Free Resources
Tools for families who need to know their rights.
Every guide below was written with one goal: giving you the specific knowledge you need to advocate effectively for your child. Download freely, share widely.
Career Explorer
For students, ages 13 and up. Answer 30 short questions about what you like, then see real careers that fit, what they pay, and how much school or training each one takes. Print a one-page plan to bring to a school meeting. No account needed.
In the Margins
Plain-language articles on IEP rights, the stranger test, the difference between MTSS, 504, and IEP, and how families can advocate effectively.
Interactive Tools and Methodology
Use these tools right now to read your child's IEP with sharper eyes. Everything below is free and works on your phone, tablet, or laptop.
Our Methodology
The six areas we review in every IEP, in plain language. Use it as a guide when you read your child's IEP or prepare for the next meeting.
IEP Goal Checker
Paste your child's annual goal exactly as written. The tool sorts it into the seven required components, flags vague language, and gives you the exact questions to ask at your next meeting.
Downloadable Guides
The IEP Advocacy Toolkit
Twenty-two numbered worksheets, letters, and reference cards covering the full arc of IEP advocacy, from the first eligibility question through state complaints and transition planning.
The IEP Master Binder
A twenty-page filing system that keeps every IEP record, deadline, and conversation in one place, with eight tab dividers and a full school year of logs.
IEP Meeting Notecatcher
A printable worksheet for the meeting itself, with the three questions every family should ask and a before-you-sign checklist.
Pre-Evaluation Eligibility Checklist
Organize what you have observed and put it into a written evaluation request the school has to answer.
IDEA vs. Section 504
A side-by-side comparison of the two laws, built around one question: does your child need different instruction, or better access to the same instruction?
The 13 IDEA Disability Categories
All thirteen federally recognized categories in plain language, and why the category matters less than families are led to believe.
IEP Team Member Directory
One place for every name, role, and contact on your child's team, plus a tracker for every call and email.
All guides are free. No email required. Share with any family who needs them.
External Resources
These organizations and databases provide additional authoritative information on special education law and family rights.
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
U.S. Department of Education — umbrella office for OSEP and RSA
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
U.S. Department of Education — serves children with disabilities birth through 21
Find Your State's Parent Training & Information Center (PTI)
Parent Center Hub
Procedural Safeguards Notice (34 CFR § 300.504)
Cornell Law School — Legal Information Institute
Wrightslaw: Special Education Law & Advocacy
Wrightslaw
Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities
State-by-state directory of advocates, evaluators, therapists, and attorneys
Defining the Teddy Bear and Stranger Test (Tipsheet)
Tennessee Department of Education / Vanderbilt TRIAD
Resources give you a starting point. Expert guidance tells you what a specific IEP means for a specific child.
A checklist tells you what to look for. We tell you what it means for your specific child and what to do about it.