Adriane Gay - Founder of ABG Special Ed Consulting and Champion for IEP Advocacy and Empowerment
Jun 21, 2024
Alimond Studio
What if you could turn the challenges of the IEP process into a journey of empowerment and advocacy? Meet Adriane Gay, founder of ABG Special Ed Consulting, who shares her inspiring journey of transforming her personal experiences into a mission to support parents navigating the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process. Adriane's work is deeply rooted in her passion for special education, driven by her brother's challenges, and leads to her becoming an advocate for children with special needs. Tune in as we unpack the intricate steps of the IEP process, from initial evaluations by specialists to developing tailored goals for each child. Adriane also talks about the common barriers parents encounter, such as schools' reluctance to allocate resources, and the legal pathways available to ensure compliance, like due process.
Join us in exploring how Adriane empowers parents with practical knowledge and strategies to confidently navigate educational meetings and psychological reports. We discuss the emotional hurdles parents face and effective ways to simplify complex information. Adriane emphasizes the importance of virtual support during IEP meetings and shares the wealth of resources available on her blog, IEPmastery.com, designed to guide parents through each step of the special education journey. Hear a touching story about Adriane's brother, illustrating the resilience and strength required in supporting a loved one with special needs. To wrap up, Adriane leaves us with a powerful reminder to live life to the fullest, encapsulating her life mantra, "YOLO – you only live once." This episode is a heartfelt guide for parents and advocates striving to make a difference in the lives of children with special needs.
What if you could turn the challenges of the IEP process into a journey of empowerment and advocacy? Meet Adriane Gay, founder of ABG Special Ed Consulting, who shares her inspiring journey of transforming her personal experiences into a mission to support parents navigating the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process. Adriane's work is deeply rooted in her passion for special education, driven by her brother's challenges, and leads to her becoming an advocate for children with special needs. Tune in as we unpack the intricate steps of the IEP process, from initial evaluations by specialists to developing tailored goals for each child. Adriane also talks about the common barriers parents encounter, such as schools' reluctance to allocate resources, and the legal pathways available to ensure compliance, like due process.
Join us in exploring how Adriane empowers parents with practical knowledge and strategies to confidently navigate educational meetings and psychological reports. We discuss the emotional hurdles parents face and effective ways to simplify complex information. Adriane emphasizes the importance of virtual support during IEP meetings and shares the wealth of resources available on her blog, IEPmastery.com, designed to guide parents through each step of the special education journey. Hear a touching story about Adriane's brother, illustrating the resilience and strength required in supporting a loved one with special needs. To wrap up, Adriane leaves us with a powerful reminder to live life to the fullest, encapsulating her life mantra, "YOLO – you only live once." This episode is a heartfelt guide for parents and advocates striving to make a difference in the lives of children with special needs.
Speaker 1:
Adrienne Gay. The name of my business is ABG Special Ed Consulting and I serve parents with special needs kids. I help them navigate the IEP process.
Speaker 2:
And tell me a little bit about what the IEP process is for those who don't know.
Speaker 1:
It's a whole process. First you have to have a staff, of course the parent, the teacher, the psychologist and OT and other related services, individuals, if that's required, to test your child to see if he or she qualifies for the IEP.
Speaker 2:
And what does IEP stand for?
Speaker 1:
Individual Education Plan.
Speaker 2:
Okay, great. And how did youEP stand for Individual Education Plan? Okay, great. And how did you get into this?
Speaker 1:
Ooh, it started back when I was little. I have a brother who's special needs Okay so, and where I'm from, it's not quality education, Let me just say this. So I got into it, looking at what he went through as a kid Okay. So when I got in like third grade, I okay.
Speaker 1:
I want to help my brother because he didn't get the help and he still has mental, mental health issues going on right now because he just didn't get the help and it just wasn't there. So I wanted to help people like my brother become better citizens of the community and I became a special education teacher and with that so it's something you knew you always wanted to do.
Speaker 1:
Yes, yes, I deviated from it, went in corporate. Just didn't feel right. So I was like then I eventually went back to special education. I've been there for 16 years and that's how I got into it and that's how you got into it. That's how I got into it.
Speaker 2:
So describe a little bit of how you're helping these parents with the process, Because I know I just went through this with my daughter and it was kind of overwhelming the amount of testing that she had to do and the amount of specialists from the county that had to approve and it took us?
