Episode Details

Navigating the special education eligibility process is confusing for all parties involved (parents, professionals, etc.).   That’s why I wanted to get some insight from someone who understands the process inside and out.   

In episode 57 of Are they 18 yet?® I interviewed my colleague Jil Stauter, a school psychologist who has worked with students from preschool all the way through high school. I was fortunate enough to work on a team with her for a number of these years. In this in-depth interview, Jil and I deconstruct the process of determining if students are eligible for special education services under the label of “specific learning disability”.

She also shares some essential advice for anyone who aspires to work in the school systems and be a part of the special education process.

Here’s a breakdown of what we cover in the interview:
✅What types of data a school psychologist needs in order to determine if a student is eligible for services under the category of “specific learning disability” using the RtI process.
✅What confuses people most about special education services in the schools (as it relates to learning disabilities and other diagnoses). ✅What happens if a school IEP team disagrees with the recommendations of an outside evaluation.
✅Plus more about the ins and outs of eligibility for services in the schools, and how special ed teams can work together. You can listen to the entire interview here.

In this episode, I mention my Ultimate Guide to Sentence Structure. In order to build strong language comprehension needed for reading, writing, and other important life skills, kids need to have a solid understanding of sentence structure. In this guide, I outline common challenging sentence types, how to write goals to target them, and some evidence-based strategies for working on them. >>>You can get a free copy of the Ultimate Guide to Sentence Structure here. The De Facto Leaders podcast was formerly the “Are they 18 yet?®” podcast. As of November 2022, the name of the show has changed, and we’ve shifted from a focus on parenting to a focus on supporting clinicians and educators to design effective services for kids (but parents are still welcome to listen). Episodes published before November 24, 2022 will still contain some of our old branding. 

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Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructiona