The Special Ed Files
If you're touched in any way by the life of a child with a disability, this podcast is for you. Each week, hosts Julie Swanson and Jennifer Laviano pull back the curtain on what really happens in special education. The Special Ed Files will explore real-world examples in special education, explain where mistakes were made, explain where the law was violated, and help listeners avoid making these mistakes. The podcast hopes to demystify the federal law that governs special education, and change the lives of children with disabilities by empowering the adults who work with them.
This podcast is a production of the Quinnipiac University Podcast Studio, and the first season was produced by Bryan Murphy. The second season is produced by Paul Ashton. To learn more about Julie and Jen's work, visit YourSpecialEducationRights.com. Executive producer is David DesRoches, director of community programming.
1
No. 21 Gerri and the Unasked Questions
Jen and Julie discuss with guest Gerri the process of taking a child through special education.
54 min
2
File No. 20 Babs and the Bureaucracy Battle
Jen and Julie uncover the process by which special needs families get their funding for school.
31 min
3
File No. 19 Jack and the Road to Independence
Jen and Julie discuss with guests Jack and Shannon the experience of requiring special education in modern education.
40 min
4
File No. 18: Endrew and the Supremes
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the United States Supreme Court case of Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District.
37 min
5
File No. 17: Ricky and the Restraint
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano are joined by Stephanie, Ricky's mom, who discuss about Ricky, a child who has experiences of being restrained by the adults in his public school program.
39 min
6
File No. 16: Poppy is a Pain in the Neck
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano, along with guest Robin Fox, discuss the story of Poppy, a third grade student with ADHD who is always in repeatedly violating other her peer’s physical and social boundaries.
34 min
7
File No. 15: Lenny and the Locker
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano, along with guest Robin Fox, discuss the story of Lenny is a high school student diagnosed with Aspergers disorder who was being mistreated by his peers and was mistaking it for friendship.
37 min
8
File No. 14: Shanika and the Set Up
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the story of Shanika, a 5 year old whose neurological impairments required her to have a highly trained para professional, but issues with the school and its paperwork began to pop up along the way.
24 min
9
File No. 13: Danny and the Device
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the story of Danny, an 8 year old with cerebral palsy and extremely limited communication skills, and how his parents tried to secure a communication device for him.
26 min
10
File No. 12: Cai and the Cover Up
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the story of Cai, a teenage girl with anxiety, and her case of how something was’t adding up with the school when it came to her completed language report.
28 min
11
File No. 11: Devorah and the Demotion
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the story of Devorah, an 18-year-old with Williams' syndrome, who is excited to move onto transition programming. The problem is that the school district insists she attend the district’s program housed in a wing of Devorah’s elementary school.
37 min
12
File No. 10: Pablo and the Principal
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the story of Pablo, a 7th grade student with an anxiety disorder exhibiting aggressive behaviors with students and staff and even escalating to escaping the building.
39 min
13
File No. 9: Pavit and the Pill Pushers
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the story of Pavit, an elementary schooler with ADHD and is a struggling reader. The school team insisted his inability to sustain attention is at the heart of his reading challenges and encouraged his parents to medicate Pavit.
27 min
14
File No. 8: Gigi and the Gaslighters
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the story of Gigi, a 6 year old girl with autism, whose parents were concerned about a dangerous behavior that her school team claimed was not happening.
37 min
15
File No. 7: The Rogers and the Recording
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the story of a 4th grader whose parents suspected he had a reading disability, and how their inadvertent recording of a discussion among the school team resulted in getting him an outside evaluation.
35 min
16
File No. 6: Julie and the Jarring Note
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss Julie's uphill battle when her own son was diagnosed with autism and the shocking note she discovered when she obtained his educational records.
39 min
17
File No. 5: Felicia and the Phone
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the incident of a child with Down Syndrome who was tasked with learning how to properly use the phone in order to prepare herself for the world being high school.
29 min
18
File No. 4: Marco and the Meeting
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the incident of a child with ADHD who was frequenting the nurse's office to avoid class, and the brave actions of the nurse who advocated for him.
34 min
19
File No. 3: Tina and the Tree
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the incident of a child with Autism whose family did not feel as though she was getting the attention from her paraprofessional that she needed.
31 min
20
File No. 2: Bobby and the Balloon
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the incident of a child with cerebral palsy who was overlooked at an important elementary school event as so many students with disabilities are.
31 min
21
File No. 1: Mary and the Needle
Julie Swanson and Jen Laviano discuss the incident of a child with Autism who was almost given another student's insulin shot from a substitute school nurse and how it led to her displacement from her school.
37 min
22
Introducing The Special Ed Files
A podcast for anyone touched by the lives of children with disabilities, with hosts Julie Swanson and Jennifer Laviano
1 min