Holy Spirit Special Education Advocacy Firm

11/04/2026

💙📚 EVERY CHILD DESERVES AN EDUCATION THAT MEETS THEIR NEEDS!

📢 NOW ACCEPTING NEW FAMILIES — ADVOCACY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE!

Are you struggling to understand your child's IEP? Do you feel overwhelmed during ARD meetings? Are you concerned that your child is not receiving the special education services or accommodations they need to succeed?

You don't have to navigate the special education system alone!

At Holy Spirit Special Education Advocacy Firm, we believe every parent deserves to be heard, informed, and empowered to advocate for their child's educational rights.

💙 HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY?

✅ IEP & 504 Plan Support: Review and explain your child's educational plan, accommodations, goals, and services.

✅ ARD & 504 Meeting Advocacy: Attend school meetings with you, help you prepare questions, and ensure your concerns are addressed.

✅ Special Education Evaluations: Guide families through requesting and understanding Full Individual and Initial Evaluations (FIIEs), reevaluations, and eligibility decisions.

✅ Educational Rights & Legal Protections: Help parents understand their rights under IDEA, Section 504, FAPE, and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

✅ Behavioral & Emotional Support: Assist families in understanding Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs), Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs), and appropriate school-based supports.

✅ School Communication & Dispute Resolution: Support parents in communicating concerns, requesting services, and addressing disagreements with school districts.

✅ Parent Education & Empowerment: Provide guidance, resources, and strategies to help parents become confident advocates for their children.

💰 AFFORDABLE, INCOME-BASED ADVOCACY SERVICES

We understand that financial challenges should never prevent a family from receiving advocacy support.

💚 Low-income families may qualify for FREE advocacy services.

💙 Other families receive services at rates based on household income.

Our mission is to make special education advocacy accessible to the families who need it most.

📍 Serving San Antonio, Texas, and surrounding communities.

📅 WE CURRENTLY HAVE APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE!

Whether your child already receives special education services, has a 504 Plan, or you are just beginning the evaluation process, we are here to guide you.

📩 Send us a message today to schedule an initial consultation with a Special Education Advocate!
2105776500
[email protected]

✨ Informed Parents. Empowered Families. Stronger Educational Outcomes.

Holy Spirit Special Education Advocacy Firm 💙

10/29/2026

🚨 RACIAL BIAS IN FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENTS (FBAs): Is Your Child Being Supported or Punished?

⚖️ Behavior Should Be Understood, Not Just Disciplined!

Research and federal civil rights data have documented racial disparities in school discipline, including higher rates of exclusionary discipline for Black students and students with disabilities.

But what happens when racial bias influences how a child's behavior is interpreted during a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)?

⚠️ PARENTS, THIS CONVERSATION MATTERS!

An FBA should help identify WHY a behavior occurs, what triggers it, and what supports a student needs to succeed.

However, subjective descriptions can influence decisions when teams rely on opinions instead of measurable evidence.

🔎 WATCH FOR THESE RED FLAGS:

❌ Labels such as "aggressive," "defiant," or "disrespectful" without specific behavioral descriptions.

❌ Disciplinary referrals without examining environmental triggers.

❌ Cultural differences or communication styles mistaken for behavioral problems.

❌ Punishments recommended before positive behavioral interventions are explored.

❌ Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) focused primarily on consequences rather than teaching replacement skills.

🗣️ 7 QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING YOUR ARD MEETING:

1️⃣ What objective data supports the behaviors described in the FBA?

2️⃣ How was the behavior defined, measured, and documented?

3️⃣ Were observations conducted across different settings, staff members, and times?

4️⃣ Were cultural, linguistic, disability-related, and environmental factors considered?

5️⃣ What happened BEFORE the behavior, and how did adults respond afterward?

6️⃣ What positive behavioral interventions were attempted before disciplinary consequences?

7️⃣ How will the BIP teach replacement skills and measure progress?

⚖️ KNOW YOUR CHILD'S RIGHTS!

Under IDEA, when behavior interferes with learning, the IEP team must consider positive behavioral interventions and supports.

Federal civil rights protections also prohibit unlawful racial discrimination in school discipline.

An FBA should be individualized, evidence-based, and focused on understanding behavior—not reinforcing stereotypes.

