Highlighter

A second grader was locked in a room for refusing to go to music class. A student was secluded for three and a half hours for drawing on a chair. A third grader hit himself in the face with a shoe until he bled, and staff left him in the room for another hour. The Department of Justice documented nearly 4,000 seclusion incidents and more than 770 physical restraints across six schools in one Missouri district. Not in response to emergencies. In response to non-compliance with school rules. There is no federal law governing restraint and seclusion in schools. None. The Department of Education has issued guidance, but guidance is not law. The Keeping All Students Safe Act has been introduced in Congress multiple times. It has never passed. Federal data shows students with disabilities make up 14% of enrollment but account for 76% of those physically restrained. Black students represent 15% of enrollment and 26% of those restrained. And those numbers are almost certainly low. A GAO review found that 70% of districts reported zero incidents, and the Department of Education's quality control for this data was "largely ineffective or do not exist." The schools where these practices happen most are the schools serving the most marginalized communities, and the regulatory infrastructure that should protect those students simply does not exist at the federal level. We built Highlighter because families navigating special education are already fighting uphill. They deserve tools that help them understand their rights, prepare for IEP meetings, and push back when the system fails their kids. Seclusion and restraint is one of the places where that failure is most visible and most urgent. If you work in education, disability rights, or policy, this is worth six minutes of your time. https://lnkd.in/eaREwt_v

Nobody publishes what special education advocates actually charge. Rates get whispered in Facebook groups and COPAA meetups, but hard data? Almost nonexistent. That's a problem for parents trying to figure out if a quote is reasonable. And it's a problem for advocates trying to price their services sustainably without pricing out the families who need them most. So we pulled together 2025-2026 rate data from COPAA, NSEAI, The Arc@School, and veteran practitioners to give both sides of that equation some clarity. What you'll find: hourly ranges by experience level, the three most common pricing models, what billing transparency actually looks like, and how to evaluate a quote whether you're a parent or a practitioner. https://lnkd.in/e78HaKck

Congress created a free support system for special education families, and most families never know it exists. They are called Parent Training and Information Centers, often referred to as PTIs. Funded under IDEA, PTIs exist in every state to help families understand special education law, prepare for IEP meetings, interpret evaluations, and build advocacy skills. All at no cost. At Highlighter, we see families overwhelmed not because they are disengaged, but because the system is hard to navigate and information is fragmented. PTIs were designed to close that gap, yet they remain one of the best kept secrets in special education. We published a short explainer on what PTIs are, how they help, and how to find the one in your state. If you work with families or are navigating special education yourself, this is a resource worth sharing. Read the full post here: https://lnkd.in/e3zVD98Z

Our co-founder, Jake Fishbein, recently published an article describing the "advocacy gap" and how it can prevent caretakers from fully participating in the IEP process. Check out the link below to read the full article.

Highlighter is proud to be a Silver Sponsor of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc.'s 28th Annual Conference, March 5-8, 2026. We'll be at our table throughout the conference, ready to connect with advocates, attorneys, and families who are doing the hard work of ensuring students with disabilities get what they deserve. If you're attending, we'd love to buy you coffee, lunch, or drinks. We want to learn about what you're working on, share how Highlighter is helping families navigate the IEP process, and explore how we might support your work. https://lnkd.in/evvQS8GD

The special education landscape has shifted dramatically heading into 2026. A Supreme Court victory has given families more legal leverage than they've had in years. Federal enforcement agencies have lost most of their staff. And more than half of special education teachers are now using AI to write IEPs. These three forces are reshaping how advocacy works, whether you're a parent navigating the system or a professional supporting families. I wrote a quick overview of what's changed and what it means for the year ahead. https://lnkd.in/etmjEsHz

Plot twist: The stigma isn't coming from other kids. A dad wrote about dreading his 4-year-old's IEP eligibility meeting. He sat through statistics about percentiles, angry that his son was being 'classified.' His wife reminded him: 'We won't have to pay for speech therapy ourselves.' Here's what's wild: He was more worried about the label than the actual struggle. This is where we are. Parents afraid their child will be seen as 'less than' for getting the help they desperately need. The real stigma? A system that makes support feel like failure.

Imagine your boss hands you a performance review that says: “You’re failing to meet expectations. We noticed these issues for 6 months but never mentioned them. Here’s your improvement plan. Also, we’re required by law to provide support, but we haven't had the time.” You’d probably ask: “Okay. What support am I getting, and how will we track whether it’s actually happening?” That’s the part many families wish IEP paperwork captured more clearly. In too many IEP meetings, the written record documents a child’s struggles in detail, but it’s less clear about what supports were delivered, how consistently, and what the team will change next. When the paperwork focuses only on deficits, it can feel like the child is the problem instead of a plan that needs tightening. One simple shift that helps: ask the team to document services provided (and any missed sessions) alongside present levels and goals.

Here's what nobody tells you about IEPs: The school team will nod along in the meeting. They'll agree to everything. They'll say 'great idea' to your requests. Then you'll get the draft IEP and none of it will be there. They're betting you won't: → Notice the changes → Have time to fight → Know you can refuse to sign → Understand your rights They're usually right. This isn't incompetence. It's strategy.

"Am I stupid?" That question didn't come from nowhere. It came from weeks of being pulled out of class for help that didn't make sense. From red marks on papers they tried so hard on. From being the only kid who always needed more time. One Highlighter parent heard those words from their child and knew something had to change. Not the big, dramatic confrontation. Something quieter. They stopped nodding in IEP meetings and started asking one simple question: "Based on what?" They brought the IEP to the next meeting with accommodations highlighted in yellow. When they asked how those supports were being used, there was a long pause. That pause told them everything. This isn't a warrior-parent story. It's the messier version. The one where a parent turned love into evidence, and evidence into a child who finally said, "I think my teacher understands me now." https://lnkd.in/egBzEK5Q