Sponsor of the month - IEP Services - Sheila Wolfe

By: Paul Hathcoat – Special Needs Director – White River Christian Church

If there is one common characteristic that parents of a child living with disabilities develop over time and through experience, it has to be FIGHT. There are obstacles to overcome and battles to be fought concerning diagnoses, medications, behaviors, skill assessments, rights, services, aides, and educational IEP plans. When something as important as a child’s education comes into play though, that fight, combined with guided and experienced professional help, turns into something like what Sheila Wolfe of IEP Services, LLC has created.

IEP Services provides appropriately assertive and dynamic advocacy in the form of educational consulting services that “assist parents in obtaining an appropriate IEP for their child with special needs in the public-school system.” Sheila Wolfe herself has been the parent who was forced to develop that inner fight for her child who was “diagnosed with PDD-NOS at 3 years old.” By the time her son, Cory, was 7, Wolfe was able to secure a full time 1:1 aide in his IEP, setting herself apart from many families who are not able to maneuver as easily within the system. From there, word started to spread about her ability and effectiveness in IEP advocacy and she says, “I began getting calls from other parents who needed help” and soon after, IEP Services was born.

IEP Services is built on the principle that “every individual education plan should be uniquely designed to fit each specific child’s

individual needs.” Wolfe has found success partly because this type of advocacy is what she and her organization solely focus on. There are other entities out there that “dabble in IEP advocacy, but they are typically not experts in the area.” What sets Wolfe apart is that she has years of first-hand knowledge and personal life experience, extensive specialized training, and doesn’t receive any outside funding that may dilute or avert her focused goal of “helping families navigate the world of special education.”

So how does a parent IEP advocate work? Wolfe explains that “I rely on my experience and training in educational law, behavioral intervention, social skill development, sensory dysfunction and everything related to developing and implementing an educational program” to help students obtain and maintain meaningful supports that result in long-term sustained progress. That goal of progress has recently become more difficult to reach says Wolfe. “Since the revision of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), the power of parents has been drastically reduced. So, while 15 to 20 years ago I would have been able to give parents some really great and effective ideas, that is not so much the case today. Parents do not have to sign their child’s IEP anymore, and that change has taken away a lot of power from families. It is increasingly more difficult now to get additional supports and services.” To combat this, Wolfe helps caregivers gather data and build files detailing their children’s needs to first make sure that they can become qualified for special education, and then partner with them to build an IEP that will intervene early and create optimal outcomes for the child.

This comprehensive advocacy and support is a step-by-step process that IEP Services is prepared and delighted to offer. Above and beyond the function of Wolfe’s business, she also wants parents to know that “they are not alone.” Wolfe acknowledges, “every parent who has a child with special needs struggles with how to appropriately meet their needs. We all share that struggle. Some have greater needs than others, but regardless, we all share that struggle. Reaching out and getting connected and seeking help is very comforting and empowering. That is why I started down this path in life.” That cooperative mentality and agenda are what truly sets IEP Services apart from the crowd.

If you want to know more about IEP Service or Sheila Wolfe, she can be reached by email at sheilawolfe@sbcglobal.net.