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Hello, I'm David Poeschl, a retired school district special education director and Cal State University lecturer. For the past 10 years I have been providing individual advocacy services to parents of students with disabilities. Currently, I speak to 300-400 families per year and work closely with 40-50 of those. I see every day the difficulty parents have trying to access the system initially, and the struggles to get and maintain a good special education program for their children over tim ...
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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the Dyslexic Thinker
25:22
25:22
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Send us a text In this episode I talk about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how it works for students who are Dyslexic Thinkers (see definition below). We'll do a review of what UDL is, profile a typical dyslexic learner, hear from successful dyslexics and I'll describe a model lesson plan . Definition of a dyslexic thinking (Dictionary.com…
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Send us a text IEP accommodations are the most difficult part of the process to both ensure they are being implemented and that they are being implemented correctly. In this episode I define what accommodations are and how they are used in general education classrooms. But more importantly, I will share with you the most effective ways to guarantee…
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Self-Determination, the Secret Sauce to Life Success (Article Review)
7:25
7:25
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Send us a text In this episode, I review an article that examines the importance of teaching self-determination skills to students with autism (and everyone else in actuality). I talk about the components that make up the skill and the emerging research on the effectiveness of mentoring. Here is a link to the article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/…
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Parent Training and Information Centers, a Gem Hiding in Plain Sight (For Your Information)
8:31
8:31
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Send us a text In this episode I talk about a free resource that can provide you with training, technical and emotional support and information that covers all things special education and 504s. And this resource is likely right in your geographic area. They can help you become an effective advocate for your child. Parent Training and Information C…
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Function of Behavior (Behavior Series Part 3)
8:29
8:29
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Send us a text In this episode I'll discuss the importance of determining the function of a problem behavior. Is it attention, escape, a tangible, sensory related or power and control? This is important information for parents to know because the more you know about special education practice, the more you can help your IEP team create a workable b…
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Homework and the Neurodivergent Child - Ways to Cope and Even Thrive (Commentary)
9:35
9:35
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Send us a text Homework, literally, a traumatic experience for many neurodivergent children and their families. If you are in this situation, how can you make it at least tolerable, or even an enriching experience? In this episode, I talk about why these students are so resistant to the idea of homework, the importance of making it relevant, and ho…
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Dyslexic Thinkers Recognized as Gifted by British Intelligence (For Your Information)
24:03
24:03
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Send us a text Dyslexia – the 21st Century’s Superpower (says a British study of the skills needed to succeed in the new AI world) This fascinating new study overseen by the British charity Made By Dyslexia analyzes the human skills that are needed to use AI to its fullest potential. The study's sponsor's, who agree with and support its results inc…
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Neurodiversity - Gifts and Challenges, an Example (Musing)
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Send us a text What does neurodivesity in the classroom look like? This musing is a specific example of what a student faces, both as a challenge and a gift while being neurodivergent.By David Poeschl
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Send us a text IEP goals are the most important part of the entire IEP process. It is vital to write goals that clearly and concisely describe what progress a student should make on a specific skill over the course of a year. The services a student receives is directly relarted to goals in an IEP. The IEP team determines what services are needed to…
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Send us a text Getting back to school from break often makes parents feel their child is not making the progress at this time of year that they should. If its lack of objective data on goals reporting, an accommodation that has not been implemented despite months of trying, an email question that hasn't been answered... Parents should know that edu…
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Teens with High Functioning Autism and School - Problems and Solutions (Commentary)
23:18
23:18
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23:18
Send us a text I have seen a significant trend in my practice, teens with high functioning autism unable to attend school due to intense anxiety. The problem of children with autism who are unable to cope with school and develop agoraphobic type symptoms has long been around, but the increased numbers of highly intelligent, often with a "superpower…
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Send us a text This short episode discusses the importantance of children being recognized for partially accomplishing an appropriate behavior. There needs to be a series of steps in learing something new, and lots of practice to master it. Behavior is the same, learning how to act in a new way is like any other skill, the small successes need to r…
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Institutional Gaslighting in Special Education (Commentary)
17:38
17:38
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Send us a text Many schools and districts practice a form of institutional gaslighting. I talk about how the structure of schools, along with how the socioeconomic level of the parent determines how much influence a parent has on their child's IEP process. Other factors such as parent participation are important, see this link for a research articl…
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Send us a text In this episode we'll get into the most important part of a behavior plan, reinforcement. Learn what it is and what it looks like. Remember, the more you know about special education practice, particularly how Positive Behavior Support is supposed to work, the better off you will be at IEP meetings and in helping the team. Here are a…
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Special Education and Preschool - Facts on the Ground (Commentary)
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10:10
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Send us a text The preschool special education system in California is in critical need of reform. Listen to my experience with the system in the California counties where I provide advocacy services. The system as we now know it excludes neurodivergent children from the preschool system in alarming numbers. The fact that many of these children are…
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Discipline and Informal Removal in Special Education in California (Policy and Law)
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Send us a text Learn how the discipline system for students with disabilites in California works, and how the letter and spirit of the law is often violated by school officials. Schools often under report discuplinary removal of student's with disabilities from their classrooms. They do this by using "informal removals" (see below for link to OSEP …
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Positive Behavior Support (PBS) - the Basics (Behavior Series Part 1)
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Send us a text I've included a transcript of this episode. And here are a few helpful links to expand your knowledge of PBS. - https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ80580 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_behavior_support - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5048254/ This will be the first of many podcast episodes featuring different aspects of PB…
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Universal Design for Learning (For Your Information)
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13:09
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Send us a text Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a method of teaching that embeds accommodations for all students into general education settings. Students who are visual, or auditory, or tactile/sensory learners are taught, and the student can show mastery, in the way that uses their strengths. UDL has been successfully implemented in thousan…
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Send us a text I've was a behaviorist for several years and have written and overseen hundreds of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or Positive Behavior Support (BIP) based behavior plans. I've been a believer in the effectiveness of ABA and its offshoot, Positive Behavior Support for my entire career. ABA and the structure it provides to individuals…
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Recess and Discipline - Good News! (Policy and Law)
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2:22
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Send us a text Starting in the 24-25 school year, schools can no longer restrict access to recess as a punishment. Particularly for students with special needs, the use of this punishment hurts much more than just the loss of time. It means the loss of a time to get away from the stresses of a classroom, from the rigidity and sometimes difficult se…
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