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On October 30, 2018, advocates for Massachusetts children with special needs gathered at Harvard Law School for Massachusetts Advocates for Children's annual event. The Law Office of Lillian E. Wong, LLC was an early sponsor of the event.
Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a multiphase selection process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with third party research. No lawyer pays to be selected to the list.
On July 9, 2018, the Bureau of Special Education Appeals ("BSEA") ruled that the Andover Public Schools ("Andover") had violated the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA") by failing to offer a nine-year-old boy with dyslexia an Individualized Education Plan ("IEP") that provided a Free Appropriate Public Education ("FAPE"). The BSEA ordered Andover to reimburse the family for their costs of unilaterally placing their son at the Landmark School and found that the student continued to require intensive, specialized instruction in a fully-subseparate language-based program.
On June 7, 2018, the Special Needs Advocacy Network, Inc. ("SPAN") hosted its 10th Annual Same Side of the Table forum. BSEA Director, Reece Erlichman, moderated a panel of two hearing officers (Rosa Figueroa and Catherine Putney-Yaceshyn), Parent Attorney Lillian Wong, School Attorney Paige Tobin and several advocates and SPED Administrators.
On June 7, 2018, the Special Needs Advocacy Network, Inc. ("SPAN") hosted its 10th Annual Same Side of the Table forum. BSEA Director, Reece Erlichman, moderated a panel of two hearing officers (Rosa Figueroa and Catherine Putney-Yaceshyn), Parent Attorney Lillian Wong, School Attorney Paige Tobin and several advocates and SPED Administrators.
On April 2, 2018, Russell Johnston, PhD, the Senior Associate Commissions and State Director of Special Education issued a Technical Assistance Advisory called "Addressing the Communication Needs of Students with Disabilities Through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)" Dr. Johnston begins the advisory by expressing his concern that Massachusetts students with limited oral communication skills have insufficient access to AAC.
Federal law provides for expedited hearings in certain situations. In Massachusetts, The Bureau of Special Education Appeals determines whether expedited status should be granted to all or some of the issues. If there are any remaining issues, those will be processed on a non-expedited track. Whenever possible, both cases will be heard by the same Hearing Officer
Finding the right school for your child can be difficult. One good place to start is the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website, where you can search by organization type (public school, private school, approved special education school, approved special education program, etc.). You can further refine this search based on geography and you child's age, gender, or disability. Another option is to consult an educational placement expert. You can search for one here.
Wong & Boscarine LLC
P: (857) 529-8494
F: (617) 334-7306
info@wongboscarine.com
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One Mifflin Place, Suite 400
Cambridge, MA 02138
Topsfield Office
15 Morningside Drive
Topsfield, MA 01983
