Ask the Advocate: Dexcom Denials, Aides, Accommodations & LRE Truths

This week’s Ask the Advocate is packed with real questions from parents, teachers, and advocates across the country—and straight answers you won’t hear anywhere else.

From Denton ISD removing a child’s Dexcom, to confusion around aides, accommodations, and placement, Karen dives into the hard truths with humor, clarity, and strategy. You’ll hear powerful discussions on:

✅ Why “sitting in a class” isn’t the same as meaningful benefit in LRE
✅ What to do when paras are delivering special education instruction (state complaint time)
✅ The truth about dismantling the U.S. Department of Education—and why FAPE and IDEA rights aren’t going anywhere
✅ How to document accommodations (and why “extra time” means nothing)
✅ When aides help—and when they actually hurt long-term progress
✅ What to say when schools refuse services like speech therapy or try to downgrade IEPs to 504s
✅ The reality of long-term substitutes “acting” as SPED teachers (spoiler: illegal)
✅ Tips for parents heading into their first 504 or ARD/IEP meeting
✅ Plus: hilarious lipstick talk, flip-flops, and “church pews in Florida”

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or outnumbered at the IEP table, this episode will leave you empowered with tools, language, and confidence.

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📌 Reminder: We don’t give legal advice—we train and educate so YOU can navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes.

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham