Category Archives: Uncategorized

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

Special Education Rights and the Coronavirus

Let me start by stating the obvious. We are in uncharted waters. Everyone, parents, school personnel and others are trying to navigate this situation. As a parent attorney I have been staying up to date in what is a very … 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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Section 504 Plans – What is it and Who Qualifies (Part 1)

Section 504 is a Federal law that prohibits disability discrimination by recipients of Federal financial assistance. All public schools and school districts, as well as all public charter schools and magnet schools, that receive federal financial assistance from the Department … 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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Groundhog Day

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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Accelerated Placements: Illinois School Law Update

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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Restraint and Seclusion in Schools-Guest post by Attorney Sharon Falen of The Child & Family Law Center

Illinois has been recognized as one of the model states in school discipline reform, but there is much to know about this issue. This article offers a brief summary of the two major means of controlling behavior in the classroom: … Continue reading

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