Special education is a system. You deserve to walk in knowing how it works.
One-on-one coaching that helps you understand your child’s IEP, prepare for meetings, and ask the right questions — so you can be your child’s first and strongest advocate.
Serving families in Pennsylvania, in the Greater Philadelphia area: Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties, plus Philadelphia.
Does any of this sound familiar?
If you’re nodding along, you’re in the right place.
- Your child has an IEP, but you’re not sure it’s doing what it should.
- It feels like the school isn’t meeting your child’s needs.
- You think your child is falling behind.
- You believe your child needs an IEP, but the school is refusing to test — or dragging their feet.
- Your child isn’t being challenged.
- The school has turned down your request to test for a GIEP or the gifted program.
I can help.
What IEP coaching is
An IEP can run 20 to 60 pages of legal and educational language. IEP coaching is time set aside for you — to read that document together, translate what it actually says, and figure out what to ask for next.
Coaching gives you information and preparation so you can advocate confidently at the table. It is not legal advice or legal representation — and if your situation calls for more than coaching, Laura will tell you.
Working together
What we’ll work on together
It’s one coaching relationship, shaped around your situation. Most of the work happens in the run-up to an IEP meeting — things like:
- Reading through your child’s IEP together, section by section, in plain language — so you know exactly what it says and what it commits the school to.
- Working through your questions: eligibility, services, goals, the data, or any term you don’t recognize.
- Going through evaluations, progress reports, prior written notice and data sheets, and what they actually mean.
- Getting you ready for the meeting itself — what to expect, what to ask for, and what your child is entitled to.
- Talking through how to raise a concern in writing, and what a clear, specific request to the team looks like.
After the meeting, we can keep working together — talking through what was agreed, what to keep an eye on, and what your next step should be. And if something IEP-related isn’t on this list, just ask.
How it works
A simple path from overwhelmed to prepared
Reach out
Send a short message about your child’s situation and what you’re hoping to sort out.
Intro call
We talk briefly to make sure coaching is the right fit and to plan your session.
Share your documents
Send over the IEP and any related paperwork ahead of time so we can make the most of our session.
One-on-one session
We meet, go through everything together, and you leave with notes and clear next steps.
About the founder
Laura Shipman
M.S. Ed. · M.A. Reading · IEP Coach & Advocate
- Taught special education students from 2005 to 2026, most recently in life-skills and autistic support in a middle-school setting.
- B.A., La Salle University (2005) — dual major in Elementary and Special Education, graduated with Honors.
- M.S. in Education, Gwynedd Mercy University (2008) — 4.0 GPA.
- M.A. in Reading Education, Arcadia University (2017) — 4.0 GPA.
- Served as a pro bono advocate for friends and family for the last 20 years.
My why
I’ve spent the last 20 years writing IEPs — documents that can run 20 to 60 pages. They are long, legal documents full of very specific educational terms. In recent years I grew frustrated at being discouraged by administration from taking the time to explain the IEP, the data, and those terms to parents.
In founding this business, I want to sit on the other side of the table. I want to help parents understand their child’s IEP and ask the right questions of the school team. Please reach out if you’d like me to work with you, and for you.
— Laura Shipman, M.S. Ed., M.A. Reading
Common questions
Good things to ask before we start
What is an IEP?
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written plan for a public-school student who qualifies for special education. It describes your child’s needs, the goals the team is working toward, and the services and supports the school is required to provide.
How is an IEP coach different from an advocate or an attorney?
Coaching is about helping you understand the process and the paperwork so you can advocate for your child with confidence. It is not legal advice or legal representation.
Laura has also served as a pro bono advocate for families for 20 years. If your situation calls for formal advocacy or a lawyer, she’ll tell you.
My child doesn’t have an IEP yet — can you still help?
Yes. If you think your child needs an evaluation and the school has been slow to respond — or has said no — that’s exactly the kind of thing coaching can help you navigate, including requests for a GIEP or gifted evaluation.
Which families do you work with?
Families in Pennsylvania, in the Greater Philadelphia area: Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties, plus Philadelphia. If you’re nearby and not sure, just ask.
What does coaching cost?
Send a message through the form below and Laura will walk you through how sessions work and what they cost, based on what you need.
Get in touch
Tell Laura what’s going on.
Share a little about your child’s situation and what you’re hoping to work through. You’ll hear back to set up a time.