Understanding the 504 Plan: Empowering Students for Success
A 504 plan is one vital tool that can support students who need accommodations (and sometimes more) to access a free and appropriate public education. It is crucial to ensure…
Category: Special Education
Understanding and Exploring Reading Interventions for Your Child
Making sure children have the evidence-based reading instruction needed to learn to read fluently is key to helping them do well in school, feel good about themselves, and frankly, function…
Can the School Take Away a Child’s IEP? Handling IEP and Service Removal
What do parents need to know when an IEP team at school suggests removing the IEP? Parents know how important IEP services are for meeting the unique educational needs of…
IEP Progress Reporting– What is “Meaningful” Progress?
Do you know whether your child is making meaningful IEP goal progress? Does your IEP team provide you with hard, objective data quarterly explaining how close to their IEP goal your student…
Student Privacy Matters – Understanding FERPA
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act– FERPA allows access to educational records for families and protects those records from misuse.
The Role of Private Evaluations: What Schools Must Consider
When it comes to updating IEPs, the inclusion of private evaluations can be a contentious issue. By private evaluations, we are talking about evaluations done outside of school that parents…
What is a PWN?
PWN is an acronym for “Prior Written Notice.” Think of it as meeting minutes from your IEP meeting. But why does it have such a strange name? PWN means that…
What is in an IEP?
What is an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for students with disabilities? How can parents use each part of the IEP to best advocate for what their child needs? Parents and…
Understanding Home & Hospital Services: Education for Students Outside of the School Building
Home & Hospital Services, also known as Home/Hospital or Homebound Services, are designed to provide educational services to students who are unable to attend school due to medical or mental…
Back to Basics – What is an IEP?
As a parent of a child with a disability, it can be overwhelming to navigate the education system and ensure your child is receiving the necessary support and accommodations to…
Are Private Schools Required to Provide Accommodations under Section 504?
Private Schools and accommodations under Section 504 is a frequent area of concern for our clients. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (which is where the term “504…
What NOT to Say to Your Child’s School
WHAT not to say is important, as is WHEN not to say anything to your child’s school. We’ve previously talked about when to get involved in school or special education…
Unilateral Placement Requirements – Placing Your Child in a Private Specialized or Special Education School
If you are placing your child in a private or special education school that works with students with disabilities for this fall, you need to send a unilateral placement letter…
Are We Really Still Having This Conversation? Evidence Based Reading Intervention for Dyslexia
Why are schools still not using evidence based reading instruction for initial instruction and for intervention? And why are parents still calling me to say their school insists on using…
IEP Progress Reporting– What is “Meaningful” Progress?
Do you know whether your child is making meaningful IEP goal progress? Does your IEP team provide you with hard, objective data quarterly explaining how close to their IEP goal…
Keeping Students Safe in School: Redirecting School Police Funding
The Council of Parent Advocates and Attorneys Report: “Keeping Students Safe In School: Redirecting School Police Funding to Benefit Students by Supporting Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Needs” By Alyssa Fieo…
Back to School with an IEP – What to Do Right Now
Back to school with an IEP? 8 Things parents need to know and do right now if their child has an IEP.
The difference between an IEP and a 504 Plan
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan? Both are documents created to support students but IEPs and 504 plans are not the same.
I think my child needs special education. What should I do first?
Has observing distance learning made you wonder whether your child might need special education services? Don’t worry, we’re here to help you determine whether your child might be eligible for…
Compensatory Services and Returning to School
“Compensatory Services” refer to the make-up service a school district is required to provide when they “miss” or do not provide services under a child’s IEP for one reason or…