The Best New Special Education Audiobooks To Read In 2025

Learn how to put together IEPs with the power to make a real difference for students. The Intentional IEP shows special education teachers how to successfully collaborate with all stakeholders―parents or guardians, general ed teachers, therapists, and beyond―to work toward students’ success. Too many of us aren’t trained to write the Individualized Education Programs that help millions of students with thrive in school. This book fills that training gap, explaining the importance of assembling an IEP team and inviting this team to confront and improve its current processes and habits to make IEP writing simpler and more effective.

With all the pressures that educators are under, it’s easy to cut corners when it comes time towrite IEPs. Writing them in isolation, leaving them to the night before, making decisions without consulting data and research, letting family collaboration fall to the wayside―most special educators have made these mistakes at some point. The Intentional IEP equips you with the resources you need to feel confident in approaching IEPs the right way, including prioritizing the many competing demands you face so you can find the capacity to show up for your students. This book offers: Clear, step-by-step solutions for all IEP members that can easily be implemented at any time during the school year Collaboration strategies for IEP teammates to rely on one another for expert and professional knowledge Tools and reproducibles to strengthen practices and overcome common hurdles Direct advice from a veteran special education teacher who has seen what a difference collaboration in the IEP can make for students. The Intentional IEP is a timely resource for special education teachers, general education teachers, and support staff, as well as teachertraining programs. Parents and guardians with students will also benefit from this clearly written guide to the IEP.

Say goodbye to confusion and uncertainty and hello to confidence and clarity as you navigate the complex world of special education. Special education laws and processes can be complex and confusing. It’s no wonder you feel frustrated, stumped, and in over your head… until now. This book takes you through the basics of special education and beyond, lifting away the fog of intimidating terminology and confusing procedures and arming you with the knowledge and tools you need to take on the special education system — and come out on top. In this guide, you’ll get:.

Special education laws demystified to help you navigate the complex world of special education and advocate for your child's rightsA clear and comprehensive guide to the IEP process to help you avoid common mistakes, saving you time, stress, and frustrationHow to create a convenient records binder to prepare for every step of the IEP processHow to understand evaluation results and defend your rights should you disagree with the outcomeWhat to do if your child is not eligible for an IEP – consider alternative options and protect your child’s right to an appropriate educationThe crucial difference between accommodations and modifications and how it can impact your child's potential – and why one commonly used accommodation should be used with cautionStrategies to support your child during tough moments and champion their needsHow to master the IEP meeting to guarantee your child's needs are understood and metComprehensive questions to ask special education providers so you can make informed decisions for your childHow to handle conflicts and disputes in the IEP process Effective strategies to ensure your child's IEP is being implemented even when you can't be there. And much more. Navigating the special education system can be tricky but not impossible. With this guidebook, you'll have all the tools you need to secure top-notch services for your kiddo. Put your game face on and become your child’s fiercest advocate and greatest cheerleader.

How special education used disability labels to marginalize Black students in public schools. The Unteachables examines the overrepresentation of Black students in special education over the course of the twentieth century. As African American children integrated predominantly white schools, many were disproportionately labeled educable mentally retarded (EMR), learning disabled (LD), and emotionally behavioral disordered (EBD). Keith A. Mayes charts the evolution of disability categories and how these labels kept Black learners segregated in American classrooms.

The civil rights and the educational disability rights movements, Mayes shows, have both collaborated and worked at cross-purposes since the beginning of school desegregation. Disability rights advocates built upon the opportunity provided by the civil rights movement to make claims about student invisibility at the level of intellectual and cognitive disabilities. Although special education ostensibly included children from all racial groups, educational disability rights advocates focused on the needs of white disabled students, while school systems used disability discourses to malign and marginalize Black students. From the 1940s to the present, social science researchers, policymakers, school administrators, and teachers have each contributed to the overrepresentation of Black students in special education. Excavating the deep-seated racism embedded in both the public school system and public policy, The Unteachables explores the discriminatory labeling of Black students, and how it indelibly contributed to special education disproportionality, to student discipline and push-out practices, and to the school-to-prison pipeline effect.