How The Ability Challenge is Transforming Special Education with Sarah Sandelius & Kristen N. Briggs

Join me as I speak with Sarah Sandelius and Kristen N. Briggs from The Ability Challenge about revolutionizing special education through their groundbreaking THRIVE Framework. We need to shift from deficit-based thinking to presuming competence in all learners.

You'll Learn:

• Why focusing on Tier 1 instruction is essential for ALL students
• How to move beyond compliance metrics to meaningful student outcomes
• The critical difference between visible and invisible disabilities
• Why "kids will meet whatever bar you set for them, low or high"
• Practical strategies for creating truly inclusive learning environments

Sarah Sandelius, a former lawyer who founded The Ability Challenge, shares her personal journey from witnessing educational inequity to creating systems-level change. Kristen N. Briggs brings her invaluable perspective as a special education teacher and school leader, highlighting how intentional support systems can transform educational experiences for students with disabilities.

Episode Mentions: 

• National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
  • Insights for Navigating the Transition to Adulthood
  • Forward Together
• IDEA
• MTSS-i
• Juliana Tapper, M.Ed - Teaching 6-12 Math Intervention
• The Ability Challenge's 2025 White Paper "From ABC to THRIVE" 

Chapters:

• 00:00 - Introduction and overview 
• 01:00 - Meet Sarah Sandelius and Kristen Briggs 
• 02:00 - Research that informs their work 
• 03:50 - Kristen on lived experience vs. academic research 
• 06:10 - Sarah's journey to founding The Ability Challenge 
• 09:56 - Understanding visible vs. invisible disabilities 
• 11:59 - What schools could do better to support students 
• 13:21 - The problem of "Tier 2 and 3 ourselves out of a Tier 1 challenge" 
• 17:23 - The importance of collaborative professional learning 
• 19:29 - The THRIVE Framework explained 
• 21:50 - Taking a systems-level approach to special education 
• 24:40 - Moving beyond compliance metrics to meaningful assessment 
• 27:46 - Grade-level content access for all students 
• 29:08 - The "what, so what, now what" data analysis protocol 
• 31:32 - Setting high expectations and checking educator biases 
• 34:34 - Future vision and emerging trends in special education 
• 37:17 - Building teacher knowledge around specialized instruction 
• 38:37 - Resources for understanding functions of behavior 
• 39:12 - Reimagining staffing approaches

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.