Services
We help the families of children with any learning concerns. Your child may currently have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 plan, or you may have concerns and there is no plan at this time. Possibly your child’s school has suggested there are problems to be addressed. We are here to help you though the process at any stage.
It can be a very emotional and difficult situation working with your child’s school and the school district. It is often intimidating because it is both new, and the laws and regulations are complex. We are here to help you, to support you, and to make sure your child gets all the services he or she needs. You are not alone.
Some specific issues that may affect a student’s learning are:
- Learning disabilities and processing disorders affecting math, reading, or writing
- Speech and language deficits
- Autistic spectrum disorder
- Emotional disorders and behavioral issues
- Physical disabilities
- Chronic illnesses
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Developmental delays or impairments, minor to severe
- Visual or hearing impairment
We can help you from the moment you get involved with these issues up until you have a working legal plan that meets the needs of your family.
A “typical” timeline follows. You may want our help from start to finish, or just for various pieces, we are here to work with, and support, you in the best manner possible for you and your child’s needs.
- Upon contacting us, you will provide us with basic information about your situation and the services we feel you may need support in.
- Together we will gather all relevant documentation which may include psycho-educational reports, past IEP reports, school records, report cards, past correspondence with the school, etc.
- It will take a few days for us to review the documents and flag any procedural errors, contradictions, inappropriate goals and objectives, necessary additional services, and other areas of concern.
- At this point an initial meeting is scheduled for your family to present any concerns and to explain to you your educational rights and any recommendations we have.
- We then help you prepare for the IEP meeting. This may involve helping you to generate a document explaining your concerns and requests for services. We will advise you as to what documentation you may need from other sources such as doctors, therapists, etc.
- We will join you at the IEP or 504 meeting; our job is to inform, protect, and negotiate. You will not be alone, nor will you feel helpless. We are there for one goal, to create a plan that creates the best educational situation for your child, making sure his or her needs are met.
- We are also available to help throughout the year as other issues arise. Complicated issues may take more than one meeting, and involved cases often have new issues between the yearly IEP meeting.
- If there is a disagreement between you and the school district concerning your child’s needs, we will help you attempt to solve the disagreement before taking the case to due process. If we cannot solve it at this stage, you have the right to go to mediation or due process, and we will work with you on the preparation and refer you to an attorney as necessary.