Podcast Episodes - Flor de Amelia | Starting with IEP Support for Parents & Educators

Join host Flor de Amelia Hoffman as she talks with experts, parents, and educators who are navigating the IEP journey in real time. These conversations are honest, practical, and designed to help make the process feel clearer and more manageable.

You can listen to Starting with IEP on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. If an episode resonates with you, we’d love for you to rate, review, subscribe, or share it with someone who might find it helpful.

Interested in being a guest on Starting with IEP? If you have a story or perspective you’d like to share, you’re welcome to reach out at flor@flordeamelia.com

Listener-Favorite Episodes You Might Have Missed!

Whether you’re just beginning or continuing your IEP journey, you’re welcome here. Take a look at the episodes below and start with the conversation that feels most helpful right now.

Episode 32: How to Disagree in IEP Meetings Without Feeling Intimidated ft. Marielle Mathews

9 Apr 2026

Feeling Overwhelmed by IEPs? Start with the Parent’s Starter Toolkit

Listener-Favorite Episodes You Might Have Missed!

Episode 32: How to Disagree in IEP Meetings Without Feeling Intimidated ft. Marielle Mathews

Episode 31: IEP Meetings: When to Say Yes and No, What Schools Won’t Tell You with Marielle Mathews

Episode 30: What Schools Won’t Tell You About ESY, 1:1 Support, and IEP Decisions

Episode 29: Is Your Child’s IEP Too Long… or Just Done Right? (What Schools Won’t Tell You)

Episode 28: What Every Parent Must Know About Transition IEP Planning

Episode 27: A School Psychologist POV on IEP Eligibility & Educational Impact with Marielle Mathews

Episode 26: IEP Trauma and Trust: How Strong Admin Leadership Shapes Parent-School Partnerships

Episode 25: Mastering IEP Decisions: Retention, Advocacy, and Admin Insight

Episode 24: Why OT Eligibility Varies: How Therapist Approaches Shape School vs. Private OT

Episode 23: Present Levels and Why IEP Goals Fall Apart Without Them

Episode 22: Baseline Data and the Difference Between Real and Artificial

Episode 21: What Early Intervention Progress Really Looks Like in the First 6 Months

Episode 20: Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers and the Path to the IEP

Episode 19: The Power of Parent Networks in Navigating the IEP Process

Episode 18: Newly Diagnosed and Overwhelmed – What Families Must Do First

Episode 17: From Transcription IEPs to Real Jobs – What Families Need To Do Before It Is Too Late

Episode 16: Avoid the Gap Year – A Parent’s Guide to Transition IEPs and Adult Services

Episode 15: The Missing Supporting Piece in IEPs and Why Kids Need Interest-Based Social Groups

Episode 14: How IEP Goals Turn Into Real Life Skills at Home, with Family, and Everywhere They Go

Episode 13: Stop Guessing – Dr. Heller’s Guide to Reading Evaluation Reports & Planning Interventions

Episode 12: A Dad’s Journey of Advocacy in the IEP System: He Refused to Give Up and His Son Beats the Odds

Episode 11: From Expert to Dad – How the IEP System Looks Different When It’s Your Child

Episode 10: It’s Not Just a Report – It’s a Roadmap: Making Sense of Psychological Evaluations

Episode 9: IEPs to Degrees – Becoming the Role Model I Never Had with Brad Butler II

Episode 8: Guiding our Kids Beyond the IEP – Lessons in Advocacy and Growth with Randi Schleider

Episode 7: How Assistive Technology Unlocks Kids’ Independence with Joan Green

Episode 6: Life Beyond the IEP – Preparing Kids with Autism for Adulthood with Dr. Sylvie Nguena

Episode 5: Empowering Bilingual Parents with their IEP with Sandy Santeiro

Episode 4: Behind the Table — Perspectives from a Special Educator with Veronica Karwoski

Episode 3: Goals That Matter with Heather Knickerbocker

Episode 2: The Emotional Toll of Advocacy with Missy Purcell

Episode 1: Why this Podcast Exists – And Why I Get It

Trailer: Welcome to Starting with IEP

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