Special Education Advocate
Lisa Lightner
“We cannot change the cards we are dealt. Only how we play the hand.”
Lisa Lightner is a special education advocate, parent, and lobbyist, Since 2010, she’s helped thousands of families navigate the IEP process with less stress and more success. She’s testified before multiple state senates, served on the boards of several disability advocacy organizations, and knows the system from both sides of the table. Her upcoming book, due Fall 2025, is already #1 on Amazon.
The Story Starts in 2007
In 2007, my world changed when my son was diagnosed. Like so many parents, I walked into those first meetings completely unprepared for how complicated, emotional, and frustrating the process would be. I thought if I just followed the steps, asked the right questions, and trusted the school (EI), things would fall into place. They didn’t.
In 2010, I began taking training and courses so that I could learn all this stuff. I’ve spent literally thousands of dollars on training.
This is how my first kindergarten IEP meeting went down with my school district. I had attended many IFSP meetings and preschool IEP meetings. I also was part-way through my Special Education Advocacy training.
They tapped a sleeping bear.
I thought I knew. I was prepared. I had done a parent concerns letter, researched programs, had suggestions to give, letters from doctors 🙄🙄🙄 (if you read the blog faithfully, you know why I’m rolling my eyes at myself)…
Dammit! I was prepared, they were not going to mess with me.
I sat, I listened, I contributed, I handed out copies. And at the end of the meeting, the Special Ed Coordinator looked right at me and said, “I want to thank you for all of your input, Mrs. Lightner, but we’re not going to be making any changes to this IEP today.” 🤯
I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I thought I had done everything right. What I realized was this: All the other trainings out there told me the laws and my rights, but didn’t show me how to apply them.
Anyway, you see what the end result was, two decades later. That Coordinator gaslighting me turned out to be a good thing. Because she tapped a sleeping bear. Now I reach literally millions of parents.
I work very hard at what I do and am always trying to learn more and share more. 🦚 Luck and fate brought me on this journey early in my son’s life, but it’s never too late.
Online Training That Actually Works for Real IEP Life
Parents and professionals trust me because I’ve been exactly where you are—confused, exhausted, and trying to figure out why doing “all the right things” still isn’t getting your child the support they need. Since 2010, I’ve worked with thousands of families as a special education advocate, teaching them how to use the IEP process effectively—not just show up and hope for the best. My no-fluff, plain-language approach is why over 175,000 people subscribe to my content and use my resources daily.
I’m also the author of an upcoming book on special education advocacy, set to release in Fall 2025, where I go even deeper into the systems that fail our kids and how we can fix them. This isn’t some generic, one-size-fits-all training. This is real-world experience, real parent stories, and real solutions you won’t find anywhere else. I’ve sat at the table, I’ve been stonewalled, I’ve fought, and I’ve won.
And here’s something you won’t get from other programs: lifetime access. That means every time your child moves to a new grade, a new teacher, or a new diagnosis pops up, your resources are still here. The IEP journey doesn’t end after one meeting, and neither does my support. Once you’re in, you’re in. This is your go-to toolkit, your roadmap, and your community, for as long as you need it.
More than 99% of Advocates and Teachers told me:
I surveyed my readers and more than 99% agreed–you need some type of formal training to be an effective advocate. Most parents “don’t know what they don’t know” and unless you know how to apply your child’s rights, your IEP won’t be sufficient. Or followed.
7.5 million students (about 15% of public school students nationwide, ages 3–21) received special education services in 2022–23—up from 6.4 million (13%) just a decade ago
Schools are more overwhelmed than ever—understaffed, undertrained, and stretched thin. If you don’t know how to advocate effectively, your child risks getting lost in the chaos. Advocacy isn’t extra—it’s essential.
IEPs aren’t self-executing.
Just having one isn’t enough. If you don’t know how to hold the team accountable, track progress, and respond when things go sideways… your child could go years without real support. That’s why now, more than ever, parents need to know how the system works—and how to work it.
Start Learning. Start Advocating. I’ve Got Your Back.
You don’t have to do this alone. Let me help you get your IEP team to yes.