Tools to Help You Succeed

  When I found out my four-year old was having trouble adjusting in preschool, I felt very overwhelmed. There were literally dozens of decisions to make: where to take him for an evaluation, if he even needs an evaluation, is it potentially Autism or another sensory processing problem? My mind was overwhelmed, and I was drowning in all the different options. Mary was extremely helpful in guiding me along a process. She helped me narrow down what the potential problem could be, and then we decided from there how to address it. We decided on sending him to Occupational Therapy, and an evaluation at our local elementary school. Mary answered all of my questions and helped to minimize my fear that we would never get to the bottom of his behavior issues. It turns out, my son was under-stimulated at his school. That, paired with a sensory processing issue, was causing him to act out. Without Mary, I don’t know how I would have proceeded through the innumerable options of where to go for help. My son is 5 now, and in a preschool that engages him in a way that he is no longer acting out in class, and in fact has become a great student!  - Autumn H. 

 When our son’s first grade teacher approached us about a possible learning disability we felt very lost.  As a high school educator, I knew the basics; I made a formal written request and within 10 days met with a team to determine if he was eligible for testing.  At this meeting we were told by his school that they did not traditionally test students until the age of 8, and that he would not be eligible for testing until then.  We felt helpless, and sat by watching as he continued to struggle academically, his self-esteem decreased, and he began proclaiming that he hated school.  By the beginning of second grade we knew that we could not wait until he turned 8 in March; that is when Mary entered the scene.  She quickly took up our cause, and fought for our son to have the testing completed immediately.  Due to Mary’s background as a former Special Education teacher, she is well versed in Indiana State law, and was able to compel the school to complete the testing.  She directed us at every turn, telling us what to ask for, and even the proper terminology to use when asking.  After we made our second formal request for testing, Mary came to the school and met with the team with us.  She took notes, asked questions, and pushed the administration to commit to testing, which they finally did.  Once the testing was completed, she reviewed all the results, created a game plan, and determined what accommodations she wanted our son to have.  She came to the case conference and fought for our son in order to make sure he was receiving an equal opportunity to learn.  Mary was the advocate all parents need as they navigate the difficult process of establishing an IEP or 504 plan for their child.  We will be eternally grateful for the services Mary continues to provide.  When we received the testing results, the diagnosis was a specific learning disability in reading (dyslexia).  If it were not for Mary, our son would still be struggling through school, earning F’s in reading and writing.  Instead today he is earning A’s & B’s and his ability to read has improved drastically.  Mary continues to work with our family, and is available to answer any questions we have.  She attends yearly case conferences and steps in when necessary if our sons accommodations are not being met.  I would strongly recommend Mary and her services to anyone who is struggling to understand the complexities of the world of exceptional learners.  Mary is the advocate you want to have in your corner going to bat for your child.  - Pam W. 

 IEP Navigation Services has become a necessary tool for parents supporting a child with an IEP or 504. Having a knowledgeable resource who can stay current with the laws, and lend another set of eyes and ears and then help translate for us current standings and next steps as well keep notes and progress documentation makes a world of difference.  Having supported our kids IEP and 504’s for 10 years, we grew complacent with the slower rate of ours son’s progress compared to his peers. He experienced growth but not a rate that would best serve his future endeavors. When COVID began, we opted for virtual learning and then again beginning of 8th grade. While we learned a great deal about our son’s learning disability and ADHD, we also learned he would need more support than what his current IEP offered.  At this point in our journey, we realized our son’s success depended on a level of advocacy that only a well trained and prepared navigator like Mary and IEP Navigation Services could provide.  Our son has more confidence in the teamwork that is the result of the plan Mary helped us put together. We are grateful for IEP Navigation Services and are confident this service will meet our son’s needs throughout High School.