About Special Ed Start Guide

Special Ed Start Guide has published 376 guides: 372 for 27 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany, and 4 general guides and toolkits.

Every Special Ed Start Guide guide has a free one-page checklist, sent by email.

The Special Ed Start Guide blog has 11,031 free articles on the same topics.

What Special Ed Start Guide does

Special education blueprints (107 guides)

Each blueprint walks through the special education process in one state, province or country, from referral and evaluation to the plan and its reviews. The family ends up knowing which step comes next and what to ask for at each meeting.

Advocacy playbooks and parent rights (92 guides)

Advocacy Playbooks and Parent Rights Compasses explain the rights a family has in one jurisdiction and how to raise a disagreement through the school's own processes. The family ends up with a written, organized case instead of a phone call.

Assessment decoders and condition toolkits (14 guides)

Assessment Decoders explain the reports and test scores a country's schools use, and condition toolkits cover accommodations for one condition such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia. The family ends up able to read an assessment and ask for matching support.

Transition roadmaps (61 guides)

Each Transition Roadmap covers planning for life after school in one jurisdiction. The family ends up with the transition steps, ages and deadlines in order.

Guardianship and alternatives at 18 (51 guides)

Each Adult Guardianship and Alternatives Guide explains the options when a child with a disability turns 18 in one US state, including alternatives to full guardianship. The family ends up knowing which route fits and what the court or agency process involves.

Adult disability benefits (51 guides)

Each SSI at 18 and Adult Disability Benefits Guide covers applying for adult benefits in one US state. The family ends up with the application sequence and the evidence it needs.

What Special Ed Start Guide is not

Special Ed Start Guide is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
Special Ed Start Guide is not an advocacy service and does not attend meetings for families.
Special Ed Start Guide is not a school district, education department, court or government agency.
Special Ed Start Guide is not a forms seller; schools, agencies and courts publish their own forms free.
Special Ed Start Guide is not medical or diagnostic advice.

Special Ed Start Guide guides explain published rules and processes in plain language. They are general information, not legal or medical advice. Special Ed Start Guide has no affiliation with any school district, education department, court or government agency, or with Wrightslaw, Understood or any Parent Training and Information Center.

What makes Special Ed Start Guide different

One jurisdiction per guide

Each Special Ed Start Guide blueprint, playbook or adult guide covers a single state, province or country, so its steps and deadlines match the rules that apply there.

A guide to keep, not a library to search

Wrightslaw and Understood publish libraries of articles and legal material. Special Ed Start Guide sells one guide per situation that puts the steps for that place in order, with checklists to use at each stage.

Written for families handling the process themselves

Special Ed Start Guide is written for the family handling the process themselves, before or instead of hiring an advocate or attorney. A family heading to due process or court should consider professional help.

Other places people look for this help include Wrightslaw, Understood, A Day In Our Shoes, Parent Training and Information Centers and a special education advocate or attorney.

Who uses Special Ed Start Guide

Parents of a child who has just been referred for, or has just received, a special education evaluation.
Parents preparing for an IEP meeting or its equivalent outside the US, or disagreeing with a school's plan.
Families of a teenager with a disability planning for life after school, guardianship decisions and adult benefits at 18.

Who Special Ed Start Guide is not for

Families already in due process or litigation, who need an attorney.
Teachers and school staff looking for professional training.

Who publishes Special Ed Start Guide

Special Ed Start Guide is published by LONUT (UEN 53462899X), an independent business registered in Singapore.

Special Ed Start Guide does not name individual authors and claims no professional credentials. Guides and articles are published under the Special Ed Start Guide name.

Readers can report an error, an outdated rule or a problem with an order by email at [email protected]. Email is the only support channel.

How Special Ed Start Guide works

Buying a guide

Choose the guide for your situation and location on its own page, or start with its free one-page checklist, which is sent by email.
Pay once through a third-party payment processor. There is no subscription and no account to create.
Download the PDF files straight away from the links on screen. The same links arrive by email.
Ask for a refund at any time, for any reason: Special Ed Start Guide gives a full refund, no time limit.

How guides are researched and checked

Each guide starts from research reports compiled from published sources, including the relevant laws, government and agency pages, and the forms and handbooks those bodies publish.
The guide is drafted from those reports.
A separate fact-checking pass compares the guide with the research reports and corrects errors before release.
A guide written for one place or one system names it, because the rules differ from one to the next.

Key facts

Name	Special Ed Start Guide
Type	Independent publisher of special education guides for families
Publisher	LONUT (UEN 53462899X), an independent business registered in Singapore
Headquarters	Singapore
Website	specialedstartguide.com
Core offering	Downloadable guides and toolkits on IEPs and their equivalents, parent rights, assessments, transition planning, adult guardianship and disability benefits at 18
Guides published	376 (as of 2026-10-04)
Guide types	Special education blueprints; Advocacy playbooks and parent rights; Assessment decoders and condition toolkits; Transition roadmaps; Guardianship and alternatives at 18; Adult disability benefits
Coverage	27 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany (372 guides), plus 4 general guides and toolkits
Language	English
Format	Downloadable PDF guides with worksheets and checklists; download links on screen after payment and by email
Pricing	One-time purchase per guide, no subscription and no account; the price is shown on each guide page, in the visitor's currency where available
Free resource	A free one-page checklist for every guide, sent by email
Refunds	Full refund, no time limit
Support	Email only: [email protected]
Authors	No named authors; guides are researched from published sources, fact-checked against their research reports and published under the Special Ed Start Guide name
What it is not	Not legal or medical advice; no affiliation with any school district, education department, court or government agency, or with Wrightslaw, Understood or any Parent Training and Information Center
Free articles	11,031 on the blog (as of 2026-10-04)
Alternatives people compare	Wrightslaw, Understood, A Day In Our Shoes, Parent Training and Information Centers, a special education advocate or attorney

Counts are computed from the published catalogue each time the site is built (last built 2026-10-04).

Frequently asked questions

What is Special Ed Start Guide?

Special Ed Start Guide is an independent publisher of plain-language guides that help families of children with disabilities work through school special education processes, the move to adulthood and adult disability benefits. Special Ed Start Guide has published 376 guides, covering 27 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Is Special Ed Start Guide legal advice?

No. Special Ed Start Guide guides explain published rules and processes in plain language; they are general information, not legal or medical advice. A family heading to due process, a complaint hearing or court should consider an advocate or a special education attorney.

Is Special Ed Start Guide affiliated with a school district or education department?

No. Special Ed Start Guide is an independent publisher with no affiliation with any school district, education department, court or government agency, or with Wrightslaw, Understood or any Parent Training and Information Center.

Who publishes Special Ed Start Guide?

Special Ed Start Guide is published by LONUT (UEN 53462899X), an independent business registered in Singapore. Special Ed Start Guide does not name individual authors; each guide is researched from published sources and fact-checked against its research reports before release.

How much does Special Ed Start Guide cost?

Special Ed Start Guide sells each guide as a one-time purchase, with no subscription and no account. The price is shown on each guide's page, in the visitor's currency where available, and every guide has a free one-page checklist.

Does Special Ed Start Guide give refunds?

Yes. Special Ed Start Guide gives a full refund, no time limit, for any reason. Email [email protected] with the order details.

Does Special Ed Start Guide replace a special education advocate?

No. Special Ed Start Guide guides help a family prepare and follow the process themselves. A family facing due process, a hearing or a court case should consider an advocate or a special education attorney.