IEP resources and coaching from someone who has run hundreds of IEP meetings as a case manager — and who has also sat in those same meetings as a parent. The knowledge is the same. This time it's yours.
Most IEP guides are written by lawyers or advocates who have never run a meeting. These resources were written by a special education case manager who has — and who has also needed them for his own children.
Both of Paul's sons receive special education services. His younger son is eligible for a learning disability in writing. His older son has ADHD and carries a 504 plan. He has sat across the table from case managers knowing exactly how they were trained — and he used that knowledge to prepare, advocate, and get his sons what they needed.
That experience — from both sides — is what makes these resources different.
— Paul Hartung, M.S.
A plain-language overview of the IEP process for families who are new to special education in Illinois. What the process is, what your rights are, and what to expect before, during, and after the meeting — without jargon.
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More free reading: questions to ask at an IEP meeting · the Illinois special education timeline
Knowledge, Tools, Scripts, and Templates for Every Stage of the IEP Process. Not more reading about the IEP process — the actual tools to walk into the room prepared. Written by a case manager who has also needed every one of them for his own children.
Includes a free 20-minute consultation with Paul — use it to prepare for an upcoming meeting, review a document together, or ask the questions you've been sitting with.
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What the intervention process is, what you're entitled to during it, and how to request a formal evaluation in writing when you believe the school is delaying. Includes the exact timeline the school must follow once you make the request.
Every right IDEA and Illinois law gives you — including the right to disagree, the right to an Independent Educational Evaluation at district expense, and the right to resolve disputes. Includes what you must receive before each meeting and when.
How to read assessment scores — standard scores, percentile ranks, and what the gap between scores means for your child's IEP. All five assessment types explained in plain language. How to request an IEE if you disagree with the school's conclusions.
Side-by-side examples of weak and strong present levels and IEP goals — so you can look at your child's IEP and immediately know whether what's written is legally defensible and actually measurable. The questions to ask if it isn't.
Scripts and language for the moments that are harder than they look on paper — when you disagree with a proposed placement, when the team dismisses your input, when you feel rushed to sign, when the data doesn't match what you're seeing at home.
A complete file system for everything your child's school produces — evaluations, IEPs, progress reports, correspondence. The preparation checklist for every meeting. Sample formal letters for evaluation requests, IEE requests, and written objections.
I read your child's current IEP, evaluation report, or draft and tell you what I see — gaps, missing accommodations, goals that can't be monitored, anything worth questioning. Includes a written summary and a 60-minute call to walk through it together. $250 flat rate. You'll receive an invoice after your review call is scheduled — no payment is needed to book.
Request a ReviewBefore your annual review, eligibility, or reevaluation meeting: a session to prepare your questions, anticipate what the team will present, and practice the language that gets heard at the table. Includes a written prep document. $110 per session.
Book a SessionA single hourly call for a specific question: the school is proposing something and you're not sure how to respond, you need to understand a score or a placement option, or you just want a straight answer from someone who knows the system. $110 per hour.
Schedule a CallThis is educational coaching grounded in twenty years of public school case management experience. I am not a special education attorney and I do not represent families in due process or mediation. When a situation needs legal counsel rather than coaching, I will tell you clearly — and refer you to attorneys I trust.
The Parent's Complete IEP Toolkit ($34, with a free 20-minute consultation) provides fillable pre-meeting prep templates, ready-to-send formal letters, scripts for difficult moments, and annotated examples — written by a case manager who has run hundreds of these meetings and also sat at the table as a parent.
Yes. Services include an IEP document review ($250 flat), pre-meeting coaching ($110 per session), and one-time consultations ($110 per hour), all grounded in twenty years of public-school case management.
No. This is educational coaching grounded in twenty years of case management, not legal representation. When a situation needs legal counsel rather than coaching, Paul says so directly and refers families to trusted attorneys.