ReadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2025

Make the School System Work for Your Child with Disabilities

Empowering Kids for the Future

Stacey Shubitz author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Guilford Publications

Publishing:4th Mar '26

£16.99

This title is due to be published on 4th March, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

Make the School System Work for Your Child with Disabilities cover

Public schools offer a wide range of supports for disabled children--but navigating the system can feel like getting trapped in a complex maze. Special education parent and veteran educator Stacey Shubitz provides a vital map for the journey in this practical, optimistic, empowering guide. Stories of kids with a variety of challenges give you a solid understanding of special versus general education, expert evaluations, disability designations, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), 504 Plans, and more. The book describes clear steps to improve communication with teachers and school staff, get the most out of meetings, and ensure plans are correctly implemented, so your child can thrive. You get downloadable practical tools, self-care strategies, tips for cultivating joy, and an inclusive children’s book list to make reading together a habit. Channel your love and hope into success and self-determination for your child at school--this book shows how.

“Warm and accessible, this book equips you with knowledge and strategies to work with the school system to best support your child. From understanding evaluation options, to getting the most out of IEPs and 504 plans, to collaborating with teachers and related service providers and so much more, this book is an essential tool to help you set your child up for school success.”--Lindsey Biel, MA, OTR/L, occupational therapist; coauthor of Raising a Sensory Smart Child

“This book is a trail guide for parents navigating unfamiliar and daunting terrain. Stacey Shubitz speaks ‘parent to parent’ with the insights of a well-informed traveler. She guides you to become an advocate for your child, offering sage advice and extensive resources. If I could recommend only one book to help parents understand and navigate how to get support for a child with a disability, it would be this one.”--Lester L. Laminack, PhD, author, consultant, and Professor Emeritus, Western Carolina University

“I wish I could gift this book to every parent who has just received a diagnosis for their child or is exploring getting their child evaluated. This book is bringing back memories for me as a parent--and I am also making brand-new discoveries. Stacey Shubitz digs deeply into her own and others’ experiences and shares hard-won lessons with all of us.”--Samara D., Portland, Maine

“Parents and educators reading this book will find a fierce ally, perhaps even a life coach, certainly a joy guru!”--Katherine Bomer, MA, educator, author, and consultant, Sherman, Connecticut

"A treasure chest for parents of children with disabilities and caregivers. Stacey Shubitz has packed this book with the critical information families need, as well as guidance for our entire journey. She writes with warmth, empathy, and grace, in part because she has walked this path, too. As a longtime educator and a parent of two children with IEPs, I only wish this book had been around when I first embarked on this journey, but am beyond grateful that it is here now.”--M. Colleen Cruz, MA, educator, author, and consultant, New York City-

ISBN: 9781462554133

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

223 pages