Does Your Child’s IEP Actually Support Inclusion?
Inclusion isn’t something you ask for at the end of the IEP meeting.
It’s something that has to be built into the IEP starting on page one.
Charmaine Thaner, M.A.
What You’re Up Against
And Why You May Be So Tired
You talk about your child’s strengths.
You explain what works.
You describe what school could look like for your child.
And then the IEP arrives, and it doesn’t say any of that.
Depending on where you are, this might sound familiar:
You’ve been told you’re an equal member of the team… but it doesn’t feel that way.
You know something isn’t working, but you can’t quite tell what needs to change.
You’re tired of advocating year after year, only to see the same patterns repeat.
You’re carrying the emotional weight of this, and you’re trying not to “overreact,” even when your gut is telling you something is off.
If any of this feels familiar, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong.
It’s because you've never shown where and how inclusion gets built inside the IEP.
Imagine ...
opening your child's IEP and actually seeing your child in it, not just a list of what's hard, but a real picture of who they are and how they learn best. Which means you walk into that IEP meeting knowing exactly what to say.
their strengths are not only listed at the top, but clearly connected to their goals and what teachers expect from them so that there's a clear thread from who your child is to what they're working on.
getting extra help doesn't mean leaving class, because the IEP shows how support happens in their general education class so your child gets support without missing out on what their classmates are learning.
your child’s IEP telling one clear story, which means inclusion is easier to support instead of harder to justify.
inclusion is already built into the IEP from the beginning, so you can walk into the meeting ready to move forward instead of fighting for it at the end.
learning with classmates every day becomes the starting point, leaving you free from having to prove your child was ready for it.
"Charmaine, you are such an amazing and knowledgeable advocacy force, and I feel truly blessed to learn from you all the time. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and guidance. I am incredibly grateful for everything you do.
You are a true blessing to the disability community, and please know I will be forever grateful for your support. You helped me through some of my darkest and most difficult moments, and I've learned so much from you.”
~ A.K., Parent
About Charmaine
You want your child to be seen as capable, supported, and included at school.
I’m Charmaine Thaner, an advocate, retired special and general education teacher, and the parent of an adult son with Down syndrome.
I’ve sat at many sides of the IEP table.
As a parent, I know how hard it is when you speak up, explain what your child needs, and still end up with an IEP that does not reflect what you said.
As an educator with more than 30 years in schools, I know how IEPs are written, how decisions are made, and how easily inclusion can get ignored.
That’s why this audit is so focused.
I help you look closely at the parts of the IEP that shape your child's daily school life, so you can see what is supporting inclusion, what may be getting in the way, and what to do next for your child.
The Art of Advocacy: A Parent's Guide to a Collaborative IEP Process is my book for parents who want to ask better questions, push back with confidence, and stop leaving IEP meetings feeling unheard.
Featured on national podcasts and a speaker at leading Inclusion conferences:
INTRODUCING YOUR
Inclusive IEP Audit™
Why This is Different From a Typical IEP Review
Many advocates offer a broad review of the IEP.
The Inclusive IEP Audit™ is more focused than that.
Instead of trying to review every part of the IEP, I walk with you through the sections that lay the foundation for inclusion.
Together, we look at key parts of the IEP so that you can see exactly what's supporting inclusion, what's getting in the way, and what to ask for next.
Those key parts include:
Present Levels
• How your child’s strengths are described
• How needs are written
• Whether the IEP paints a clear picture of your child as a capable learner who belongs
Goals
• One or two goals to see whether they build from your child’s strengths and support meaningful progress
Accommodations
• Whether accommodations are clear, specific, and usable in real life, and whether they support your child’s access to learning alongside classmates
Service Grid & LRE
• What support your child is getting, who is providing it, and where that support happens
WHEN YOU Get Your Inclusive IEP Audit™
You Will...Inclusive IEP Audi
1.
Be Able To Do This
• Read your child’s IEP with a clearer “inclusion lens”
• Spot the parts that are quietly steering your child away from classmates
• Know what to ask for next without trying to rewrite the entire IEP
2.
Discover How To
• Understand how IEP language can either support inclusion or block it
• Notice when strengths are listed but not actually used
• See where supports are written in ways that make pull-out the default
3.
Feel LikeThis
• Less overwhelmed and more prepared
before, during & after the meeting
• Clearer about your priorities
instead of reacting in the moment
• More confident walking into the next conversation with the school team
4.
Break Thru This Barrier
• The feeling that you have to fix everything all at once, right now
• The fog of “something is off, but you can’t quite explain why”
• The cycle of advocating hard… and seeing the same patterns repeat anyway
This isn’t just about IEPs.
It's About Equipping You to be an Even more effective Advocate!
It’s about reclaiming:
Your voice.
