Ask the Advocate: Dyslexia Progress, Music Therapy, 504 vs IEP, FAPE, and Tough School Scenarios

In this Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham—The Special Education Boss®—answers your most pressing special education questions with clarity, humor, and straight-to-the-point strategies you can take to the IEP or 504 table.

From dyslexia progress monitoring to behavior plans and field trip access, Karen reminds us: parents don’t have to settle for “we don’t do that here.” The law, the data, and your child’s needs drive the process—not convenience.

✨ What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to measure meaningful progress for dyslexia and dysgraphia.
• When music therapy can be included as a related service.
• What IDEA says about services delivered by a special education teacher (34 CFR 300.156).
• Why ADHD doesn’t always stop at a 504 plan—when to push for testing.
• The truth about meeting notes vs. IEP documentation.
• What happens if a district denies testing or delays evaluations.
• Why grades and IQ do not determine eligibility.
• ESY vs. compensatory services—why they’re not the same.
• Placement, LRE, and how to challenge cookie-cutter programs.
• Transportation as a related service under FAPE.
• Behavior Intervention Plans, discipline, and protecting your child’s rights.
• How to become an advocate in California (including Spanish-speaking families).

📢 Next steps:

• Join The Academy: Special Education Academy
• Register for the EPIC IEP Intensive – Sept 27–28, 2025 (https://specialeducationacademy.com/training)

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