Speaker 1:
I mean, I think it was a three-month process. Yes, it could be like three to six months depending on the county and how fast it went.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so tell me a little bit about this process.
Speaker 1:
I help parents with all aspects of this special education, whether it's giving them resources. If I can't help, I got the resources that I could provide the parent. If I can't help, I got the resources that I could provide the parent helping them build the IEP goals objectives.
Speaker 2:
Do you help actually get certain students identified for an IEP, because I feel like that kind of falls through the cracks a bit too.
Speaker 1:
Like some kids that probably need an IEP, that aren't getting identified with their teachers. Well, that's difficult because if I think or a teacher thinks that your child needs an IEP, the parent has to consent. So if the parent doesn't consent, then that's a difficult spot because I can't just nominate your kid for an IEP or for special education services, right? So it just depends on the parent. So if a parent comes to me and say, hey, I have my kid, I know something is wrong, I just can't figure it out, then I'll start. That's the beginning of the process. Then I'll write the letter to the school to get the test and request test that is needed for that particular child to get the IEP or special education services.
Speaker 2:
And is that a hard process? It's not.
Speaker 1:
All you have to do is write a letter yeah, it's a letter to the school, the principal or even just the special ed lead teacher. The lead teacher is the person that's over the teacher that's in the class.
Speaker 2:
Okay.
Speaker 1:
So it's somebody that is they don't teach but they're over the special ed teachers. Correct, yes.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and once you're able to get that process started, then what happens? The student goes in for testing.
Speaker 1:
They go in for testing it's timeframes to it. You submit a letter to the school hey, my child needs special ed services, or I think he or she may qualify for special ed services. After that they have 10 days to say okay, this is what we're going to do and these are the services that we're going to provide. Whether they need a psych, whether you feel like your child need OT, occupational therapy, assisted technology, it just depends on the child and every testing is different. But the psychological evaluation is the number one that all child, every child has to go through.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and do you do this for one county or do you work with several different counties in the area?
Speaker 1:
Well, I do it all around. I've done it for parents in New York, marion, south Carolina, georgia, atlanta, georgia and DeKalb County, georgia. But it's just because idea is idea, the law is the law and school systems may have certain things, guidelines, that you may have to go by, but for the most part, idea is the law.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it's the law. What challenges are you seeing in getting some of these IEPs approved?
Speaker 1:
Oh, the school. The school doesn't want to or can't provide the resources that is required for that particular student to have. So it's difficult, if a child already has an IEP, getting the school to provide the services and for me, the most cases that I've seen parents come to me, they already have IEP. The school is not doing this, they refuse to do this. So if the school is not doing it and they're refusing to do it, that leaves no other way than go to due process.
Speaker 2:
What's due process?
Speaker 1:
Due process is the starting of a legal situation when you have a complaint about the school and the services that they're not providing for your child. That is, on their IEP, which is a legal binding document.
Speaker 2:
Yes, absolutely. Do you think that the schools are resistant to doing this because of lack of funding?
Speaker 1:
I think it's a lack of funding, but I'm realizing it's a lack of knowledge. Yes, and I see the lack of knowledge more so in public charter schools, where they're getting the funds for special ed kids because you get paid per kid when your child is on special education. They're getting the funds but they don't want to take the necessary trainings or provide the necessary trainings for the teachers to provide the services to the kids with the IEPs.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, do you find that some parents take advantage of the system and there's some kids that need it more than others?
Speaker 1:
I haven't met any parents that took advantage of the system, have I heard? I've heard a couple where they misuse it and just try to get things. That is just overly. Just like your kid really do not need that, but you're going to try to get it because you know by law the school has to provide it. Correct, but then you have parents that just don't know what the school is supposed to do. Yeah, so it's more so parents not knowing than parents that do know.
Speaker 2:
How do you educate those parents on what the services are that are offered and accessible to them?
Speaker 1:
that are offered and accessible to them. I provide them with the law for one free, appropriate education, an idea, and that's it I mean the law is the law.
Speaker 2:
The law is the law, the law is the law. Yeah, so do you contract out with the different schools or are you mostly working privately with the parents, as like a consultant, to get this process done?
Speaker 1:
I've consulted with two schools. Okay, but that's not where I really want to be.
Speaker 2:
Okay.
