What I would do immediately given the Special Education cuts at the Department of Education

If you're a mama of a child with special needs like I am, it's stressful enough - regardless of the news coming out of Washington DC these days. But with more and more signs pointing to an active attempt to dismantle federal protections for special education, here's what I would tell you to do right now.

1. Take a deep breath. Even though it seems like changes are happening at light-speed, if there's one thing that the past 9 months have taught us is that decisions that have far reaching impacts like this will be challenged in court. Final decisions and changes to IDEA will require Congress to change the law. IDEA stands for the Individuals with Disabilities Act which governs the process of getting Individual Educations Plans - IEPs - which are legally binding documents between the school district and your family. No changes to this law are going to happen quickly. So as hard as it is, slow down and take that deep breath. You won't be able to advocate effectively for your child if you're spun up and crashing out.

2. If your child doesn't have an IEP yet, start that process immediately. If federal protection goes away, having a documented IEP in place that lists out diagnoses, accommodations, supports, and the specialized education they need will hopefully get you grandfathered into whatever the new state-directed system looks like. Worst case, it at least gives you a starting point and justification for why you're asking for what your child needs going forward.

3. Remember that you are on the same team as your child's teacher and the rest of the school team. It may not feel like it, I 100% understand. However, you will need to work with them even if there are disagreements. Focus on being a collaborative team working against a problem, not people against other people, and see if together you can come up with creative compromises that still get your child what they need.

4. Lastly, if your child does have an IEP make sure you have a paper copy of it. This is a good time to make sure your organization system is up to date and you have a copy of this year's IEP.

If you're feeling overwhelmed and nervous, just know I've walked a mile or so in your shoes. I provide one-on-one and group coaching for parents who want to be better advocates for their children so their kiddos can live happy, successful lives. Head back to the homepage for details and a link to book a complementary discovery call to see if my support might be beneficial.

Otherwise, head here to join the email list for Lanterns on the Dark Path: A Guide to Effective Advocacy for Parents of Children with Special Needs. It will be published in early 2026 and will have pre-order bonuses, etc.