Blog

Three federal laws protect students—the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504).  Students who have special education claims under the IDEA may also have...

In educational circles, "inclusion" is frequently discussed as a progressive teaching philosophy or best-practice model. Actually, inclusion is a federally protected civil right. In Pennsylvania, the mandate to educate students with disabilities alongside their...

Discovering that your child is struggling in school can be overwhelming. If you suspect they need extra help, an initial evaluation is the first step to securing special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While federal law...

In Pennsylvania, due process hearings are decided by hearing officers within the Pennsylvania Department of Education Office for Dispute Resolution (ODR). I frequently review the ODR's redacted hearing officer decisions to get a sense of litigated issues, school...

Recently, I’ve noticed a troubling trend in my special education law practice.  The highly specific concerns parents bring to me are completely missing from their emails to school teams. With me, parents are precise: “My son is in third grade and reading at a...