Special Education Law and Advocacy
How does your child with a disability become eligible for special education and related services? For starters, it is not simply having a disability. Read on to understand this process from a legal perspective. First step is that either you or one of the teachers (or school staff) suspect your child has a disability. This […]
ESY stands for Extended School Year and is special education and related services provided to a student with a disability during periods the public school is not in session. The following will break this down into more specifics. The Law The regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provide as follows: “Each public […]
Dedication: I dedicate this article to a truly inspiring child advocate and professor, the late Irwin Hyman, Ed.D., who fostered my education throughout my time at Temple University. He was a man of brilliance, boundless energy, and intense devotion to the well-being of children. He had a vision of change and helped his students to […]
Before I answer the question in the title, let me share a true story. I appeared before a special ed hearing officer on behalf of a child with a disability – let’s call the child Chris (changed to protect identity). Chris has severe learning disabilities and is far behind age-equivalent peers. Chris does not do […]
Recently, I have heard (far too many) stories from parents that the schools are taking away services from their child and/or denying providing services because the school does not believe the child’s diagnosis. This is wrong and illegal on so many levels, but I will adress the three (3) most important reasons why schools should […]
Perhaps one of the most confusing parts of special education law for parents (and some schools) is who is on the IEP team. There are both “mandatory” members of the IEP team as well as “permissive” members. IDEA makes this very clear. Mandatory Members of the IEP Team There are five (5) mandatory members of […]
A client recently told me they received a notice for an “evaluation meeting”. Huh? I asked, do you mean an IEP meeting? The client wasn’t sure because the notice said just that – evaluation meeting. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN EVALUATION MEETING! Since I figured school districts are trying to confuse parents by […]
A new tactic being used by schools against parents of children with disabilities is to require / funnel all communications with the school through one person, usually the case manager. We’ve seen numerous questions by parents if this is illegal or whether parents can request two-way communication be listed as an accommodation in the IEP. […]
You pay federal taxes. You have schools in your town. Those schools have special education programs. If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably a parent of a child with special needs. Well, guess what? If you have a dispute with your school about your child’s IEP or otherwise not meeting your child’s special education needs, […]
Identifying 2e Children https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/blog/2015/02/identifying-twice-exceptional-children/ Tips for Parents: Meeting the Needs of 2e Children http://www.davidsongifted.org/Search-Database/entry/A10140 7 Myths About 2E Students https://www.understood.org/en/friends-feelings/empowering-your-child/building-on-strengths/7-myths-about-twice-exceptional-2e-students Gifted Children With Learning Disabilities https://www.understood.org/en/friends-feelings/empowering-your-child/building-on-strengths/gifted-childrens-challenges-with-learning-and-attention-issues 2e Newsletter http://www.2enewsletter.com/index.html NEA: Twice Exceptional Dilemma http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/twiceexceptional.pdf [PDF File] Amazon.com Books on 2e Kids http://amzn.to/2jtknFy
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