Category Archives: Education Law

Special Education and Education Issues

Posted on July 23, 2021 by Micki Moran

Extended Services to Transition Age Students The pandemic wreaked havoc on educational programs for many students. For students who were transition age and turning 22 the impact was enormous. Recent legislation enacted by the Illinois General Assembly were designed to … Continue reading →

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Extended School Year and COVID-19/Compensatory Education

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Micki Moran

The Extended School Year (ESY) is fast approaching and in the current environment there are few certainties. In Illinois, students who are eligible for extended school year will receive services remotely. There will be no in person instruction. The standards … Continue reading →

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Posted in Autism, Current Events, Due Process, Education Law, General Information, IEP Meetings, Learning Disabilities, Mediation, Mental Health / Disability, School Discipline, Special Education / School Law, Transition Planning, Uncategorized | Tagged | Comments Off on Extended School Year and COVID-19/Compensatory Education

School Refusal

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Micki Moran

Over the years, I have worked with many families struggling to cope when their child or adolescent refuses to go to school. Typically, by the time parents call my office, the issue of school refusal is already a crisis. There … Continue reading →

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Support For a Non-Minor Child with a Disability

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Micki Moran

1 in 59 children are diagnosed with autism according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 750 ILCS 5/513.5 is the statute that governs the support of an adult child with a disability. This is an increasingly common issue … Continue reading →

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Posted in Autism, Current Events, Divorce & Custody, Education Law, General Information, Juvenile Law, Learning Disabilities, Mental Health / Disability, Residential Placements, Transition Planning | Tagged | Comments Off on Support For a Non-Minor Child with a Disability

Thinking About Transition to High School for Students with IEPs and 504 Plans

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Micki Moran

At this time of year, elementary and middle schools schedule what are called articulation or transition meetings for students who will be moving on to a junior high or a high school. The purpose of this article is to provide … Continue reading →

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Apps for Divorcing Parents

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Micki Moran

It centralizes communication and helps with organization. Even for divorcing or divorced parents it has been my experience that the apps provide a less emotional vehicle for communication. Using an app can also limit the he said, she said phenomenon. … Continue reading →

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Autism and Police Interaction

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Micki Moran

Over the past several months I have had several cases of young people with autism who have been involved with the police for a variety of reasons. In my practice this is not an uncommon situation. However, I wanted to … Continue reading →

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October is National Bullying Prevention Month – October 23, 2019 is Unity Day

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Micki Moran

Bullying is an issue that our office deals with routinely. Students with disabilities can become the target of bullying as well as neurotypical students. This is a tough issue and one that doesn’t lend itself to simple solutions.  Witnessed Bullying? … Continue reading →

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Pending Legislative Changes Impacting Special Education

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Micki Moran

Illinois House Bill 3586 This bill was supposed to apply only to Chicago Public Schools. However, due to a “drafting error”, the bill reads that the following will apply to every school district in the state. If the bill is … Continue reading →

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Accelerated Placements: Illinois School Law Update

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Micki Moran

On July 1, 2018, 105 ILCS 5/14 as amended went into effect. It essentially requires that school districts have non-discriminatory gifted, talented and accelerated programs, and obligates school districts to develop a policy that allows for accelerated placement of eligible … Continue reading →

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