As the months of Coronavirus destruction of life as we know it roll on, it is clear that not only have lives been destroyed, but also that the educational lives of our children have been crushed. This is especially true for special needs kids, who have been shoved home and largely forgotten about
The last two weeks have been a real NEW thing for all of us: being forced home with fear, and with our kids being excluded from school, with no or limited schooling being provided or being provided by us to the best of our abilities. Meanwhile the Governor of
When should parents consider bringing an attorney into a student IEP (Individualized Education Program)? Is the student not thriving in their current school? Is the school not providing all services that the student needs to adequately advance year to year? Does the IEP team seem to deny or dismiss many
Under both California and federal law, schools CANNOT make drugging students a condition of kids attending school. This means that if a student is alleged to have “behavior issues” there is no requirement parents seek out a mind-altering substance to control them in the classroom. Despite this, there is often
Life is rosy for most California public school students who can attend school daily. However, if a student has a chronic medical situation and is missing a lot of school, a “Chronic Illness Verification Form” may be needed. This form can protect the student and parent from truancy and other
IEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings are critical to ensure good services and supports for a special needs student. To ensure success, parents should bring supportive documents, reports, and other items, which show the student’s needs and how they can be met. This is even more important if prior to the
Language is important in special education. It is especially important when making legal arguments and demanding things for a student. Knowing this, there is one word which should be banned from a parent’s vocabulary, when advocating for special education services, supports, or placement: “best.” This is the four letter word
Time and time again, I meet with parents who are baffled why a student’s IEP (Individualized Education Program) or 504 plan (disability accommodations plan) is not being implemented at school. Sometimes parents do not notice for years that, although the student’s IEP or 504 has many items which are
Have you filed a complaint alleging student discrimination or improper retaliation with the United States Department of Education (USDOE) and their Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and received a negative ruling? Did OCR say the clear wrongful acts (to you) were not really bad or not really discriminatory to the
Moving your home is never easy, but some stuff should be smooth: calling to set up utilities, finding a local grocery store, enrollment of students in the new school. These things should not be big deals, right? Sure. But, what if a student moving is in special education? How
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