If student behavior has been leaving you feeling stuck, this episode is one to lean into. This conversation challenges the way we’ve been taught to think about discipline and offers a shift that actually supports long-term change, not just quick fixes.

In this episode, Stephanie is joined by Nathan Maynard to break down what it really means to be trauma-informed and how moving from control to connection can completely change how we respond to behavior.

• Why fear-based discipline often escalates behavior and what to do instead
• How to tell the difference between a student who won’t comply and one who can’t regulate
• What it looks like to build proactive systems and move from power struggles to collaborative problem-solving

If you’ve been looking for a more effective, realistic way to support behavior, this episode will give you a strong place to start.

LRE conversations can feel heavy, especially when you’re trying to figure out if a student’s current placement is actually working. This episode walks through how to approach those decisions with clarity and confidence so they’re based on what the student truly needs.

In this episode, Stephanie breaks down what Least Restrictive Environment really means and how to know when a change might be necessary. She walks through the LRE continuum, the data you actually need, and how to have these conversations with your team in a way that feels proactive, not reactive.

• The key signs a student may need a different LRE, from lack of progress to behavioral data and regulation
• What data to gather before making any placement decisions so you’re not relying on opinion
• How to approach LRE conversations with families and teams using clarity, support, and flexibility

Changing a student’s placement isn’t a step backward. It’s a response to what they need right now and a chance to create a setting where they can actually grow.

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For more information, check out more of Stephanie's resources:

https://www.theintentionaliep.com/the-intentional-iep-book/

https://www.theintentionaliep.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theintentionaliep

https://www.instagram.com/theintentionaliep

If you’ve ever walked out of an LRE meeting knowing the decision didn’t fully make sense, this episode is for you.

Whitney and Stephanie get into the side of placement conversations people don’t always say out loud. A diagnosis should never be the reason a student ends up in a certain setting, but it happens all the time. And so does the “we’ve always done it this way” thinking.

They talk through what it actually looks like to adjust minutes, why data and the IEP should be leading the conversation, and how quickly things fall apart when decisions stop being individualized. What worked for one student does not automatically work for another.

This is the kind of conversation that challenges how these decisions are being made and what needs to change.

Follow Whitney: @rootedinresource

Purchase her Book: Everyone Learns Differently

Not a member? Join Today — you can get 50% off your first month of membership https://products.theintentionaliep.com/tii-membership-50off1stmonth-podcast/

For more information, check out more of Stephanie's resources:

https://www.theintentionaliep.com/the-intentional-iep-book/

https://www.theintentionaliep.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theintentionaliep

https://www.instagram.com/theintentionaliep