(Part 1) Cassie Romo, PhD : Advocacy, IEPs, and Finding Your Voice as a Parent

About this episode

Dr. Cassie Romo discusses advocacy in special education and the importance of parental voice.

Dr. Cassie Romo has sat on both sides of the IEP table — as a school administrator and as a parent of a child with Down syndrome. In this powerful conversation, she opens up about what it means to advocate for your child, the overwhelm parents face in special education, and the communication gaps that often leave families feeling lost. We talk about why your voice matters, even when you feel unsure, and how schools can create more compassionate spaces for parents navigating complex decisions....

People in this episode

Host: Ana

Guest: Dr. Cassie Romo

Topics covered

• advocacy
• special education
• parenting
• IEPs
• communication
• Down syndrome

Keywords

• advocacy
• IEP
• special education
• Down syndrome
• parenting
• communication gaps

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: IEP

More episodes of Development Desk

• Amanda : Raising a Middle Schooler (Part 2) · February 10, 2026 · 28 min
• Let's Talk - Your Child Has an Autism Diagnosis, So Why Doesn’t the School Agree? · February 3, 2026 · 23 min
• Amanda: Raising a Middle Schooler (Part 1) · January 27, 2026 · 32 min
• Let's Talk About - After School Routines · January 20, 2026 · 24 min
• Verenice, PhD, LP, LSSP : Emotional Independence and Tools for Teen Self-Reflection · November 18, 2025 · 42 min
• Claudia Flores, SLP : Speech Services in School · November 11, 2025 · 39 min