Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.
In this issue of the Special Ed Advocate you'll find Part 2 of Summer School 2013: So You Want to be an Advocate?
In this four part summer series you will learn the basics of becoming a special education advocate. Learn how to plan and prepare to be an efedctive advocate and what mistakes to avoid. Find out where to get the information and training you need. Get a reading and resource list. Learn how advocates train. So You want to be an Advocate?
New! Watch and Listen Pete has posted several videos on YouTube. Some of the slides are from his Wrightslaw Conferences. Topics include RTI, Test Protocols, Organization of the File, False Child Abuse allegations, and more. Click here for the link to the YouTube Wrightslaw Channel and the new case about false allegations of child abuse lead to jury trial!
On July 23, 2013, the U. S. Department of Education issued a 64 page document consisting of questions and answers relating to Mediation, State Complaint Procedures, Due Process Hearing, Resolution Sessions and Expedited Due Process. In addition to posting the complete document, Wrightslaw has broken it down into the specific components as smaller files.
Regulation Revised! Access to Medicaid benefits revised! On February 14, 2013 the US Dept of Education revised 34 CFR 300.154(d), the Medicare consent and notice regulations. We posted a YouTube video about the revised reg and possible Medicaid Fraud.Click here for the video.
New IEP Pop-Up! Learn about IDEA requirements for Developing Your Child's IEP. Find answers to your questions, federal law or regulations that support these answers, and a list of additional resources.
You are Invited Visit the Wrightslaw Way Blog. Help us create a unique online community. Recent posts and comments ...
New!Doug C. v. Hawaii (9th Cir. 2013) - On June 13, 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an important decision about parental participation at IEP meetings. Pete says that "All special education staff who conduct IEP meetings should be familiar with this landmark ruling about IEP meetings and parental participation." Click here to read Pete's comprehensive analysis about the case. The original decision as issued by the Court is located here.
R.E., M.E., et al v. NYC Dept of Education (2nd Cir. 2012) - 2nd Circuit adopts the “snap-shot” rule to judge the adequacy of an IEP written in Burlington/Carter reimbursement cases; held that retrospective testimony about additional services that the also district "would have provided," but which were not offered in the IEP, cannot be used to rehabilitate an IEP or prove its adequacy.
Anchorage School District v. MP (9th Cir. 2012) In awarding reimbursement to the parents, the Court noted that "we are sympathetic to the difficulties posed by the obviously strained relationship between the ASD and M.P.'s parents, but this circumstance does not excuse the ASD from compliance with the IDEA. To conclude otherwise would subvert the purposes of the IDEA and sanction a school district's unilateral decision to abandon its statutorily required responsibility to the detriment of its students."
Law School Exam - Give it a try.Take the Final Exam that Pete and Pam administered to their students at the William &
Mary School of Law. To see one of their students in oral argument in an
LRE case, click here.
2014 Institute of Special Education Advocacy (ISEA). Registration opens 02/01/14 - closes 06/30/14. Meet the faculty and graduates from ISEA 2012; review the program agenda. View the 2012 Slideshow. LIVE Blogging from ISEA 2013.
Books, DVDs & Websites For a year and a half, Pete and Pam Wright were
Adjunct Professors of Law at the William and Mary School of Law where they
taught a course about special education law and advocacy and assisted with creation of
the Law School's Special Education Law Clinic.
Pete and Pam built several websites to help parents of children with
disabilities in their quest for quality special education programs. Fetaweb.com, the companion website to Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, has advocacy information and resources to supplement the FETA book.
IDEA 2004 at Wrightslaw provides current information about the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). Learn about new requirements
for IEPs, IEP teams, IEP meetings, eligibility, evaluations, eligibility for specific
learning disabilities, child find, reevaluations, parental consent, accommodations,
alternate assessments, transition, and more.
No
Child Left Behind at Wrightslaw offers accurate, up-to-date information
about the No Child Left Behind Act - research-based instruction, proficiency testing,
parent involvement, tutoring and supplemental educational services, highly qualified
teachers, and public school choice.
At the Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities,
you'll find listings for educational consultants, advocates, advisors,
psychologists, diagnosticians, health care specialists, academic tutors,
speech language therapists, and attorneys. You'll also find government
programs, grassroots organizations, disability organizations, legal and
advocacy resources, special education schools, and parent support
groups.