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IEEs: Do You Have to Explain Why You Disagree?

Published on February 14, 2011 by Jennifer Laviano

As I have covered on several occasions in the past, a parent's right to an Independent Education Evaluation (IEE) under the IDEA is, in my view, one of the strongest available under the special education laws. This opportunity to get a “second opinion” on the school district's evaluations is, in many cases, the difference […]

DON'T THROW AWAY ANYTHING!!!

Published on December 22, 2010 by Jennifer Laviano

Sometimes it's difficult to know what to to be happy about as an attorney who represents children with disabilities. As you can imagine, the facts that support a “really great special education case” are, by definition, at best unpleasant, and at worst horrific. It's an odd feeling, reviewing a child's special education records. When I […]

Filed Under Tips for Parents Tags: connecticut, Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, Due Process, due process hearings, eligibility, Eligibility determinations, Eligibility under IDEA, FAPE, FERPA, IDEA, IDEA claims, IDEA Due Process Hearings, IEPs, informed consent, Meaningful Parental participation, Parent networking for disabilities, Parental participation, special education, special education attorneys, Special Education Due Process Hearings, Special Education Law, Special Education Law and Advocacy, special education laws, special education lawyers

35 Years of IDEA: A Dream Deferred?

Published on December 2, 2010 by Jennifer Laviano

A few days ago marked 35 years since the federal special education statute, now known as IDEA, was signed into law. It is hard to believe that within my lifetime, and probably yours, it was legally permissible to exclude children with disabilities from our public schools entirely. Think about that for a minute. A little […]

Filed Under Current Affairs Tags: attorneys fees under IDEA, connecticut, Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, FAPE, IDEA claims, IEPs, Parent networking for disabilities, special education, Special Education Law and Advocacy, Special Education Law practice, special education laws

Ask for the Email

Published on November 18, 2010 by Jennifer Laviano

Whenever parents retain my firm, I ask them to sign a form requesting all of their child's education records be sent to me as their special education lawyer. It's a standard “FERPA” request…the easiest way to explain FERPA is that it is sort of like the educational version of HIPAA. Bottom line is that I […]

Filed Under Tips for Parents Tags: Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, Due Process, due process hearings, eligibility, Eligibility determinations, Eligibility under IDEA, evaluations, FAPE, FERPA, FERPA issues, IDEA claims, IDEA Due Process Hearings, IEP Meetings, IEP Team, IEP Team meetings, IEPs, informed consent, Meaningful Parental participation, Mediation, Parent networking for disabilities, special ed records, special education, special education attorneys, Special Education Due Process Hearings, Special Education Law and Advocacy, Special Education Law practice, special education laws, special education lawyers, special education testing

"Why Would We Do an Evaluation, She Already Gets Services?"

Published on November 9, 2010 by Jennifer Laviano

As a parents’ special education attorney in Connecticut, I hear outrageous statements that parents are told by their school districts on an almost daily basis. But, sometimes, I am told something that passes the realm of outrageous, and crosses into ridiculous. Such statements mislead or misrepresent the school’s legal obligations, and always in a way […]

Filed Under Ridiculous Comments Tags: autism, Autism spectrum disorders, connecticut, Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, eligibility, Eligibility determinations, Eligibility under IDEA, evaluations, FAPE, IDEA claims, IEEs, IEP Meetings, IEP Team, IEP Team meetings, IEP Teams, IEPs, Independent Educational Evaluations, informed consent, Parental participation, special education, Special Education Law practice, special education laws, special education testing

Footprints in the Sand: A Call to Parents of Adults with Disabilities

Published on September 24, 2010 by Jennifer Laviano

buy essays for college I while ago, I wrote a tribute to Eunice and Ted Kennedy, and their legendary contributions to special education advocacy. In that piece I commented that part of why parents of children with disabilities are at a disadvantage in taking on their school districts is that there is a constant learning […]

Filed Under Parents Tags: autism, Autism spectrum disorders, connecticut, Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, FAPE, IDEA, IDEA claims, informed consent, Meaningful Parental participation, Parent networking for disabilities, special education, special education attorneys, Special Education Law and Advocacy, Special Education Law practice, special education laws, special education lawyers, transition services

10 Special Ed "Back To School" Readiness Questions

Published on August 30, 2010 by Jennifer Laviano

essay writing help online It's “back to school” time! While many of my clients receive Extended School Year (ESY) services over the summer, I have learned over the years in my special education law practice that, regardless of whether your child receives ESY services, a number of things can occur over a summer that might […]

Filed Under Tips for Parents Tags: attorneys fees under IDEA, connecticut, Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, eligibility, Eligibility determinations, Eligibility under IDEA, ESY, extended sc, FAPE, IDEA claims, IEP Meetings, IEP Team, IEP Team meetings, IEP Teams, IEPs, Meaningful Parental participation, special education, Special Education Law and Advocacy, Special Education Law practice, special education laws, transition services

Phoebe Prince, Bullying, Disabilities, and the Eggshell Skull

Published on August 10, 2010 by Jennifer Laviano

There is a theory in the law known as the “eggshell skull principle”, which, in essence, means that a person who commits a wrongful act takes their victim as they find them. For example, Person A hits Person B over the head with a baseball bat. Of course it's an assault, but you'd also assume […]

Filed Under Occasional Rants Tags: Add new tag, attorneys fees under IDEA, bullying, bullying of kids with disabilities, connecticut, Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, eligibility, Eligibility determinations, Eligibility under IDEA, emotional disabilities under IDEA, emotional disability, evaluations, FAPE, special education, Special Education Law and Advocacy, Special Education Law practice, special education laws, special education testing

The Calm Before The Storm

Published on June 29, 2010 by Jennifer Laviano

I feel a little guilty for having neglected my blog most of this month, but the volume of IEP meetings, mediation, and Due Process Hearing commitments has prohibited me from writing much other than responses to Motions to Dismiss, 10 day notice letters, and a whole lot of nasty grams! The month of June has […]

Filed Under Parents Tags: Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, Due Process, FAPE, IDEA, IDEA claims, IDEA Due Process Hearings, IEP Meetings, IEP Team, IEP Team meetings, IEP Team Members, IEPs, Meaningful Parental participation, Mediation, special education, special education attorneys, Special Education Due Process Hearings, Special Education Law and Advocacy, Special Education Law practice, special education laws, special education lawyers

The “Dream” Program

Published on May 29, 2010 by Jennifer Laviano

term paper writing service So, I already have a page of Ridiculous Comments made by school district personnel, and their lawyers. But lately, I’ve decided that my clients have some doozies also…so I’ve created this page: Truly Funny, Sad, Insightful, or Outrageous Quotes From Parents. My clients inspire me. They really do. I can not […]

Filed Under Truly Funny, Sad, Insightful, or Outrageous Quotes from Parents Tags: attorneys fees under IDEA, connecticut, Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, FAPE, IDEA claims, IEP Meetings, Meaningful Parental participation, special education, special education attorneys, Special Education Law and Advocacy, special education laws, special education lawyers

Tag Archives: Connecticut Special Education

35 Years of IDEA: A Dream Deferred?

10 Special Ed "Back To School" Readiness Questions

Phoebe Prince, Bullying, Disabilities, and the Eggshell Skull

The Calm Before The Storm

The “Dream” Program

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