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
Published on
April 20, 2010 by
Jennifer Laviano
So, I have been following the new series Parenthood with interest. Yes, I loved the movie, and I like enough of the cast members to have tuned in. But I started to commit to watching it weekly when I saw they were incorporating a story line about a family grappling with their child’s diagnosis of [...]
Filed Under Current Affairs
Tags: Add new tag, Autism spectrum disorders, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, Eligibility determinations, Eligibility under IDEA, evaluations, giftedness, Meaningful Parental participation, Parent networking for disabilities, special education, Special Education Law and Advocacy
Published on
April 17, 2010 by
Jennifer Laviano
One of the most frustrating aspects of my job as a parents’ side special education attorney is trying to help my clients regain trust in the system. Sometimes, this is nearly impossible.
As I’ve said before, by the time a parent of a child with special education needs has made the difficult decision to hire a [...]
Filed Under Occasional Rants
Tags: Add new tag, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, Eligibility determinations, evaluations, FAPE, IDEA claims, IEP Meetings, IEP Team meetings, Meaningful Parental participation, special education, special education attorneys, Special Education Law and Advocacy, special education lawyers
Published on
October 15, 2009 by
Jennifer Laviano
Hey, nobody likes having to admit they were wrong. I don’t like it, and I’m sure you don’t either. But it never ceases to amaze me how much time and money is spent litigating special education matters, simply because somebody is unwilling to acknowledge that they made a mistake.
As a Special Education attorney who represents [...]
Published on
August 13, 2009 by
Jennifer Laviano
Recently, I attended an IEP Team Meeting that was, well, dare I say it? Lovely. I mean it. About a year ago, the parents had hired me to represent their son, because they just could not convince their school district that their child was really, truly struggling. He is one of those kids that can [...]
Published on
August 2, 2009 by
Jennifer Laviano
I am by no means a psychiatrist, psychologist, school psychologist, special education teacher, or related service provider. I am not licensed or trained in administering any of the test typically given to students with disabilities in our public schools. However, over the many years I have been representing children with special education needs in my [...]
Filed Under Tips for Parents
Tags: Connecticut Special Education, evaluating all areas of suspected disability, evaluations, Evaluations under IDEA, IDEA, IEEs, informed consent, special education, Special Education Law, special education testing, triennial testing
Published on
July 30, 2009 by
Jennifer Laviano
Many studies show that students with learning and other disabilities are at greater risk for using drugs and alcohol than their non-disabled peers. Sadly, this doesn’t surprise me much. The drop-out rate for students with special education needs is higher, as well, and we are all concerned about the “school to prison pipeline” for students [...]
Filed Under Tips for Parents
Tags: At risk teenagers, Connecticut Special Education Law, discipline provisions, Drug and alcohol use by kids with disabilities, drug treatment programs, Drug treatment under IDEA, drug use at school, Eligibility determinations, evaluations, IDEA claims, special education, Special Education Law
Published on
July 8, 2009 by
Jennifer Laviano
I am by no means a psychiatrist, psychologist, school psychologist, special education teacher, or related service provider. I am not licensed or trained in administering any of the test typically given to students with disabilities in our public schools. However, over the many years I have been representing children with special education needs in my [...]
Filed Under Special Ed Attorneys, Tips for Parents
Tags: Add new tag, Connecticut Special Education, Dyslexia, evaluations, Evaluations under the IDEA, IDEA, Independent Educational Evaluations, Reading evaluations, special education, Special Education Law, Triennial Evaluations
Published on
July 7, 2009 by
Jennifer Laviano
This Thursday, July 9, 2009, thousands of individuals and organizations who care about the rights of students with disabilities are coordinating a “call in” to Congress to help to restore fairness in the IDEA by requiring that parents who prevail in Due Process Hearings against their districts are entitled to having their expert witnesses reimbursed. [...]
Filed Under Current Affairs
Tags: Connecticut Special Education, due process hearings, evaluations, expert fees under IDEA, Expert witnesses, IDEA, IDEA Fairness Restoration Act, Prevailing party fees, special education, special education fees, Special Education Law
Published on
June 27, 2009 by
Jennifer Laviano
I am not even remotely a mental health professional. I majored in English Literature and went on to become an attorney. However, in my special education law practice in Connecticut, I brush up against psychologists and psychiatrists every day, and rely on them to let me know what, if any, disabilities my clients have, and [...]
Filed Under Current Affairs
Tags: Add new tag, Connecticut Special Education, Diagnosis, DSM-V, eligibility, Eligibility under IDEA, evaluations, identification under IDEA, Medical versus Educational, special education, Special Education and Related Services, Special Education Law
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