Beth Liesenfeld on Building Child-Centered, Inclusive IEPs ~ 1031

Tim Villegas
If you’ve ever been on the parent side of an individualized education program meeting, you know how confusing it can be. Our guest this week wants to help.

My name is Tim Villegas from the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education, and you are listening to Think Inclusive, a show where, with every conversation, we try to build bridges between families, educators, and disability justice advocates to create a shared understanding of inclusive education and what inclusion looks like in the real world. You can learn more about who we are and what we do at mcie.org.

I’m here at the Circle of Friends Coffee Shop in Woodstock, Georgia, recording my intros and outros for the month of June, so apologies for the background noise.

Beth Liesenfeld is an occupational therapist passionate about providing insider information about school processes and culture to parents in order to increase collaboration between parents and school staff. Her company, The IEP Lab, provides online workshops and courses as well as produces The Parent IEP Lab podcast.

Here’s what we cover in today’s episode:

• The inequity of individualized education programs and how they often lead to emotional exhaustion for parents and educators
• Creating a more collaborative and child-centered IEP process
• How having a vision statement is key for successful inclusion

Before we get into today’s interview, I want to tell you about our sponsor, Together Letters. Are you losing touch with people in your life, but you don’t want to be on social media all the time? Together Letters is a tool that can help. It’s a group email newsletter that asks members for updates and combines them into a single newsletter for everyone. All you need is email.

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And now, my interview with Beth Liesenfeld. Welcome, Beth! How are you?

Beth Liesenfeld
Thank you so much for having me, Tim. I’m so excited to be here.

Tim Villegas
So Beth, tell us about The Parent IEP Lab. Why was it important for you to create?

Beth Liesenfeld
Yeah, so I’m an occupational therapist by training. When I started working, I worked in outpatient clinics, early intervention, and all these different settings that supported people with disabilities. I always knew I was going to get into schools because my parents are educators.

When I got into the system, I was floored by how complicated it was. OTs are medical professionals, so we had one class that maybe touched on an IEP. I sat down in my first IEP that first year and asked the parent, “What do you want this IEP to include?” They looked at me like, “Do you not know how to do your job?”

I was like, “No, I do, but I’m so used to working with parents directly and getting their input.” It was a mess of a first year trying to figure out IEPs.

When I went on maternity leave and came back, I had seven IEPs in one week because I served about 10 different teams. I thought, “There’s got to be something out there for parents to understand the IEP system and make it less confusing.”

I started looking at the knowledge of parents who asked good questions and had good relationships with teachers. I thought, “There’s got to be something that tells parents the insider information of how it works.” I couldn’t find anything that matched the approach I thought was helpful, so I started The Parent IEP Lab podcast in fall 2021.

Beth Liesenfeld
I was still working a couple of other jobs, including in schools, and then we hit some daycare rough patches with my son due to COVID. I thought, “Okay, this is my cue to do this full time.” So we’ve been doing the podcast and creating online courses to help parents for the past year, and it’s been really fun.

Tim Villegas
Oh wow. So this is it? This is your job?

Beth Liesenfeld
Yeah, it is now.

Tim Villegas
That’s fantastic. I love the idea of giving parents inside information. That’s how I felt as an educator going into IEP meetings. It reminds me of The Incredibles movie. Mr. Incredible works as an insurance adjuster, and the boss is mad because he knows all the ins and outs of getting around the system.

When you were describing your situation, I thought, “That’s so relatable.” Every IEP is so different, not necessarily because the learner is different, but because the team is different. It’s inequitable the way services are delivered.

Beth Liesenfeld
Yes! And I’m sure you’ve had this experience too—sometimes at the end of an IEP meeting, you’re elated and excited to implement the plan. Other times, you’re emotionally drained from feeling like you were fighting the whole time. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Parents get defensive, which makes schools defensive. There are rough personalities on both sides. But there are simple things we can do to help collaboration and keep it child-centered.

Tim Villegas
What are some of those things we can do to be more collaborative in IEP meetings?

Beth Liesenfeld
One of the biggest things is having a vision statement. When we’re talking about inclusion, that vision statement is key. Inclusion is such a big topic and can be implemented in many ways depending on resources, staff training, and what parents envision.

Vision statements can be long-term or short-term. Long-term might be: “When this student graduates, these are the skills we want them to have.” Short-term might be: “In a couple of years, what do we want their school experience to look like?”

This helps the team and parents stay centered on the same mission. It brings conflict down because we’re focused on the same thing.

Tim Villegas
What about educators who have an inclusive mindset, but parents aren’t as excited about inclusion? That was my experience sometimes. How can educators use vision statements to advocate for their students?

Beth Liesenfeld
I love this question. As an OT, I had a caseload of about 80 students across all ages. When I saw a younger student, I’d often think, “This kid reminds me of a middle schooler I know—they can totally succeed in an inclusive setting.”

Educators often have that perspective because they’ve seen similar students thrive. Parents, however, might not have that exposure.

So here’s what educators can do:

• Write a vision statement yourself. It doesn’t have to be long—one or two sentences.
• Share it with the parent: “Here’s what I see as possible for your child. I think we can get there.”

