Special Needs Advocacy Network

01/08/2026

🌟 What Your Advocate Wants You to Know 🌟

📅 Starting January 6, 2026
📅 First & Third Tuesdays, 6–7pm on Zoom
💬 Free community webinar

📢 Save the Dates!

Beginning in January, we’re launching a twice-a-month conversation designed to build confidence, clarity, and real advocacy skills for families. We are pleased to partner with the Special Needs Advocacy Network to help more families access the knowledge, tools, and support they may not otherwise receive.

After helping you resolve disagreements with the school district and secure an appropriate IEP for your child, an advocate’s mission is simple: empower you to become your child’s most effective advocate, so you no longer need us.

This new series is one way our community of advocates is working to reach families who may not otherwise have access to the guidance, tools, or support they deserve.

👥 Join our panel of experienced advocates as they:
• Break down key parts of the special education process
• Share strategies and techniques used by advocates every day
• Explore typical obstacles families encounter
• Debunk myths and clarify the “mysteries” of the IEP process
• Help you learn how to navigate with confidence

🎯 Goal: Give you the skills, insight, and clarity to advocate like a pro – at no cost.

🧩 Open to parents, guardians, caregivers, and anyone wanting to better support a student with a disability.

🖥️ Free on Zoom.
🔗 Registration link and full schedule coming soon!

12/02/2025

Can't wait to partner!

🌟 What Your Advocate Wants You to Know 🌟

📅 Starting January 6, 2026
📅 First & Third Tuesdays, 6–7pm on Zoom
💬 Free community webinar

📢 Save the Dates!

Beginning in January, we’re launching a twice-a-month conversation designed to build confidence, clarity, and real advocacy skills for families. We are pleased to partner with the Special Needs Advocacy Network to help more families access the knowledge, tools, and support they may not otherwise receive.

After helping you resolve disagreements with the school district and secure an appropriate IEP for your child, an advocate’s mission is simple: empower you to become your child’s most effective advocate, so you no longer need us.

This new series is one way our community of advocates is working to reach families who may not otherwise have access to the guidance, tools, or support they deserve.

👥 Join our panel of experienced advocates as they:
• Break down key parts of the special education process
• Share strategies and techniques used by advocates every day
• Explore typical obstacles families encounter
• Debunk myths and clarify the “mysteries” of the IEP process
• Help you learn how to navigate with confidence

🎯 Goal: Give you the skills, insight, and clarity to advocate like a pro – at no cost.

🧩 Open to parents, guardians, caregivers, and anyone wanting to better support a student with a disability.

🖥️ Free on Zoom.
🔗 Registration link and full schedule coming soon!

11/17/2025

📣Action Alert!!

A hearing on H.4217 is happening TOMORROW: Hearing scheduled for 11/18/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1.

AN ACT TO ENSURE FAIR DUE PROCESS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION DISPUTES

You do NOT have to register to testify in person. We now have 8 petitioners but were not made aware that a hearing date had been set - can anyone testify?

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4217

08/21/2025

📣 Join Us This Friday!

🌟 Webinar: Executive Functioning Across the Levels: Supporting Students Through Key Transitions

🗓 Date: Friday
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM-12:30

As students grow, the demands on their executive functioning skills—like organization, time management, and task initiation—become greater. These “soft skills” are critical for academic success, but they’re often overlooked or assumed to develop naturally.

For students with disabilities such as ADHD, Dyslexia, and Autism, explicit instruction and support in these areas is essential.

🎓 In this webinar, you’ll learn:
✅ What executive functioning skills are and how they evolve across grade levels
✅ Common challenges faced by students with disabilities during transitions (elementary → middle, middle → high, high → college)
✅ Appropriate goals, accommodations, and specialized instruction at each stage
✅ How to determine if a student is making effective progress toward independence
✅ Practical strategies for including executive functioning supports in IEPs and 504 plans

👩‍🏫 About the Presenter
Jen Scalese, M.S.Ed., is a Special Education Coach and Advocate with over 24 years of experience in school districts including Wellesley, Belmont, and Boston. She holds a Master’s in Moderate Disabilities from Simmons College, a Bachelor’s in English, and Montessori training. As both an educator and the parent of a neurodivergent teenager, Jen brings both professional expertise and personal insight into how executive functioning needs shift from elementary school through college. She is dedicated to empowering families with tools and advocacy strategies that foster independence, confidence, and success.

👉 Don’t miss this opportunity—reserve your spot today!
https://specialneedsadvocacynetworkinc.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/eZF7B0ohYCWCq