Category Archives: IEP Meetings

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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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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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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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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Top Twenty Tips for Getting the IEP your Child Needs

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Micki Moran

Start with data. What is your child able to do? Accurate, data driven, present levels of performance are essential. Evaluations. (current and comprehensive) Develop an Agenda for the IEP meeting. Circulate this in advance. Get organized. Be clear and concise … Continue reading →

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Groundhog Day

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Micki Moran

As February approaches I am reminded of the movie Groundhog Day where Bill Murray plays a weatherman who is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. Groundhog Day has become shorthand in popular culture as a … Continue reading →

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Endrew F.-What have we learned?

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Micki Moran

The cases interpreting and applying the Endrew F. standard have continued to grow and expand the definition of what is required of school districts in their effort to provide a free, appropriate education to students. The following are bullet points … Continue reading →

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Summary of Dear Colleague Letter-November 16, 2016, By Attorney Sharon Falen

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Micki Moran

On November 16, 2015, the United States Department of Education issued a “Dear Colleague Letter” in an effort to clarify for states and local educational agencies their obligations under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In summary, the Letter … Continue reading →

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Equality in Education: The Denial of FAPE as a Result of a Systemic Breakdown

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Micki Moran

I started my practice on the North Shore of Chicago for a number of reasons. The most important one was that I lived in one of the suburbs, was a single mother with no family to count on, and the school … Continue reading →

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