Speaker 1:
But I'm gearing more towards parents, and that's why I started my nonprofit to help parents that just don't know.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, because it's an overwhelming process.
Speaker 1:
It's an overwhelming process and it can be very intimidating if you don't know.
Speaker 2:
Yes, and especially if English is not your first language too, that's a hard thing to navigate and understand right, right yeah. Do you have a favorite story? That was super rewarding to you that you were like oh yes this kid that you were able to help, and now they're graduated and off to college. Oh, I haven't had that experience yet.
Speaker 1:
But I did have an experience where um parent came to me. I dealt with her back in October of last year. Something simple and um I reached back out just to see how the kid was doing. She was still having issues with school, so we decided to go through the due process and I won it oh good we got the services that the kid needs, everything that the kids need, yeah, so that was my win, one of my wins and that felt good.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and you're like this is what I want to keep doing.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, what do you find most rewarding about it?
Speaker 1:
Helping people. I just like helping people and teaching people. Yes, because you don't know what you don't know, right, and I like for people to know.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, knowledge is power, right.
Speaker 1:
Knowledge is power, and I want my parents to not need me as well too, so I want them to be able to advocate for themselves and their kids, so I provide that knowledge where they can go into a meeting and say I got this.
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 1:
I got this Versus. Oh my God. What is going on? All these people are here. Who is that? Who is that, oh my God. But no, the meetings are just about your kid. You know your kid better than anybody knows your kid Right. So who's the better advocate? I mean, I can help you advocate, yeah, but who's the best advocate? You know your kid better than I do.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, a kid better than I do, yeah, or anybody. So you're your best advocate. Yeah, advocating for your children is so important. But I know how overwhelming those meetings can be, because I've been in them and you're sitting there and I think I cried like halfway through the first one, Cause I'm just like I'm failing as a parent. How do you help parents through that kind of emotional process too? Cause it is emotional.
Speaker 1:
It is is emotional and I had a parent that cried every meeting and got irate every meeting, so it's just a reassuring. Yeah, and the school do things to make you feel intimidated right and if you don't know, it's very intimidating it is it's very intimidating, but if you know it, ok cool, it's easy breezy. But for the parent it's like no help me. And she cried. She literally cried.
Speaker 2:
We had to stop the meeting when she just cried that bad. How do you help parents? Kind of translate some of that, because it is. I mean, I was given a packet.
Speaker 1:
You were given a packet.
Speaker 2:
Huge amount of information, of psychological testing and educational testing, and With bars and graphs. Yes, I'm looking at this, polka dots and even some of the teachers. I was like I feel like you're speaking another language to me. I don't understand. How do you help parents understand what the school is giving back to them?
Speaker 1:
What I do is because at the end of that psychological report right, that evaluation, it's a debrief. At the end, yeah, right, it's a debrief, and that debrief is the end yeah, right, it's a debrief, and that debrief is everything in that. In that report Right, it's everything in that report. But it's just simpler, right, it's simpler. So what I do like the cliff notes, it's like the cliff notes. So what I do is we go through, we go through the report. They get overwhelmed. I just said just turn to the back page. Yes, that's everything you need to know, it's right there.
Speaker 2:
It's right there because you're flipping through these and everyone's talking to you at the same time and you're like what is happening, right, and the words start to look like chicken noodle soups on paper.
Speaker 1:
Yes, it does, I know. So that report everything's in the back. It's simple. It's very simple because, as a teacher for over 16 years, I used to get intimidated by the reports. And then I had the psychologist that did the report. She said, ms Gay, go to the back. I went to the back. She said that's all you need to know. That's all you need to know. That sums up all the tests, all the information in this report.
Speaker 2:
I wish someone told me that at the beginning of the meeting, right she said it's right here.
Speaker 1:
It's right here. Everything you need to know is in the back of that report. It sums it up. It's like a you know the books they got for dummies. It's a cliff note and I said, oh my God, this is like a tool for dummies Because. And I said, oh my God, this is like a tool for dummies because I didn't know. So I was very dumb in that part.
Speaker 2:
Well, if you're not in that world and these people are doing it every single day, all day, and you know, day in, day out, and this terminology that they use is second nature to them, but some of these parents have never heard this, right.
