP includes, and what good looks like.
Read article →IEP for Down Syndrome
Eligibility, appropriate services, inclusion considerations, and transition planning.
Read article →IEP for Cerebral Palsy
PT, OT, AT, and communication supports for students with CP.
Read article →IEP for Hearing Impairment or Deafness
DHH eligibility, interpreter services, and the least restrictive environment analysis.
Read article →IEP for Visual Impairment or Blindness
VI services, braille, orientation and mobility, and what IDEA requires for blind students.
Read article →IEP for Intellectual Disability
Adaptive behavior, functional goals, and planning for meaningful post-secondary outcomes.
Read article →IEP for Emotional/Behavioral Disorder (EBD)
ED eligibility, behavioral services, and how to keep discipline from replacing support.
Read article →IEP for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
TBI eligibility, the variable recovery profile, and services that address cognitive changes.
Read article →IEP for a Nonverbal Child: AAC and Communication Services
Augmentative communication devices, SLP services, and the right to a voice in the IEP.
Read article →IEP for Selective Mutism
OHI or ED eligibility, graduated exposure services, and why silence is not defiance.
Read article →IEP for Sensory Processing Disorder
When SPD qualifies, OT services to request, and IEP vs. 504 for sensory challenges.
Read article →IEP for Tourette Syndrome
OHI eligibility, tic protections, and addressing co-occurring ADHD and OCD.
Read article →IEP for Dyscalculia
SLD in math, evidence-based interventions, and the right accommodations for math disabilities.
Read article →The IEP Process in North Carolina: EC Program Guide
NC-specific timelines, DPI rules, and what makes NC's EC program different.
Read article →NC Exceptional Children Program: Parent Rights
Your rights under the NC EC program and how they go beyond federal minimums.
Read article →Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Special Education Guide
Navigating CMS EC services, evaluation timelines, and how to escalate when needed.
Read article →Free IEP Help in NC vs. Hiring a Paid Advocate
What free resources exist, where they fall short, and when a paid advocate is worth it.
Read article →Dyslexia and the IEP in North Carolina
NC's dyslexia laws, SLD eligibility, and the Orton-Gillingham services families should request.
Read article →Present Levels of Performance (PLAAFP)
Why the present levels section drives everything else in the IEP, and what a strong one looks like.
Read article →Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Explained
What SDI actually means, how it differs from accommodations, and why it matters for FAPE.
Read article →IEP Placement Explained
How placement decisions are supposed to be made, what LRE requires, and when to push back.
Read article →Response to Intervention (RTI): A Parent’s Guide
What RTI is, how schools use it, and when it becomes a delay tactic instead of a support.
Read article →504 Accommodations: Examples and What to Ask For
Common 504 accommodations by category and how to make sure yours are specific enough to matter.
Read article →IEP for Autism: What Schools Often Get Wrong
What autism IEPs frequently miss and how to advocate for services that reflect your child’s actual needs.
Read article →IEP for Dyslexia
What a strong dyslexia IEP includes, what schools often skip, and how to make the case for the right services.
Read article →IEP for Anxiety
How anxiety qualifies for an IEP, what eligibility category applies, and what accommodations actually help.
Read article →IEP for Speech-Language Impairment
The five SLI subtypes, what school speech therapy typically covers, and when to push for more.
Read article →IEP for Learning Disabilities
What the SLD umbrella covers, how schools evaluate it, and what a well-designed LD IEP looks like.
Read article →Twice-Exceptional IEP: Gifted With a Disability
Why 2e children fall through every gap and what an IEP that serves both sides of their profile looks like.
Read article →IEP Advocacy for Autism: A Parent’s Strategic Guide
How to frame requests, use evaluation data, and push back effectively at IEP meetings for a child with autism.
Read article →IEP Advocacy for ADHD: Getting the Right Support
IEP vs. 504, what ADHD evaluations miss, and how to advocate for instruction, not just accommodations.
Read article →Prior Written Notice in Special Education
What prior written notice is, when schools must provide it, and how to use it as an advocacy tool.
Read article →Manifestation Determination Review
When an MDR is required, how the two-question test works, and how to prepare if your child faces one.
Read article →Mediation in Special Education
How mediation works, when it makes sense, and what a binding mediation agreement actually means.
Read article →State Complaint: Special Education
How to file a state complaint, what it can resolve, and when it’s the right tool versus due process.
Read article →Due Process in Special Education
What due process can and cannot accomplish, the timeline, and what to consider before filing.
Read article →What Schools Won’t Tell You About the IEP Process
Things schools rarely volunteer, about your rights, the evaluation, and what you can actually ask for.
Read article →IEP Red Flags: Warning Signs Parents Should Know
How to spot a weak or non-compliant IEP before you sign, in the goals, services, and the meeting itself.
Read article →SC Special Education Parent Rights
Your IDEA rights as a South Carolina parent, evaluation, IEP participation, records, and dispute options.
Read article →IEP Dispute Resolution in North Carolina
NC’s four dispute resolution options, facilitation, mediation, state complaint, and due process, and when to use which.
Read article →NC Special Education Parent Rights
How IDEA parent rights work specifically in North Carolina schools, and what to do when they’re not followed.
Read article →
External Organizations
Organizations worth knowing
These are outside organizations, not affiliated with Mama Moore Advocacy, but ones we point families toward when the situation calls for it.
North Carolina
Autism Society of North Carolina
State-level support for families navigating autism, programming, resources, and community connections across NC.
autismsociety-nc.org →North Carolina
BEGINNINGS
NC nonprofit helping families understand hearing loss and advocate for deaf or hard of hearing children from the very beginning.
ncbegin.org →National
Center for Parent Information & Resources
Find a free Parent Training and Information (PTI) center in your state, IEP support, advocacy help, and rights education for families of children with disabilities, birth to 26.
parentcenterhub.org →National
CHADD
National organization focused on ADHD, diagnosis, treatment, education rights, and the school systems families navigate every day.
chadd.org →National
Hands & Voices
Parent-led support for families raising deaf or hard of hearing children, across all communication approaches and methodologies.
handsandvoices.org →National
International Dyslexia Association
Advocacy, education, and research for families and teachers navigating dyslexia and related learning differences, including IEP and school rights.
dyslexiaida.org →National
National Center for Learning Disabilities
Focused on the 1 in 5 kids with learning and attention challenges, family empowerment, school transformation, and policy advocacy.
ncld.org →North Carolina
NC Division for Exceptional Children
The state office overseeing special education in NC public schools. A useful reference for understanding how North Carolina implements IDEA and your rights under it.
dpi.nc.gov →South Carolina
South Carolina Autism Society
SC-based connections, resources, and support for individuals and families in the autism community across the state.
scautism.org →