Live near Roanoke, VA? Sign up for the Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy seminar on Sept. 15. I'd love to meet you in person!

http://www.wrightslaw.com/speak/16.09.va.htm

#RegisterNow!

Just 25 days left in Early Bird Registration for the Indiana 2016 Wrightslaw Seminar with Inclusion Keynote by Jim Comstock-Galagan! Plus, a surprise to open the Seminar at 7 p.m. On November 3, 2016! You won't want to miss this!

Vendor Tables and Program Advertising are still available. Register or find additional information at the link below.

Information and Registration

Don't be surprised if your school suddenly schedules your IEP for November 3rd or 4th. Why? Because if you are at an IEP meeting, you won't be at the Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy training. They probably would prefer that you not be at this training. Why would they care?

Steve Bockmann answered this question when he hosted a Wrightslaw training in 2008. He quoted a local teacher, who said, "Every time there is a seminar like this all of our IEPs and meetings with parents get really interesting.

Knowledge is power. When parents learn their legal rights they are viewed in a different light by school staff.

If you have a child in school who is having trouble, getting into trouble, or you are unable to get help for, you owe it to yourself AND YOUR CHILD to attend this seminar.

Don't miss this opportunity to meet, greet and learn from Pete and Pam Wright and to have your life changed by Jim Comstock-Galagan's Keynote Presentation on Inclusion.

Nearly 20% of the seats have been sold. We expect this conference to sell out. Don't wait to register.

Registration, vendor and advertising applications are available at this site:

https://sites.google.com/site/wrightslawindiana2016/

Join Pete and Pam Wright for a full day seminar on Special Education Law and Advocacy, with a Keynote on Inclusion by Jim Comstock-Galagan.

Registration is now open. We expect this to sell out early, so don't delay in registering.

Register Here

INCLUSION PRECONFERENCE WITH JIM COMSTOCK-GALAGAN, ESQ.

We are pleased to bring Jim Comstock-Galagan, Esq. to Lafayette, Indiana in a preconference session on Inclusion. Thursday, November 3, 7-9 p.m. Venue and cost to be announced soon!

If you have heard Jim present, I don't need to tell you how awesome his presentations are to folks. If you haven't heard Jim present, here is what others have to say about his presentations:

"Literally changed my life...."

"Amazing to hear him speak!!"

"Loved him !!"

"Made me see things differently for sure !"

"My dear friend Jim, he is the best?"

"How I'd love to go see him again."

WRIGHTSLAW COMES TO LAFAYETTE INDIANA

Friday, November 4, 2016

Full Day Training 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Pete and Pam Wright will be doing a Law and

Advocacy training in Lafayette, IN. It has been

12 years since Pete and Pam have conducted a

training in Indiana. Please join us and spread

the word. Venue and Registration Fees will be

announced soon. Check back here, on 

Facebook, or the the Wrightslaw website for 

details:http://www.wrightslaw.com

The GLASS Advisory Board is having its annual meeting on Monday, April 20th at 11 a.m. If you have a special needs child or have an interest in special education, it is critical that you either attend this meeting or that you send someone to represent your family. If you fit neither one of these categories, I encourage you to attend anyway. If you are a taxpayer, a significant amount of your tax dollars are going to support a program that does not work for a number of our special needs children. Please come and support us.

I have been the only patron who has attended this annual meeting for the past three years. This surprises me, since I receive weekly calls from parents in Tippecanoe County who need assistance in obtaining special education services for their special needs children. In addition, there have been a number of families who have had to resort to due process hearings to obtain services for their children. This is another increase in tax funds that we are forced to pay in order for special needs families to receive the educational services their children have a right to receive.

I have been surprised during the last three Advisory Board meetings at the lack of interest our three school corporations have expressed in knowing about and understanding our critical special education services are in preparing our special needs students for further education, employment, and independent living. We want our children to become tax-payers instead of tax users. In order for that to happen, they must learn to read, write, and do arithmetic. That is not happening. 

I have many stories I could share about children who are intelligent, motivated, and come to school wanting to learn. But, because they have Dyslexia or another type of learning disability, they are allowed to fall through the cracks.

Please attend this important meeting or send someone to represent your family. Please feel free to share this email with other interested people.

