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“The Behavior Guy”

Published on June 10, 2011 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. Today’s Ridiculous Comment You really can not make this stuff up. So I am [...]

Weather or Naught

Published on May 23, 2011 by Jennifer Laviano

Okay…I know it’s that time of year again. IEP Season. From now through the end of June, I will be in numerous IEP meetings per week, sometimes a few a day. It’s enough to make a woman cranky. This isn’t the first year I’ve written about the nauseating experience of hearing the same ridiculous comments [...]

Filed Under Occasional Rants Tags: connecticut, Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, FAPE, IDEA, IDEA claims, IEP Meetings, IEP Team, IEP Team Members, IEP Teams, IEPs, special education, special education attorneys, Special Education Law, Special Education Law and Advocacy, special education laws, special education lawyers

Cherry Picking IEP Members

Published on March 15, 2011 by Jennifer Laviano

Despite nearly 15 years practicing special education law in Connecticut, there are still some old tricks which school districts employ which astound me. Not that I am surprised that they continue to do it, but rather, that they think I won’t notice after all of this time. One of the oldest tactics is when special [...]

Filed Under Occasional Rants Tags: connecticut, Connecticut Education, Connecticut Special Education, Connecticut Special Education Law, Eligibility determinations, Eligibility under IDEA, FAPE, IDEA, IDEA claims, IEP Meetings, IEP Team Members, IEP Teams, IEPs, inclusion, Present levels of Performance, special education, special education attorneys, Special Education Law, Special Education Law and Advocacy, special education lawyers

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

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

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

Published on September 24, 2010 by Jennifer Laviano

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 curve among this group. [...]

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

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

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 imagine how they manage [...]

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

First They Ignore You…

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

IDEA Hearings: A Hearing Officer’s View

Published on April 6, 2010 by Jennifer Laviano

I have known of BJ Ebenstein for years, but only recently did I have the honor of getting to chat with her about the important legal issues that impact children with special education needs. Since I have found in my Connecticut special education law practice that most parents have no idea what information is, and [...]

Filed Under Guest Posts Tags: IDEA Due Process Hearings, IDEA hearings, special education, special education attorneys, Special education due process, Special Education Due Process Hearings, special education hearings, Special Education Law, Special Education Law and Advocacy, special education lawyers, testifying in due process hearings

Tag Archives: special education lawyers

“The Behavior Guy”

Weather or Naught

Cherry Picking IEP Members

The Calm Before The Storm

The “Dream” Program

First They Ignore You…

IDEA Hearings: A Hearing Officer’s View

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