The Dangerous Use of the Word ā€œCureā€

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Iā€™m shocked. It takes a lot to shock me these days, but I am admittedly shocked. My alarm has been set off by numerous recent studies into the ā€œcauseā€ of Autism. Iā€™m not alarmed purely because of the research, but rather what it may implicate and the resulting frightening thoughts of how we, as a […]

I love teachers! . . . (really, I do!)

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There is a bad reputation out there for special education lawyers, advocates and parents of special education kids. Ā The reputation is that we hate all school teachers and those who work in the schools and we are simply out for vengeance. I’m going to focus this post on the misrepresentation that I must hate teachers […]

A Huge Problem in Special Education: Teacher Unions

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There have been many recent, well-publicized incidents of teachers and school staff doing horrible things to kids – and not just any kids, special needs kids.Ā  Here are just a few examples: In Cherry Hill, NJ, a dad of a special needs child wired his kid for sound and audio recorded verbal abuse by the […]

What’s a FERPA letter?

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For those of you who are new to education law or are in a battle with your school district to make sure your disabled student is getting a “Free Appropriate Public Education”, you may have heard the term “FERPA” or been told to send a “FERPA letter“.Ā  And you’re probably wondering “What the heck is […]

Pass the IEP, please!

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You remember at the dinner table (perhaps most notably the Thanksgiving Dinner table) when you would ask someone to pass something along?Ā  Maybe it was the stuffing bowl; maybe it was the cranberry sauce; maybe it was the dinner rolls; or maybe it was the fruit cake (OK, I know it wasn’t the fruit cake […]

Special Education law is not about revenge

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Many clients come to me with vindication on their minds.Ā  They feel they have been wronged and want to inflict pain on whomever did the wrong.Ā  They want revenge.Ā  This is especially true in the field of special education law.Ā  They want to “get back” at the school district that they felt is interfering with […]

What Everyone Should Know About Special Education Funding

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There has been a rush to judgment lately, by those without disabled children and those without children at all, that the increase in costs for special education is the fault of the parents of disabled children demanding too many services for their children.Ā  Aside from the natural anger towards the attitude that disabled children don’t […]

Playing (and Winning) the School Districtā€™s Game of Chicken

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[Appeared previously on Special Education Advisor blog] Probably the most frustrating part of being the parent of a child with a different ability[1] is the response from the very organization you hoped you could trust the most to do right by your child ā€“ your school district.Ā  After all, teachers and administrators are trained to […]