Category Archives: Special Education / School Law

Special Education and Education Issues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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Restraint, Seclusion and Isolated Time Outs

In the past month, I have been involved in representing parents in several cases where a student was subjected to abuse at the hands of a staff member at a public therapeutic day school. The abuse was related to the … Continue reading

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Reading Disputes

The school year is nearly over. I finally have time to catch my breath and look back at what where the main legal issues in the special education area for the 2018-2019 school year that kept me occupied. Reading disputes … Continue reading

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Top Twenty Tips for Getting the IEP your Child Needs

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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