Evaluations | Special Ed Justice | Connecticut Special Education Lawyer

Top 5 Tips for Reviewing School Evaluations: Tip 1

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

On July 9, 2009, Help Restore Fairness to the IDEA

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

The DSM-V: How Will It Impact Special Education?

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

“Kids with ODD Aren’t Eligible for Services”

Published on June 26, 2009 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: Connecticut Special Education, eligibility, evaluations, ODD, School district policies, special education, Special Education Law

“If you think your child has anxiety now…”

Published on June 15, 2009 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: Connecticut Special Education, evaluations, failure to consider information provided by parents, failure to properly evaluate, IDEA, special education, Special Education Law, suspected disabilities, violation of IDEA

Your Lack of Planning is Not My Emergency

Published on June 2, 2009 by Jennifer Laviano

Okay, less than a month left in IEP Season, and hopefully I won’t have as many rants about how special education cases are handled over the summer. But for now, I am just getting more and more annoyed by the same tactics being employed by school districts all over the place! In particular, why is [...]

Filed Under Occasional Rants Tags: Annual Reviews, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut special education laws, evaluations, IDEA, observations, special education, special educaton law

If You’re So Sure You’re Right, Why Deny an IEE?

Published on May 31, 2009 by Jennifer Laviano

I have been representing children with special needs in Connecticut since 1996. Despite more than a decade in this field, I am always astounded by how many conflicts arise in special education because there is a fundamental disagreement between the parents and the school about whether a child has been properly evaluated. It’s a pretty [...]

Filed Under Occasional Rants Tags: Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, evaluations, IDEA evaluations, IEE, Independent Educational Evaluations, Outside evaluations, special education

Unseemly IEP Team Member: “The Pseudo-Psychologist”

Published on May 27, 2009 by Jennifer Laviano

“The Pseudo-Psychologist” The “Pseudo-Psychologist” does not necessarily have to be a school psychologist. It is any staff member who begins throwing around psychological terms as if they are certain they have all of the answers. Far worse is when you get the Pseudo-Psychologist who starts opining as to the appropriateness of the medications your child [...]

Filed Under Parents Tags: clinical psychologists, Connecticut Special Education, evaluations, IEP Team meetings, IEP Team Members, Independent Educational Evaluations, Medication issues, School psychologists, special education, special education testing

Common Legal Mistakes Parents of Children with Special Education Needs Make, But Can Avoid: Part IX

Published on May 2, 2009 by Jennifer Laviano

Part nine in the Series: Unfortunately, prevailing in a legal dispute against your school district is very difficult, so if you can avoid some common traps, why not just avoid them? If you’ve already done one of these things, don’t give up hope, but do try to rectify the situation. If you haven’t done any [...]

Filed Under Common Legal Mistakes Tags: Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Due Process, evaluations, special education

Common Legal Mistakes Parents of Children with Special Education Needs Make, But Can Avoid: Part VIII

Published on April 30, 2009 by Jennifer Laviano

Part eight in the Series: Unfortunately, prevailing in a legal dispute against your school district is very difficult, so if you can avoid some common traps, why not just avoid them? If you’ve already done one of these things, don’t give up hope, but do try to rectify the situation. If you haven’t done any [...]

Filed Under Common Legal Mistakes Tags: Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Due Process, evaluations, special education

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