Speaker 1:
But I felt dumb reading it, that never heard this, right. But I felt dumb, yeah, reading it. That 27-page report, right. And I was like how am I supposed to build? When I first got started, how am I supposed to build an IEP on some stuff I don't even understand? Right, and she said, ms Gay, go to the back. Yeah, I said what's in the back? She said everything you need to know. Everything. In the back, she said everything you need to know, everything you need to know Everything you need to know. Yeah, so I just tell the parents we go over it, I let them go through the process and I just say turn to the back.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Everything you need to know about every test that they gave your child is in that summary.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so when you're helping people from all over, it sounds like are you doing this remotely. Like are you getting in on the Zoom calls during the IEP meetings? Oh, that's nice.
Speaker 1:
Zoom.
Speaker 2:
Yes, how great is that? So you feel like you can be right there in the room.
Speaker 1:
I am right there in the room, I put myself in the room, I give my input, I stop the meeting when the parent gets overwhelmed and we take breaks. So I'm there, I'm there virtually yes. On a little screen right there, I'm right there, I'm right there, and it makes the parent feel feel better as well, because they don't know what they're the school is talking about, or the district. So I'm there to break it down now. Hey, miss such and such, whatever, whoever the person is. Do you understand what was just said?
Speaker 2:
this is.
Speaker 1:
This is what this means.
Speaker 2:
This is what that means yeah and then, then, we yeah, a lot of them are in there nodding their head and really don't even know what's going on, yeah.
Speaker 1:
So I stop and say, hey, do you, do you understand what? What was just said, do you understand? Yeah, do you need them to go back over it?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, cause this whole group of people is telling you all of these things about your kid and you're like, but nobody knows my kid better than me. But how are you guys all telling me this information?
Speaker 1:
Right, right, so yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, what are you doing for marketing and advertising to kind of get your clients in the door?
Speaker 1:
I am on Instagram.
Speaker 2:
Okay.
Speaker 1:
I am on LinkedIn and I have a blog as well, and I also have a newsletter people can subscribe to Great.
Speaker 2:
What would be your top? Like three things of advice for parents going through this process. Maybe top five, Top five. Yeah, Stay calm.
Speaker 1:
Read, you know your child better than anybody. Read you know you know your child better than anybody. So don't let no one else advocate for your child more than you. Right, even if they say such and such, you know your child. So if you know your child, you know your child. Just stick to it. Be patient, because special education is a patient process, and just take it easy on yourself. Be easy on yourself.
Speaker 2:
Easy on yourself. That's a good one you deserve it Be easy. Is there loopholes or ways around the timeline of this?
Speaker 1:
Of the process. Yeah, it depends on the district, okay. So I think the timelines are the timelines. I don't think there's a loophole around it, but Some school systems move faster than others, right. So I don't think it's a loophole, I just think it's a process. It's a process and it depends on how fast or how slow the school system moves.
Speaker 2:
Right, because we started the process I think in December of last year. I think she finally got approved for everything. I think it was late March, april, but school year is almost over. Yeah, so then I felt like it was like crunch time to kind of get her caught up and get her the health routine.
Speaker 1:
That's the time to prepare for next year. Yeah, because when you do crunch time, you stretch yourself out.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
If we know the year's out, it's almost over. Build on that year, build on what we have left and just prepare for next year. So next year you'll be better equipped.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, you're ready. Yeah, and we're taking advantage of summer school this year just to kind of keep her on track, which we haven't done before, but I figured, why not if we have that?
Speaker 1:
so is it summer school? Yes, why summer school? Summer school?
Speaker 2:
yeah, just to kind of keep her on track and okay, and like they said, like you said, build on this year.
Speaker 1:
I was like don said build on this year. I was like I'm not going to like it, but it's why not, right? Because?
Speaker 2:
I feel like summer hits and then these kids go back and they lose it. And then you're starting all over again, despite your best efforts over the summer of keeping up with reading and schooling activities and stuff, it falls by the wayside. What I did with my kid.
Speaker 1:
she's 16 now. She sat in IEP for a minute, but what I did with my kid? I used to buy her Bridge Books.
Speaker 2:
What's Bridge Books?
Speaker 1:
Bridge Books. You can find those in Target, amazon. It's like books on their grade level that helps them bridge the gap If you feel like they're going to lose information. It's like workbooks that you can give them. Hey, do five work pages. I mean, it depends on what you want to do with your child. Just have them to work that bridge book. It's called bridge book, bridge books we have to look that up where she may not even need summer school. She just need to continue to build on her skills that she has.
