Tag: special education

Leading Special Education Expert Pete Wright to Empower Parents and Professionals at Napa Conference

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Famous Dyslexic, Pete Wright, is coming to California! Don’t miss this Supreme Court Winning Attorney and U.S. Leading Expert on Special Education Law on May 19, 2017 in Yountville, CA.

Pre-registration is Required.

Registration closes Friday, April 28th.

EVENT DETAILS
The Wrightslaw Special Education Law & Advocacy Conference will be held at the Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater on Friday, May 19, 2017. Conference hours are 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. The cost to attend is $190 for individuals and $235 for professionals. An early bird rate of $165 or $210, respectively, is available until April 21, 2017.

Pre-registration by April 28 is required. An optional boxed lunch will be offered for $15. Each attendee will receive three of Peter Wright’s books, valued at $62.85. Professional attendees will qualify for CLE and/or CEU credit. Register online at http://www.lincolntheater.com.

The conference agenda covers a variety of special education and advocacy topics, including: special needs assessments and evaluations; determining progress vs. regression; age equivalencies; individualized education plans (IEPs); strategies for parents advocating for their special needs child, including developing a long-term game plan and coping with conflict and crisis; and much more. It will answer such questions as:

  • What rights do parents have in a child’s education?
  • Can the school do that?
  • How do I get more Speech, OT services?
  • What can I do for a child who’s fallen behind in Reading / Math?
  • Can the school say they don’t have the money to provide accommodations or resources?
  • Should the school pay for outside evaluations?
  • What is the school required by law to provide a child?
  • Can the school suspend my child for “behavior problems”?
  • How is my child really doing in school?
  • Does a child qualify for mainstreaming or inclusion (and what’s the difference)?
  • Can the school say a child needs medication?

 

You Asked! Question 12

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Download a PDF version of this You Asked question and answer here.

Q12:  Student exhibits signs of dyslexia, but school wants to delay assessing in order to see how student first responds to RTI (or is recommending Student Study Team (SST) meetings). Does assessing need to be delayed for special education eligibility?

A:  The school cannot delay or deny assessing your child for a suspected disability because of implementation of a Response to Intervention (RTI) strategy.  Please refer to our You Asked Q11on “Child Find” obligations. In a Dear Colleague letter, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) reminds schools that a parent may request an initial evaluation at any time to determine if a child has a disability under IDEA, and the use of Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), such as RTI, may not be used to delay or deny a full and individual evaluation of a child suspected of having a disability.  (Sources: OSEP Memorandum 11-07 dated January 21st, 2011; OSERS Dear Colleague Letter dated October 23rd, 2015)

Convening an SST meeting does not waive a school district’s obligation to refer a child for assessment if there is knowledge of and reason to suspect a disability. It is important for parents to know that they can agree to participate in an SST while special education evaluation is underway, but that unless they agree in writing to delay the evaluation, the legal timelines apply—and, in California, the school district has fifteen days to respond to a request for evaluation, and sixty days from date assessment plan is signed by parents to hold an eligibility determination meeting and create an IEP for eligible students. SST’s can provide important information and accommodations that may actually help the team determine eligibility later—but the parent is not required to participate in these processes, and they cannot delay the special education timelines.

(Source:  Student v. Berkeley Unified School District OAH Case No. 2013120159, Page 30)

For more YOU ASKED questions and answers click HERE