That’s powerful. It shows you believe in their child’s potential.

Sometimes parents hesitate because they think their child needs more one-on-one or intensive support. Educators can say, “Let’s try this. Here’s why I think it will work.”

And remember, the IEP is a process, not a one-time event. We can adjust the plan later. That takes pressure off and builds trust.

Tim Villegas
So really, it’s about collaboration.

Beth Liesenfeld
Absolutely. If we have a shared vision, we’re all working toward the same goal. That reduces conflict and builds cohesion.

Tim Villegas
How has your thinking about inclusive education changed since moving from the medical field to schools and now running your business?

Beth Liesenfeld
When we’re in school, we imagine inclusion as this perfect scenario where everyone belongs, and you can’t tell who has an IEP. But in reality, there are so many barriers—general education teachers often don’t know how to include students or feel nervous about it.

A lot of that comes from lack of training and time. Teachers want to do the right thing, but they’re overwhelmed. For example, I worked in a middle school that did an amazing job with inclusion—until COVID hit. Suddenly, staff shortages forced them to pull students back into separate settings.

Another big issue is that teachers don’t have time to connect with each other. I’d often say, “You should talk to this teacher at another school—they’ve figured out how to make inclusion work.” But those conversations rarely happen because of time constraints.

Vision statements help because they keep everyone focused on what’s practical and what builds the student’s skills while still promoting inclusion.

Tim Villegas
And support from administration matters too. Even if an educator is pro-inclusion, if leadership isn’t on board, it’s hard to make it happen.

Beth Liesenfeld
Exactly. And then there’s the issue of families being told it’s an “either/or” situation: either work on skills in a self-contained classroom or focus on social-emotional learning in general ed. That’s heartbreaking because it doesn’t have to be either/or.

The key is paraprofessionals. They’re essential for making inclusion work, but they need training—how to modify curriculum, how to provide just-right support without over-helping. Districts need to invest in that training.

Tim Villegas
Let’s assume positive intent on both sides—families and districts both want what’s best for the student. It really comes down to creating a shared understanding of what inclusion means.

Beth Liesenfeld
Yes, and that’s where communication systems are huge. Many parents don’t even know they can ask for a communication log. When I was in schools, maybe 10% of my students had one. That’s unacceptable.

A simple back-and-forth log can prevent so much mistrust. Parents can write, “We’re working on this at home—how’s it going at school?” and teachers can respond. It doesn’t have to take long. Voice texting works great if parents are okay with it.

Tim Villegas
It’s like communication hygiene—if you don’t maintain it, everything falls apart.

Beth Liesenfeld
Exactly! And it pays off. It builds trust and makes your job easier in the long run.

Tim Villegas
What advice would you leave educators with?

Beth Liesenfeld
Remember that the anxiety you feel about an IEP meeting is doubled for parents. Case managers have so much power to make parents feel included. Bring their vision into the conversation. Be honest. Build relationships.

Take 10 extra seconds to explain why you’re recommending something. That dissolves tension and builds trust. And remind parents that the IEP is flexible—we can change it later if needed.

Tim Villegas
If the first time you’re hearing parent input is in the meeting, that’s too late.

Beth Liesenfeld
Yes! Give parents a heads-up. Don’t put them on the spot with “What are your child’s strengths?” without warning. One of my courses includes a Parent Input Plan to help with this.

Tim Villegas
So, what’s your dream for The IEP Lab?

Beth Liesenfeld
I want to create a safe space for parents to ask questions without fear of judgment and to understand the IEP process so they can advocate effectively. The system is complicated, and special education teachers don’t always have time to explain everything.

The IEP process is actually pretty cool when it works—it’s like a funnel: gather information, set priorities, make goals, assign support. I want parents to feel empowered and informed so they can collaborate with educators instead of feeling intimidated.

Tim Villegas
Anything you want to leave educators with?

Beth Liesenfeld
Yes—make parents feel comfortable. It pays off in the long run. Build trust, share your vision for their child, and keep the conversation going beyond the meeting.

Tim Villegas
I love that. If the first time you’re hearing parent input is in the meeting, it’s too late.

Beth Liesenfeld
Exactly. And don’t start meetings by putting parents on the spot with “What are your child’s strengths?” Give them time to prepare.

Tim Villegas
Anything you want to plug?

Beth Liesenfeld
Check out The Parent IEP Lab Podcast. Educators listen too! Start with Episode 41 on vision statements. Also, Episode 70—“Overcoming Barriers to Inclusion” with Kathy Brill—is amazing. It shows how much commitment parents need to advocate and how educators can support them.

Tim Villegas
Beth Liesenfeld, thank you so much for being on the Think Inclusive podcast.

Beth Liesenfeld
Thank you so much for having me.

Tim Villegas
Think Inclusive is written, edited, and sound-designed by Tim Villegas and is a production of MCIE. Original music by Miles Kredich.

Attention school leaders: Did you know you can team up with the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education to promote inclusive practices in your school or district? Visit mcie.org/contact and let us know you want to transform your educational services to be inclusive of all learners.

Special thanks to our patrons for supporting Think Inclusive. And remember: inclusion always works.