Speaker 2:
we're doing everything except for school, what we're doing in summer school. I'm going to go get the bridge books, but there you go bridge books and they work really good.
Speaker 1:
You can find those at Target and I think it's Brainess I can't remember the name of it. I haven't used that book but I'm going to use them pretty soon. My son is four. I have a four-year-old. We will be using BridgeBooks. Yeah, it helps bridge the gap.
Speaker 2:
That's actually another good question. What advice do you have for parents for keeping their kids on track over the summer?
Speaker 1:
BridgeBooks BridgeBooks Summer school. Most kids do ESY, which is extended school year. It's where it's in the IEP, Okay, so if you have extended school year you have to do, and if your parents feel like you're going to lose information over long breaks, then they enroll you for extended school year. It's not summer school, because summer school is working on academics. It is why it's working on their goals.
Speaker 2:
Oh, okay, that's in their IEP, so it's more tailored to them. Yep, it's more tailored to their IEP, like if they're doing great in math, but they need some help in reading, then they would just focus on reading, on the reading part. Yeah, Um. So where do you see yourself going with all of this in the next few?
Speaker 1:
years. I plan to see myself bridging off into different countries and helping parents in different countries how do other countries compare with these, with IEPs? In these it depends on the country yeah, and I'm not very well versed in that yet, but I heard that. I heard that special education in other countries is not good as well for parents. So that is my ultimate goal is to bridge off into other countries.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, or what about even people that are from the States, maybe that are living abroad, going to charter schools and stuff? Do you think there's a place there for help?
Speaker 1:
It could be. Yeah, I've never looked into that.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
So yeah, that's an option as well.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that are used to kind of the American school system and now they're dealing with a whole other, A whole other country language. Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Academic system, educational system, so yeah, yeah, what would you say?
Speaker 2:
is the top like IEP that you deal with? What do you feel like is the most common Like? Do you feel like?
Speaker 1:
people are Like the disability.
Speaker 2:
Or the most common disability, I guess kind of like categories for like reading, math, like where do you think?
Speaker 1:
about the school systems Reading and math.
Speaker 2:
Reading math specifically.
Speaker 1:
Reading and math. Yeah, we have some kids with science but we know science and math go together. So if you have a deficit in reading and math, not going to do too good in science but for the most part reading and math, but the highest is reading.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah. Do you offer any type of like printed guidelines or anything for parents?
Speaker 1:
that oh yes, I have a store, a digital store, that I provide digital products to parents for that very reasonable price.
Speaker 2:
But yeah, I do. And how about like resources on your website? Are there different?
Speaker 1:
Yes, I have an IEP blog, okay, and it's called IEPmasterycom. Oh, I like that IEPmasterycom, because I feel like you do need a master's degree to get through this process, so that has a wealth of information on it as well. Yeah, about the laws and the process, the different types of disability categories, which we know is 13, and so it's just.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I have yeah, there's 13 different categories that you can get special aid for for yeah, how's your brother doing today?
Speaker 1:
oh, he's a cookie. He's a cookie, that's all I would say. Is he at? He's at home with my mom.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
He's at home with my mom. He's 34.
Speaker 2:
Is he thriving and doing well? No, yeah, no, still needs a lot of help. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And how does your mom handle that?
Speaker 1:
I think she just handled it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, because that's kind of what inspired you to.
Speaker 1:
Right, she just handled it and I think after your kid gets a certain age, you know they feel like there's nothing wrong with me. So he's just he's there?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, he's there. He's there, he's working through it, he's working through it, and you and your mom are there to support him. And my sister yep, and your sister. That's great, Yep.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, well, as we kind of wrap up here, are there any last words of advice you'd like to leave us with, or maybe?
Speaker 2:
like a mantra that you live your life by. My mantra for life is just YOLO, live it. Yeah, I haven't heard that in a while. I've heard it. Tell me what it stands for. Oh you're what is it YOLO?
Speaker 1:
You're, you only live once there. It is there, it is yeah, you only live once and live it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah. Live it Live it, live it. Yeah Well, thank you for sharing your story with us today. I know that this information is going to be helpful to so many parents out there that are going through this process, that need help navigating it. So I think your services are amazing and I hope you all I wish you all the success.