Thank you for your interest in our children.

Patricia Howey

P.O.Box 117

West Point, IN 47992

www.patriciahowey.com

http://sped consulting.blogspot.com

New: Wrightslaw From Emotions to Advocacy program in Texas!

January 24, 2015: Corpus Christi, TX - From Emotions to Advocacy Training sponsored by the Autism Spectrum Resource Center. Speaker: Pat Howey.

I am happy to report that I will be presenting a Wrightslaw From Emotions to Advocacy Program in Olympia, Washington in October:

October 25, 2014: Olympia, WA - From Emotions to Advocacy Training co-sponsored by South Sound Parent to Parent. and Tulalip Tribes. This training is limited to Thurston, Mason and Grays Harbor County parents and professionals that are served by the sponsors. Speaker: Pat Howey. 

NEW! AUTISM STUDY!!

I was recently contacted by a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin who would like very much for Indiana to be represented in this study.

If you know a young adult with autism who qualifies, please pass this on this information.

Below is a link that provides more information. The application can be found at this link:

http://www.icaaonline.org/?p=3473

• Do you have a child who has problems with reading and spelling?
• Do you live in west central Indiana?
• Are you looking for a summer program that helps your child from regression?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you now have an alternative to what your school has been offering. Sounds First is a reading program that has been tested at the Fortune Academy in Indianapolis. A local reading tutor, Jodie Hicks is available in Lafayette and Greencastle. Click here for more information about the Sounds First Reading Program. (The website just went up and not all information is available yet. Keep checking. This is a wonderful program just available in the west Central Indiana area.

Special Education Advocacy Training

 Do you:

• Have a child with learning, physical, emotional, hearing, speech, or vision problems, traumatic brain injury, a chronic illness, autism, or attention deficit disorder?
• Want to learn how to more effectively advocate for your child?
• Want to know more about the history of special education in Tippecanoe County?
• Want to meet other parents and some of the pioneers of special education?
• Believe your child could benefit from special education and related services?

Have you been told your child does not qualify for special education and related services for your child? 

Did you answer “yes” to any of these questions?

Please register to attend an introductory meeting for a 

New parent advocacy training group

Thursday, April 24, 2014, 7:00—8:30 p.m.

Lafayette, Indiana

Ivy Hall, Ivy Tech Community College, Room 1112-1114

Win a Free Wrightslaw IEP Survival Kit!!!!

 Please preregister by email or phone

specialedconsulting@gmail.com or 765-572-2892

Sponsored by Pat Howey, owner of Special Education Consulting. Pat  has been an advocate for over twenty-seven years, is a founding member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, a Wrightslaw presenter, and a member of the faculty of the College of William and Mary Law School’s Institute of Special Education Advocacy.

 

Special Education Legal Representation: Is it a "Good Ole Boys" Club?

Question:
How can I be sure my attorney is on my side? He jokes with the school’s attorneys during meeting breaks. They seem to be very chummy. Is this just another “good ole boys’ club”?

Answer:
This question comes up all the time, not just in special education cases. I often hear people say that the legal system is unfair. They watch the attorneys battle in the courtroom, then walk outside, laugh, and make plans to play golf. People assume it is a “good old boys” club and it is impossible for parents to get a fair hearing. They believe that all the attorneys are friends and that somehow makes it a conspiracy.

An attorney friend once explained it this way to me. He said that attorneys must separate what goes on in the courtroom from their personal life. They cannot let their courtroom opponents become hated enemies. Eventually, each attorney will face many, if not all, of the attorneys in their area as an opponent in court. If they begin to hate the opponents they face, soon they will hate ALL of the attorneys. At some time, they will face them all in court.

Attorneys have an ethical obligation to vigorously defend their clients. The legal system is adversarial, by design. That does not mean that all adversaries are enemies.

Many attorneys are frustrated actors/actresses. That is part of what makes them good at what they do. Think about it. To be a good advocate, your attorney must maintain his/her emotions. If she becomes out-of-control, the school’s attorney is in control. Yet, your attorney must be indignant and outraged at the way the school is treating you and your child. This takes a special skill and calling.

Do not assume that because those in the legal profession are civil – or even friendly – to each other that there is a conspiracy. Your attorney is on your side, or he would not have taken your case.