📢 PARENTS, ADVOCATE WITH DATA!

Request copies of behavioral observations, disciplinary referrals, FBA findings, and BIP progress reports.

Ask the ARD committee to document your concerns and explain how its decisions are supported by evidence.

💙 Every child deserves to be understood before being judged and supported before being punished.

📚 Holy Spirit Special Education Advocacy Firm
Empowering Parents. Protecting Student Rights.

10/26/2026

🚨 THE DUAL-LABEL HURDLE: When a Child Is Both an English Learner and a Student With an Intellectual Disability

📚 Two Educational Needs. Two Sets of Protections. One Child.

Imagine your child is learning English while also receiving special education services under an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

The school tells you, “We need to focus on English first,” or “Your child's disability makes bilingual instruction too difficult.”

⚠️ Parents, these statements should raise serious concerns!

Under federal law, students who are Emergent Bilingual (EB)/English Learners (EL) and have disabilities are entitled to appropriate language acquisition services AND special education services.

One identification does not cancel out the other.

🔎 THE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS

Students with intellectual disabilities who are also learning English may encounter:

❌ Limited access to bilingual or English language development instruction.

❌ Disability-related learning needs mistakenly attributed to language differences.

❌ English proficiency challenges incorrectly interpreted as evidence of intellectual disability.

❌ IEP goals that overlook language development.

❌ Special education placements that unnecessarily restrict access to language services.

❌ Poor coordination between special education and bilingual/ESL teachers.

📌 WHAT SHOULD PARENTS EXPECT?

✅ 1. Coordinated Services

The ARD/IEP team and Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) should coordinate instruction and supports. In Texas, both committees have responsibilities when a student receives special education and bilingual/ESL services.

✅ 2. Appropriate Evaluations

Evaluations must consider the student's language background and distinguish disability-related needs from limited English proficiency. Assessments must be conducted in the child's native language or other appropriate mode of communication unless clearly not feasible.

✅ 3. Meaningful Language Instruction

Students with intellectual disabilities can learn and develop language skills! Instruction should be individualized, accessible, and aligned with their communication and cognitive needs.

✅ 4. Measurable Progress

Parents should review progress in BOTH areas: IEP goals and English language development. Ask how the school measures growth and adjusts instruction.

📝 FIVE QUESTIONS TO ASK AT YOUR NEXT ARD MEETING

1️⃣ How are my child's special education and language services coordinated?

2️⃣ Who provides English language development instruction, and how often?

3️⃣ How are language needs reflected in the IEP?

4️⃣ What data demonstrates progress in both areas?

5️⃣ Is my child missing either service because of scheduling, staffing, or placement?

❤️ REMEMBER:

Your child's disability should not be used to deny appropriate language services. Their English proficiency should not be used to delay or deny needed special education.

Two labels should mean coordinated support—not fewer opportunities.

📣 At Holy Spirit Special Education Advocacy Firm, we help families understand their rights, review IEPs, and advocate for appropriate educational services.

📖 Every language matters. Every ability matters. Every child deserves access.

10/23/2026

🚨 THE “QUIET” RIGHTS VIOLATIONS: WHEN BUDGET CUTS IMPACT YOUR CHILD’S IEP

Is your child receiving every minute of special education services promised in their IEP?

Across schools, staffing shortages, growing caseloads, and budget pressures can create a concerning problem: services being reduced, delayed, or missed without parents realizing it.

These changes may happen quietly, without an official ARD meeting or clear communication.

⚖️ PARENTS, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools must provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and implement each child's IEP.

💡 Budget limitations and staffing shortages do NOT excuse a district from its legal obligation to provide required services.

A school cannot simply reduce your child's speech therapy, occupational therapy, specialized instruction, or other IEP services because staffing is limited.

🔎 PARENT CHECKLIST: 7 WARNING SIGNS

☐ Your child reports that speech or other therapy sessions are frequently canceled.

☐ A 30-minute session consistently lasts only 10–15 minutes.

☐ Individual therapy is replaced with group sessions without appropriate IEP team consideration.

☐ Your child regularly misses services because the provider is unavailable.

☐ Progress reports show little improvement, but nobody explains why.

☐ Staff mention overwhelming caseloads or insufficient funding.

☐ Service schedules change without clear communication or required IEP procedures.

