The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) empowers special education teachers, advocates, and professionals with practical training, trusted resources, and meaningful connections - supporting those who make a difference in the lives of students with diverse learning needs.
Happy Friday! We hope you get to take a moment to yourself this weekend! Here's the news you may have missed this week
The federal reshaping of special education continued to dominate the news this week, with some meaningful walk-backs alongside new pressure points. The Education Department announced it will keep sending most K-12 funds through its own system, easing concerns about the outsourcing of federal aid. The Department of Justice, however, continued to back away from enforcing longstanding disability rights protections around community living and integration, prompting fresh alarm from advocates.
The Department of Education also released long-awaited edtech guidance for states and districts, offered a look at how Head Start programs would fare if federal standards are pared down, and drew coverage of a new question: after reading and math, is the science of writing next?
On the accessibility and rights front, healthcare providers face new accessibility requirements, the Office for Civil Rights issued new guidance calling on schools to stop what it terms racial balancing in student discipline, and people with disabilities are speaking out about how Medicaid income limits force them to choose between working and keeping their benefits.
Worksheets, webinars, trivia and more below - read on!
Turn Evaluations Into Action Plans That Actually Work
Behind every IEP, 504 Plan, or evaluation is a student who deserves to be known and meaningfully supported. Flourishing Well offers in-person and remote educational consulting, special education advocacy, and mentorship for educators, grounded in 30+ years of experience across public and independent schools. From interpreting psychoeducational evaluations to strengthening school-family collaboration, get clear, actionable support for complex learning profiles.
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Hello from the NASET Break Room - our quick pulse check on the state of special education based on trending posts and questions we saw online this week.
Last Week:
Have you ever been blamed by a parent or administrator for a compliance failure that wasn't your fault?
No, accountability is handled appropriately at my school ✅ (40%)
At what point do you think students should be told about their own learning disability or diagnosis?
As early as they can understand it 🧒 (64%)
Have students on your caseload ever been covered by long-term substitutes due to staffing shortages?
Yes, for most of a school year 😳 (38%)
Yes, for several weeks at a time 😬 (34%)
Do you feel your school has clear, legally sound protocols for physical intervention and restraint?
No - it's vague and I've worried about my exposure 😬
Somewhat - but training is inconsistent 🤔
Yes, we have clear protocols and regular training ✅
I've never been in a situation requiring it 🤷♀️
When you started in special education, how prepared did you feel on day one?
Completely unprepared - I was terrified 😳
Somewhat ready but the reality was a shock 😬
Pretty well prepared by my training 👍
I'm still figuring it out 🔄
Have you ever helped a family navigate whether to disclose a student's disability to classmates or peers?
Yes, it's come up more than once 🤝
Once - and I didn't feel equipped for that conversation 😬
No, but I wish I had more guidance on it 📋
That decision has always stayed with the family 🤷♀️
🎁 Gift Card and Sensory Regulation Giveaways
NASET is here to support you this school year, and our Built for Day One event is live through September 13.
ARK Therapeutic Giveaways on August 26th at 7pm
Register for our FREE August 26 webinar with ARK Therapeutic + Katie Zelinski, MS, OTR/L, The Well-Balanced OT and you're automatically entered into our weekly $100 gift card drawings PLUS, if you attend live you can win an ARK Therapeutic sensory regulation kit
Our first lucky $100 winner was selected this week! Next week could be you!
Take our educator survey and receive a $5 gift card as our thank you
Lock in membership at $75/year forever before September 14
We look forward to ensuring you and your students have a great start to the year!
Get Started at Built for Day One →
🙋THIS TUESDAY, August 25th at 7pm EST: Kids Do Well If They Can: Rethinking Concerning Behavior in Special Education with Dr. Ross Greene's Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) Model Join New York Times Bestselling author of The Explosive Child, Dr. Ross Greene, for part 1 of a 2 part webinar series on tools which actually reduce discipline referrals, detentions, suspensions, restraint, and seclusion in both general education and special education classrooms. This is a must-attend session!
👩💻 Register Today | Free for NASET Members
From the NASET Vault
⬇️ NASET Support Squad Downloads of the Week Using Data Dashboards to Monitor Student Progress and Supporting Students Who Demonstrate Skill Regression Scroll down to instantly download ⬇️
🎓 Earn graduate credit with NASET for under $150! Through our partnership with Augustana University, we offer 2 graduate credit eligible courses for under $150.
✅ Complete coursework in our related services or IEP implementation course!
FEDERAL POLICY & DISABILITY RIGHTS
CLASSROOM PRACTICE
Looking for a new role? Join the NASET Talent Network!
Elevate Your Impact.
Drexel’s ABAI-Verified online programs give you a data-driven approach to understanding behavior and teaching new skills, especially for individuals with autism. You’ll gain hands-on experience and access to specialized concentrations that align with your goals. Prepare for advanced practice and new career opportunities. This program meets the behavior-analytic coursework requirements for those pursuing the BCBA pathway 2 eligibility route.
Shout Out to Last Week’s Winners Who Correctly Answered, “Dyskinesia” View the winners list here!
This Week's Question:
What specific IDEA section requires states to ensure all children with disabilities receive FAPE regardless of the severity of their disability?
Correctly answer 3 or more trivia questions each month to be eligible for a gift card! We had 25 winners in July!
What’s one resource you need this school year? Reply to this email and let us know!
Advance Your Career With Applied Behavior Analysis
Discover Drexel’s online Applied Behavior Analysis programs – master’s and certificates. Tailored for busy professionals, including educators and social workers – these programs empower you to help others succeed, while forging new career trails of your own, using well-established, evidence-based ABA principles, practices, and tools.
“What we learn with pleasure we never forget.”