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 [...]
Filed Under Tips for Parents
Tags: Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, eligibility, Eligibility determinations, Eligibility under IDEA, evaluations, FAPE, IDEA, IDEA claims, IEE, IEEs, Independent Educational Evaluations, informed consent, Meaningful Parental participation, special education, Special Education Law, Special Education Law and Advocacy, special education laws, special education testing
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
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 [...]
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 [...]
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
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“Why Would We Do an Evaluation, She Already Gets Services?”
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 [...]