📋 HOW TO TRACK MISSING SERVICE MINUTES

Imagine your child's IEP requires speech therapy for 30 minutes, twice weekly.

That's 60 minutes per week.

If the therapist's caseload doubles and your child receives only two 15-minute sessions, your child is missing 30 minutes of required services that week.

Create a service tracking log:

📅 Date of scheduled service

⏰ Minutes required by the IEP

✅ Minutes actually delivered

👩‍🏫 Individual or group setting

❌ Missed or shortened sessions

📝 School's explanation

Keep in mind: parents may need to request service delivery records to verify what actually occurred.

📣 WHAT SHOULD PARENTS DO?

1. Request service delivery logs in writing.
2. Compare documented services with the IEP.
3. Ask how missed services will be addressed.
4. Request an ARD meeting if concerns continue.
5. Discuss whether compensatory services are necessary.

⚠️ Not every schedule change is an IEP violation. However, repeated missed or shortened services deserve immediate attention.

REMEMBER: An IEP is not a suggestion. It is a legally enforceable commitment.

Your child's educational rights do not disappear because a school is understaffed or underfunded.

💙 Holy Spirit Special Education Advocacy Firm

We help families understand their rights, review IEP implementation concerns, and advocate for appropriate services.

Services available at no cost to qualifying low-income families and income-based rates for others.

10/21/2026

🚨 TEXAS SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING IS CHANGING! WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HB 2 & SB 568 🚨

💰 A $250 MILLION SHIFT TOWARD FUNDING STUDENT NEEDS, NOT JUST PLACEMENT!

Texas is changing how public schools receive funding for special education. Under HB 2 and SB 568, the state is moving away from a funding system primarily based on instructional settings toward one focused on the intensity of services students need.

But what does this mean for your child's IEP, services, and educational rights?

📚 THE OLD SYSTEM: WHERE SERVICES WERE DELIVERED

Historically, Texas special education funding relied heavily on instructional arrangement codes, such as resource rooms, mainstream classrooms, and self-contained settings.

These codes helped determine funding, but they did not always reflect the complexity or intensity of an individual student's needs.

🔄 THE NEW APPROACH: WHAT SUPPORT DOES YOUR CHILD NEED?

Texas is transitioning toward a service-intensity funding model that considers the level of special education support students require.

This makes accurate documentation of services increasingly important.

📊 WHAT ABOUT PEIMS DATA?

PEIMS (Public Education Information Management System) is the statewide system Texas uses to collect student and educational service information.

As the new funding model is implemented, districts must accurately report applicable special education service data, including service minutes and intensity information required by TEA.

⚠️ PARENTS: HERE IS WHAT YOU SHOULD WATCH!

✅ IEP Service Minutes: Make sure your child's IEP clearly identifies the frequency, duration, and location of services.

✅ Actual Service Delivery: Ask how the school documents whether scheduled services were provided.

✅ Accurate Reporting: Ask whether the services documented in your child's IEP align with information reported to the state.

✅ Changes in Services: If the district proposes reducing or changing services, request an explanation through the ARD process.

🚨 IMPORTANT: FUNDING DOES NOT DETERMINE YOUR CHILD'S RIGHTS!

Your child's IEP must be based on their individual educational needs—not funding formulas, staffing convenience, or available programs.

Under IDEA, eligible students remain entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

💬 A QUESTION TO ASK AT YOUR NEXT ARD MEETING:

"How does the district document and report my child's special education service minutes, and how do you ensure those services are actually delivered?"

💙 Holy Spirit Special Education Advocacy Firm

We help families understand IEPs, navigate ARD meetings, and advocate for appropriate special education services.

📢 Remember: Your child's needs should drive their services—not the funding code!

10/19/2026

🚨 FORCED CAMPUS REASSIGNMENTS & TEA INVESTIGATIONS: KNOW YOUR CHILD'S RIGHTS! 🚨

🏫 Can a Texas school district move your child to another campus or special education classroom without an ARD meeting?

The answer depends on whether the move changes your child's educational placement or the services required by their IEP.

Recent concerns surrounding Houston ISD's restructuring of self-contained special education classrooms have raised serious questions about student placement decisions, parent participation, and compliance with federal special education law.

