An innovative and groundbreaking text intended to revolutionize the relationship between parents, educators, and school administrators when developing Individualized Education Programs for students will be released by SLACK Books.

Navigating Special Education: The Power of Building Positive Parent-Educator Partnerships is a timely roadmap for families and schools with a simple philosophy: in order for a student’s needs to take precedence, communication between those on the IEP team is vital.

Written by the advocates of families with children entering special education, Navigating Special Education provides a foundation for building proactive, positive partnerships among those on the IEP team. The book also includes anecdotes based on real-life scenarios, templates for letter writing and data collection, and a user-friendly appendix and glossary of terms.

The authors, Peggy Bud and Tamara Jacobson, bring over 60 years of experience to their forthcoming guide for parents. A licensed speech-language pathologist and school administrator, Bud is an expert on advocating for parents and children and helping them build strong home-school partnerships. Jacobson is a seasoned educator, founder of East Coast Educational Consulting, and an advocate on issues facing both families and school districts in the world of special education.

"Parents, teachers, and administrators all start out with the child's best interests at heart when designing an IEP, but all too often, they fall short of that goal," said Enia Noonan, a parent and special education teacher. "Navigating Special Education is a practical guide to frontloading the process by putting relationships and communication first. "

Sherrill Werblood, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology at Yale University, agrees.

“The book’s strength comes from its focus on the role communication plays in either derailing or assisting successful outcomes in the special educational process in public school settings. I particularly recommend it to parents new to the special education process.” Werblood said.

Written in accessible language and packed with inviting illustrations, Navigating Special Education will become a go-to resource for parents, educators, and administrators highlighting the critical importance of communication when forming and carrying out an IEP.

Navigating Special Education is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Learn more about the text here.