Your trust that your child will be valued and included.
Your hope for what’s possible.
What's Included In Your Inclusive IEP Audit™
Thoughtful Pre-Work
You’ll complete a short intake form and send your child’s current IEP.
Before we meet, I review the parts of the IEP that lay the foundation for inclusion, especially Present Levels, one or two priority goals, accommodations, and the Service Grid/LRE.
I’m looking at how your child’s strengths are described, how needs are written, whether supports are clear, and whether the plan is truly building toward inclusion.
Live Inclusive IEP Audit™ on Zoom.
This is the heart of the service.
During our 90-minute Zoom session, we walk through those key sections together.
I’ll help you see what the IEP is really saying, where inclusion may be breaking down, and which issues matter most right now.
You can pause, ask questions, add context, and talk through what is actually happening at school, so this is grounded in your child’s real situation, not just the document.
Recording + Transcript
You’ll receive the recording and transcript after our session, so you do not have to rely on memory or try to piece everything back together from notes.
Inclusion Next Steps Plan
It includes:
* The biggest inclusion concerns we identified
* What we noticed in the IEP sections we reviewed
* Patterns, gaps, or weak spots that may need attention
* What you have already tried
* Three clear next steps to help you move forward
What Parents Are Saying
IS THIS RIGHT FOR YOU?
This IS for you If...
You want inclusion to be built into the IEP, not argued for at the end
You’re tired of vague language and want clarity you can act on
You can’t (and don’t want to) fix everything at once, you want priorities
You want a calm, honest walkthrough of what matters most in your child’s IEP
This is NOT for you if...
You want a full rewrite of the entire IEP in one session (I do offer 1:1 Advocacy support if that is what you're looking for)
You want someone to pursue the highest level conflict strategies right away (this work focuses on resolving issues at the lowest level possible first)
You’re looking for a generic checklist without context for your child and your situation
YOUR INVESTMENT
Inclusive IEP Audit™
This is not a full review of the entire IEP.
It is a focused audit so you can see whether your child's IEP is
actually built for inclusion.
Your $397 includes:
✔ Pre-session review of your intake form and current IEP
✔ A private 90-minute Zoom session focused on the key IEP sections that shape inclusion
✔ Personalized guidance based on your child’s IEP and school situation
✔ A recording and transcript of the session
✔ Your written Inclusion Next Steps Plan
All for $397.
This is not just a consultation.
It is a dedicated session to help you make sense of what's happening, what matters most, and what to do next.
FAQs
Is this worth it if I can just read the IEP myself?
Most parents I work with have read their child’s IEP more than once and are still unsure of what to do next. This session gives you a second set of eyes from someone who spent more than 30 years inside schools writing and reviewing IEPs, and 15 years as a professional advocate, and who knows exactly where inclusion gets quietly written out.
How do I know you'll understand my child's situation?
Before we meet, you’ll fill out a short form so I understand your child, your concerns about inclusion, and what’s feeling hard right now. That way, I’m not giving you generic advice. I’m looking at your child’s actual IEP with your real concerns in mind.
My son has Down syndrome, and I’ve sat at that table as both a parent and a professional. I know what it feels like when the people across the table give you a laundry list of what your child can't do and tell you they "aren't ready" to be included.
Our IEP meeting already happened. Is it too late?
It's never too late. In fact, right after a meeting is one of the best times to do this when everything is fresh and you're trying to figure out what just happened and what to do next. The IEP is a living document. You can always request a meeting to amend the IEP.
What if this makes things worse with the school?
This work is built around collaboration, not conflict. You'll leave with clarity about what to ask for, not a script for a fight. Knowing what's in your child's IEP and understanding what it means doesn't create problems. It helps you have better, calmer, more productive conversations.
I've tried getting help before and nothing changed. Why would this be different?
That's a fair thing to wonder. A lot of help you may have gotten was vague, big on encouragement, short on specifics. This isn't a pep talk. We look at your child's actual IEP together, name what we see, and you leave with three concrete next steps. Not a list of everything wrong. Not a homework assignment you'll dread. Three things. In order. So you know exactly where to start.
Does This Sound Like You...
Your child has an IEP and you're not sure it's actually built for inclusion.
You've sat in IEP meetings and left feeling like something was missing, but you couldn't name it.
You want a clear picture of what's working, what isn't, and what to ask for next.
If so, it's time to schedule your Inclusive IEP Audit™.
What Becomes Possible for Your Child
Your child experiences real inclusion, not just a seat in the room.
They are safe, respected, and treated with dignity, not punished for being different.
They’re met with high expectations and real learning, not watered-down work.
Supports are clear, consistent, and accountable, not vague or conditional.
They’re surrounded by adults who believe in their capacity, not just manage their behavior.
You don’t have to carry this alone anymore.