Attorney Lillian Wong will be one of the faculty members presenting in a 2-day practical course, Special Education Law From A to Z. This comprehensive seminar will lay out all the essential requirements surrounding IEP development, discipline procedures and due process hearings.
Location:
Crowne Plaza Boston-Woburn
15 Middlesex Canal Park
Woburn, MA 01801
Schedule:
May 5 and May 6, 2015 from 9:00am - 4:30pm
Day 1
Unravelling Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Complexities
9:00 - 10:15, Daniel T.S. HeffernanDefinitions of FAPE: IDEA vs. Section 504
Definitions of Disabilities under Each Law
What Services and/or Accommodations Must be Provided?
Who is Protected?
Evaluation and Eligibility for Special Education Services
10:30 - 11:45, Eileen M. HagertyProcedural Safeguards for Parents, Students and Schools
Documenting Parent Input
Evaluations: Timelines, Testing and Best Practices
Defensible Classroom Observations
Determining Eligibility: Need for Services, Adverse Impact, Etc.
Developing and Implementing Defensible IEPs
12:45 - 1:45. Eileen M. HagertyTeam Meetings: Ensuring all Members are Present
Components of a Legally Defensible IEP
Implementing IEPs: Monitoring, Documenting and Reporting
Amending IEPs
Fulfilling Critical Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and Placement Decision Obligations
1:45 - 3:00, Janine A. SolomonLRE, Mainstreaming and Inclusion: What Must Schools Provide?
Continuum of Alternate Placements
Placement Decision Requirements
Factors that Can and Cannot be Considered
Changes in Placement: Necessary Procedures and Review
Essential Components of a 504 Plan
3:15 - 4:30, Paige L. TobinHow 504 Plans Differ From IEPs
Substantial Limitations and Major Life Activities: What are They?
Curriculum Modification and Specially Modified Instruction
Appropriate Evidence to Support 504 Plan Components
Ensuring 504 Plan Accommodations are Reasonable
Day 2
Managing Behavioral Issues: Avoiding Critical Mistakes
9:00 - 10:00, Lillian E. WongFunctional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs): Who Should be Involved?
Creating Useful Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIPs)
Handling Disagreements with Parents
Restraint and Seclusion: Current Legal Perspectives
Discipline and Expulsion Essentials for Special Needs Students
10:00 - 11:00, Michael J. JoyceLegal Rules Governing Removal or Expulsion
Providing Services During Disciplinary Removal
Handling Disciplinary Changes in Placement
Multiple Suspensions and Denial of FAPE
Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs)
11:15 - 12:15, Lillian E. WongEnsuring Proper Timelines and Procedures for MDRs
Essential Documentation for MDRs
Determining the Cause of Misbehaviors: Disability, Failure to Implement the IEP or Neither?
Proving or Disproving Schools Followed IEPs, FBAs and BIPs
Bullying and Special Education Students
1:15 - 2:15, Michael J. JoyceWhen is Bullying a Denial of FAPE?
Moving Bullied Students to Safer Environments: Legal Considerations
Addressing Bullying Through IEPs and 504 Plans
Legally Appropriate School Policies and Staff Training
Special Education Records: Handling Difficult Situations
2:15 - 3:15, Pamela S. MilmanWhat is and isn't an Education Record: IDEA, Section 504 and FERPA
Email as Education Records
Who is a Parent and What can They Access? IDEA and FERPA Definitions
Retaining, Amending and Destroying Educational Records
Due Process Rights: Ensuring Appropriate Practices During Disputes
3:30 - 4:30, Heather GoldDue Process Overview and Statutes of Limitations
Notice Requirements and Timing Issues
Informal Dispute Resolution: Mediation, Resolution Sessions and Negotiation
How to Prepare for a Due Process Hearing
Appealing Decisions