by Alison Stone | May 8, 2026 | Advocacy
Every summer, I hear from parents who realize they no longer have documents they desperately need. The case manager retired. The school changed software systems. The files weren’t transferred when their child changed teachers. And now they are walking into a new...
by Alison Stone | May 7, 2026 | Advocacy
You fought hard to get Extended School Year services written into your child’s IEP. The evaluation data supported it. The team agreed. And now, with summer underway, the school isn’t delivering what was promised. Services are being cut short, providers...
by Alison Stone | Mar 12, 2026 | Advocacy
I’ve been on both sides of the evaluation request. As an administrator, I facilitated evaluations. As an advocate, I’ve fought with schools that dragged their feet, missed timelines, or conducted evaluations so narrow they missed real problems....
by Alison Stone | Mar 11, 2026 | Advocacy
I’m hearing it in conversations with parents every week: “Alison, I’m worried about what budget cuts mean for my child’s IEP. Can they just take services away? What can I do?” Your worry is justified. Arizona is facing real budget...
by Alison Stone | Mar 10, 2026 | Advocacy
Every day, I work with families whose children are struggling—not with math or reading, but with their mental health. Anxiety that makes it impossible to raise a hand in class. Depression that manifests as “laziness” that the school interprets as lack of...
by Alison Stone | Mar 9, 2026 | Advocacy
I’ve sat at the school’s table. I know how they think, what arguments they make, and what they’re banking on you not understanding. As a special education advocate who spent 25 years in Arizona schools—as a teacher, coordinator, and...
