Karen Mayer Cunningham

Karen Mayer Cunningham, known nationally as The Special Education Boss®, is a special education advocate, speaker, trainer, and USA Today national bestselling author of The Epic IEP. With more than 25 years of experience supporting families, educators, and school systems, Karen has dedicated her career to helping children with disabilities receive meaningful access to services, supports, and legally appropriate educational programs.

She is the founder of Special Education Academy™, an online training platform that equips parents, educators, and advocates with practical tools to better understand IDEA, Section 504, IEPs, evaluations, related services, placement, parent participation, and dispute-resolution processes. She also founded The Epic Educator Academy, created specifically to provide professional development and ongoing support to educators working within special education systems.

Karen is also a certified mediator and a John Maxwell Certified Speaker and Behavioral Analysis Trainer, bringing a unique combination of advocacy, leadership, conflict resolution, and legal strategy to her work. Her book, The Epic IEP, became a USA Today national bestseller and has helped expand her mission of making special education law, advocacy, and best practices more accessible to families and professionals across the country.

Through her trainings, books, speaking engagements, and national social media platform, Karen continues to advocate for stronger systems, better IEPs, empowered parents, and educators who are equipped to serve students with disabilities with clarity, confidence, and compliance.