I run Effective IEPs, a special education advocacy practice for families navigating evaluations, IEP meetings, service disputes, and educational rights. I hold a BA in special education and an M.Ed. in instructional design, focused on K-12 applications, and have spent 18 years in disability and education, about 15 of them teaching executive-functioning skills directly to teens. I've sat through hundreds of IEP meetings advocating for students with ADHD, autism, twice exceptionality, and PDA, and guided many families through 504-to-IEP transitions. I'm not a lawyer, and I don't give legal advice. What I offer is the view from inside the room: what IDEA and Section 504 actually require, what districts typically do, and what parents can ask for before a decision gets made instead of after...