Listen to Our Radio Interview with Dr. D.

A few months ago, Jazmine was asked to participate in a podcast radio show with Dr. Sean Daneshmand (AKA Dr. D.). Dr. D. has been a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the San Diego Perinatal Center since 2002, and is also the founder of the charitable foundation, Miracle Babies. His podcast explores a variety of topics relating to pregnancy, children, and families. Jazmine was invited to speak about special education eligibility and services available for students with developmental disabilities. Dr. Reena Patel also participated in the episode, sharing her expertise as an educational psychologist and Autism specialist. 

You can listen to the episode here: http://wsradio.com/051416-developmental-disability-special-education-needs/ 

It was truly an honor to participate in Dr. D's radio show. We hope that our subscribers will enjoy this episode, as well as all of Dr. D's radio archives.

Important Special Education Timelines

The school year is now fully underway, so if you believe your child may require a change in services, now is the time to make a request for an IEP meeting or additional evaluations. Each of these requests is subject to certain timelines, with which the school district must comply. Remember, if you feel your child is not receiving an appropriate education, our office is here to help!

Requesting an IEP: 

  • You have the right to call an IEP meeting at any time!
  • Request an IEP meeting as soon as you feel your child's progress should be reviewed or services should be modified. We suggest you make this request in writing/via email. Keep a dated copy in your records. 
  • The school district must convene an IEP team meeting within 30 days of parent request. 

Requesting an Evaluation:

  • Once your child is found eligible for special education services, the school district is obligated to re-asses your child every 3 years. 
  • If you believe an assessment is required in between that 3-year period, you may request one from the school district. You should make this request in writing, and keep a copy for your records. 
  • After you request an evaluation, the school district has 15 days to either provide you with an evaluation plan for you to sign, or else to provide you with Prior Written Notice denying your request for an evaluation. 
  • Once you sign and return the evaluation plan, the school has 60 days to complete the assessment of your child and hold an IEP meeting to review the results. 

Keep in mind: school vacations in excess of 5 days are not included for the purposes of these timelines.

Winter Break To Dos

With the first half of the school year coming to a close, we hope you are looking forward to a terrific holiday break. The long winter vacation is an excellent time to check-in on your child's academic progress, and to determine if he/she is receiving appropriate supports. See below for some helpful tips on how to get organized and prepared for the upcoming Spring semester. As always, if you believe your child requires different educational supports, our office is here to help!

  • Organize your student's special education paperwork. This includes any IEPs or evaluations that have been completed during the school year so far. Also, print out or save important emails from the school about your child's progress. Scan important documents into your computer
  • Review your student's progress, both in class and on his/her goals. Remember, you should receive updates on your student's progress on IEP goals at least as often as you receive report cards. 
  • Request service and behavior logs from your child's service providers, if you have questions or concerns about when services have been provided. If your child has been struggling, it can be a good idea to review those logs to determine where a change can be made.
  • After reviewing your child's documents and progress reports, determine if additional or different supports might be needed. If this is the case, you will want to request an IEP meeting or further evaluations from the school district. 

New School Year, Same Rules of Thumb

The first full month of the school year is coming to a close, and hopefully that means your kids are enjoying their new teachers and classes. If your year has begun with a bit more of a struggle, our office is here to help! Below are some tips for starting the school year off on the right note. 

  1. Create an open line of communication with your child's teacher--weekly email updates can be especially useful. If you aren't receiving regular communication regarding your child, ask the school to add a communication log as an accommodation. 
  2. Ask for service logs to make sure your student's services are being provided as agreed. 
  3. Request an IEP meeting to discuss any concerns you have with your child's progress or placement--you don't have to wait for the annual IEP! 
  4. Request any additional assessments that you believe are necessary. 

Always document any requests you make to the school

Introducing...Jazmine Gregory, Attorney at Law

After working with Robin Champlin at Champlin & Associates for several years, Jazmine is excited to announce that she is taking over the practice. Although Robin will be leaving the office, she will be staying on as "Of Counsel". Jazmine will continue to focus on education and disability law, and is accepting cases for special education IEPs, due process complaints, mediation, §504, student discipline, discrimination, and conservatorships. Please view the Practices tab for more information on these practice areas. 

This blog is designed as a resource to parents, and will be used to post informational tips and legal updates regarding special education law and best practices. If you have any specific questions, or would like to request that a certain topic area be reviewed, please email me through the Contact tab.

Jazmine offers free 1-hour consultations, so please don't hesitate to schedule one today!  

Nothing posted in this blog is intended as legal advice, and should be construed as creating an attorney-client relationship.