Questions parents ask us
If something here isn’t answered, write to us: real questions become new entries.
Is this legal advice?
No. The tool provides educational and organizational support only: checklists, questions, templates and structure. It does not interpret laws or regulations, evaluate whether a school met any obligation or tell you what you’re “entitled” to. For anything legal, consult a licensed special-education attorney or a qualified advocate in your state.
Do you need my child’s records?
No, and the tool won’t accept them. There are no uploads by design. You can optionally paste short excerpts (a goal sentence, a line from a progress report), with privacy reminders right where you’d type. The tool never asks for your child’s full name, date of birth, diagnosis or school name.
Where are my answers stored?
Your working copy stays in your browser. When your free card is ready, AOGAR also keeps an encrypted-by-code recovery copy for 30 days so you can restore it on another device. Anyone with the code can open that card, so keep it private.
How long does the intake take?
The intake is built to take about eight minutes: seven steps, and steps 4 to 7 can be skipped or answered minimally. You’ll still get a useful card, and you can edit everything afterward.
What’s the difference between the free card and the $49 Case File?
The free Meeting Prep Card is one page: priority, three documents, three questions, opening sentence and next action. The Case File is a complete three-stage workspace for preparing, running the meeting and following up. It includes the review relevant to your situation, focused questions, a short opening, decision notes, a follow-up email generator and an action tracker.
Can I edit what the tool writes?
Yes. Every line. Each generated block has an Edit button; your edits are saved and appear in print. The tool writes the first draft; you own the final one.
How do I print or save as PDF?
Every result has a “Print / save as PDF” button. In the print dialog, choose your printer or “Save as PDF.” The Case File is formatted for US Letter with clean page breaks between sections.
Does one $49 purchase cover all my meetings?
It covers the case file built from the answers you entered. One meeting, one concern. A new situation (say, next year’s annual review) is a new case file. The free card is always free, every time.
Who writes the questions and templates?
They’re written and reviewed in-house against established parent-advocacy practice: dated observations, measurable-goal clarity questions, implementation logs, follow-up summaries. The engine is rule-based: the same answers always produce the same preparation. No AI decides what you should ask.
My meeting is tomorrow. Too late?
Not at all. The tool adapts: with a day to go, it skips the “request materials ahead” advice and focuses on the essentials: your priority, your three questions and your opening sentence. Ten focused minutes beats a sleepless night of worry.
Can this help after the meeting too?
That’s half the product. The Case File includes a notes section (what was agreed, who owns it, deadlines), a follow-up email generator that turns those notes into a calm summary message and a 30-day tracker so agreed actions don’t quietly evaporate.
Will this tell me if my school broke the law?
No. Deliberately. That’s a legal conclusion no preparation tool should hand out. What it will do is help you document what you observed, ask clear questions and keep a written record, which is exactly what any professional you later consult will want to see.
Still the best way to understand it
Run your situation through the free card. Eight minutes, no account.
Free, personalized Meeting Prep Card. Full printable Case File is $49, only if you want it.