⚠️ A DISTRICT RESTRUCTURING PLAN DOES NOT OVERRIDE YOUR CHILD'S IDEA RIGHTS!

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools must follow required procedures when proposing changes to a student's educational placement.

A district may reorganize programs or change campus assignments, but it cannot use administrative convenience to bypass a student's individualized needs.

🔎 WHEN IS A "PROGRAM CHANGE" ACTUALLY A PLACEMENT CHANGE?

Watch for these warning signs:

❌ Your child is moved from an inclusive classroom to a more restrictive setting.

❌ Their specialized instruction, therapies, or related services are reduced or changed.

❌ The new campus cannot implement their current IEP.

❌ Your child loses meaningful access to nondisabled peers.

❌ The district makes individualized placement decisions without appropriate ARD committee involvement.

📌 IMPORTANT: Not every campus transfer legally constitutes a change in educational placement. The critical questions are whether the student's educational program, services, and least restrictive environment (LRE) remain consistent with the IEP.

🛑 WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?

✅ Request written clarification explaining the proposed reassignment.

✅ Ask whether the move changes the student's IEP services, placement, or LRE.

✅ Request an ARD meeting before implementing a proposed placement change.

✅ Request Prior Written Notice (PWN) documenting the district's decision and reasoning.

✅ Review transportation, related services, behavioral supports, and instructional minutes.

✅ Document concerns and request clarification in writing.

⚖️ KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!

IDEA requires individualized placement decisions based on student needs—not simply staffing shortages, classroom availability, or district restructuring.

If you believe your child's rights have been violated, you may explore dispute-resolution options, including a TEA special education complaint.

💙 YOUR CHILD IS NOT JUST ANOTHER SEAT TO REASSIGN!

At Holy Spirit Special Education Advocacy Firm, we help Texas families understand their rights, review IEPs, and prepare for ARD meetings.

📩 Contact us for guidance!

Advocacy services at no cost to qualifying low-income families and income-based rates for others.

10/17/2026

10/17/2026

Eva's Heroes!

Please read the mission of this organization! They provide services from 14 to adulthood!

10/17/2026

Today CAMP (Children's Association for Maximum Potential) Fest!

Come visit our table!

10/13/2026

📢 NOW ACCEPTING NEW FAMILIES! 💙

✨ SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVOCACY SERVICES AVAILABLE! ✨

At Holy Spirit Special Education Advocacy Firm, we believe that every child deserves access to an appropriate education and every parent deserves to feel heard, informed, and empowered!

💙 WE CURRENTLY HAVE OPENINGS TO SUPPORT NEW FAMILIES!

Are you struggling to navigate the special education system? Do you feel overwhelmed during ARD/IEP or Section 504 meetings? Are you unsure whether your child is receiving the educational services and accommodations they need?

YOU DON'T HAVE TO NAVIGATE THIS JOURNEY ALONE!

📚 HOW CAN WE HELP?

✅ IEP & FIE Reviews: We review and explain educational evaluations, IEPs, goals, accommodations, and services so parents understand their child's educational needs.

✅ ARD/IEP Meeting Support: We attend meetings alongside parents, helping them communicate concerns and advocate for appropriate educational services.

✅ Section 504 Support: We guide families through eligibility, accommodations, and school meetings.

✅ Special Education Guidance: We assist with evaluations, parental rights, school concerns, and navigating the special education process.

✅ Parent Empowerment: We educate and equip families with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to become effective advocates for their children.

💰 AFFORDABLE ADVOCACY FOR EVERY FAMILY!

💙 FREE advocacy services for qualifying low-income families.

💙 Income-based sliding-scale fees for other families.

🌎 Bilingual services available in English and Spanish!

🤝 COMMUNITY PARTNERS, EDUCATORS & ORGANIZATIONS:

We welcome referrals! If you know a family struggling to understand their child's special education rights or needing support in school meetings, please connect them with us.

As a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, our mission is to educate, guide, support, and empower families while advocating for students with disabilities.

📩 NOW ACCEPTING REFERRALS AND NEW FAMILY INQUIRIES!

💙 Because informed parents become empowered advocates, and every child's educational journey matters!

Holy Spirit Special Education Advocacy Firm
Educating Families. Empowering Parents. Advocating for Children.