Blog & Videos

Discipline under the IDEA- Part 2 For the manifestation determination meeting, the first question is whether the disciplinary conduct was caused by or had a substantial relationship to the child’s disability? The second question is whether the act that was...

Discipline under the IDEA- Part 1 In Part 1 of this series, we present an overview of the discipline process and how it is different for a child on an IEP. We also cover the importance of the Manifestation Determination meeting. This is a very important area of the...

Procedural Rights- When is a Procedural Violation a Denial of FAPE? According to the law, a procedural violation causes a denial of FAPE if it impedes the child’s right to a FAPE, significantly impedes the parent’s ability to participate in the IEP process, or...

Procedural Rights- Clear Offer of FAPE & Consent Procedural rights are the protections surrounding the IEP planning process. A clear offer of FAPE & consent are two of those procedural protections. Clear offer of FAPE When the IEP is written, the IEP has to...

Prior Written Notice Procedural rights are the protections surrounding the IEP planning process. Prior written notice is one of those procedural protections. Its purpose is to give the parents more information when the school district either initiates or refuses to...

What is the LRE? The least restrictive environment or LRE is the cornerstone of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). Before this law came into existence, many students with special needs were completely segregated from their non-disabled...

What is FAPE?FAPE is an acronym that stands for free, appropriate, public education. Under the law, the school district is required to offer FAPE to every student on an IEP.  And every IEP must meet the standard of FAPE. If the IEP does not meet the standard of...

Eligibility for the IEP How do we create a plan to address the barriers to a child's education?  The first step in this planning process is to confirm whether the child is eligible for an IEP or not. As we discussed earlier, the eligibility for a 504 plan is...

Components of the IEP   The starting point of the IEP process is the present levels of performance. We need a starting point for the student’s performance, particularly in relation to the student’s peers. Many states have published grade level standards for a...

Overview of the IEP   The IDEA is the law that sets forth the framework for special education programs. It's stands for the individuals with disabilities in education act. It was passed by Congress in the mid-1970s. One of the driving forces behind the law was that...

The second way to start the assessment processes is through the parent’s request for a special education assessment. This request should be made in writing, so the legal timelines start. And the assessment request should outline the struggles and difficulties that...

Special education assessments are the basis for all IEP educational planning Assessments are designed to determine eligibility, illicit areas of need, andpropose educational planning for the IEP process. If you don't have accurate, thorough, and complete...

The Most Important Rule in Special Education The most important rule in special education is that the child’s program must be individualized to the needs of the child. If a child has an autism diagnosis, do they automatically get placed in the autism special day...

WRITTEN VIDEO TRANSCRIPT The Ins and Outs of IEP's and 504 Plans: How do you know which one your child needs? (Continued from previous video.) The IEP goes much further. The core of the IEP is specialized instruction. Again, the IEP changes the content, method, or...

WRITTEN VIDEO TRANSCRIPT The Ins and Outs of IEP's and 504 Plans: How do you know which one your child needs? The IEP requires specialized instruction. Specialized instruction or special education means changing the content, method, or delivery of instruction in...

WRITTEN VIDEO TRANSCRIPT Behavior plans – Part two In part one, we talked about the FBA or functional behavior assessment, which is designed to gather information about a child’s behavioral problems. In part two, we're going to look at the behavior intervention...

WRITTEN VIDEO TRANSCRIPT In part one of this series, we will discuss the functional behavior assessment (FBA) and how it is the starting point when a child behavior impedes their learning or the learning of others. Following the FBA, the IEP team must develop a...

WRITTEN VIDEO TRANSCRIPT How to Prepare for Your Child's IEP,  Part Two Quick Tip #4  Gather private records.Many parents have children that have private services such as ABA, speech & language, occupational therapy, or academic tutoring. Even though the...

WRITTEN VIDEO TRANSCRIPT  Parent’s preparation for the upcoming IEP team meeting In part one of this IEP Tips to Equip Series, we will discuss the parent’s preparation for the upcoming IEP team meeting. It's important to start with a purpose of the IEP team...

WRITTEN VIDEO TRANSCRIPT  In part three of the IEP Tips to Equip Series on the IEE, we will discuss the mechanics of choosing an IEE assessor, and the district’s obligation to consider the information provided by the IEE assessor to the IEP team. If the district...

WRITTEN VIDEO TRANSCRIPT  In part two of our series on the IEE, we will discuss the two options that the school district has in responding to a parent’s request for an IEE at public expense. In response to a parent’s request for an IEE, the school district only has...