Institute of Special Education Advocacy

I am happy to announce that the application process for the 2014 Institute of Special Education Advocacy is now open. I understand that we have our first two applications already. Do not miss this opportunity to apply. The Institute is limited to 75 participants. The application process is lengthy and, we are told, not easy.

If you want to learn more about the Institute or want to download the application, please click the link below:

http://www.wrightslaw.com/speak/14.08.va.wm.htm

Will we see you there?

Special Education Advocacy Training Introductory Meeting

COMING SOON: April 2014 SEATT Introductory Meeting

Are you a parent of a child who is in special education or who is struggling in school and you have been unsuccessful in getting appropriate services? Do you know a parent who has a child who is struggling in school? Are you intimidated by your IEP Meetings? SEATT is for you. We will be holding trainings on general advocacy, tests and measurements, Organizing your child's file, and other topics of interest. Please email me at patricia.howey@gmail.com if you are interested in participating. While this Advocacy group targets Tippecanoe County and the surrounding area, we welcome any parent who needs to learn to be a better, more efficient and effective advocate for their child.

Stay tuned here or on my website: http://www.pathowey.com for details on exactly when and where this meeting will be held.

William and Mary Law School's Institute in Special Education Advocacy

William & Mary Law School is holding its third annual Institute in Special Education Advocacy (ISEA) this summer. Details and an application can be found through the link below. Please share with interested law students, experienced advocates, and attorneys new to special education advocacy or early on in their experience representing children and families. Last year we had fifty-five attendees from Alaska to Florida attend the five-day event; this year our class size is growing to seventy-five, but spaces are going quickly. Pat is a member of the faculty of the Institute. We hope to see you there.

http://law.wm.edu/academics/programs/jd/electives/clinics/specialed/isea/index.php

July 28-August 2, 2013: Williamsburg, VA - William & Mary Law Institute of Special Education Advocacy (ISEA). Five-day training program hosted by the William & Mary School of Law and co-sponsored by the PELE Special Education Advocacy Clinic, Wrightslaw, and The Oklahoma Disability Law Center. Attendees are selected by an application process.

Join Pat, Pete and Pam Wright, Mark Kamleiter and many other great special education attorneys and advocates. This will fill by May 1st. Don't delay in applying or you may be disappointed. To download the application information, go to: http://www.wrightslaw.com

Bullying and Restraint and Seclusion

The Indiana Governor's Council for People with Disabilities July/August newsletter, SPARK, has great articles on Bullying. It also has an article that features a quote from Pat Howey regarding the restraint and seclusion of students with disabilties. To read the newsletter, click this link: http://www.in.gov/gpcpd/files/Bullying2012JulAug_Spark.pdf

The Foundation of the IEP

Mark Kamleiter, Florida parent attorney (St. Petersburg) says that parents and advocates often focus only on the "last pages" of the IEP. That is what I see, too.

The concerns I hear from parents are mostly about placement, goals, and least restrictive environment. Yet, when I review the child's most recent Individualized Education Plan (IEP), there is little helpful information under the Present Levels of Functional and Academic Performance (PLOPs) section. The few lines that are written there are not helpful to the IEP Team. Often, I can find no relationship at all between the "present levels" and the "needs" and the "goals."

Most of the IEPs I review have, at most, three to four lines of PLOPs. Rarely, do they have Functional PLOPS. (Remember, schools still tell parents, "We do not have to do that because it is not related to academics.") Parents have to learn now to design accurate and up-to-date present levels. Advocates have to learn how to do this to and teach parents how to do this. It is one of the easiest things for parents to do because they know their child best. Until the PLOPs are accurate, parents will never be able to get the program, placement, or education their child needs.

The PLOPS are the foundation of the IEP. (The form your school uses may have each of these two levels in two separate sections). The PLOPs in all IEPs must include functional and academic performance. 20 U.S.C. Sect. 1414 (d) (1) (A) (i). Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition p. 99. The student's PLOPs must always be accurate and up-to-date.

When the IEP fails to include accurate and up-to-date information about the child's present levels, the IEP is defective. It has no foundation. Like Mark says, the parents and their advocates have focused their efforts on the "last pages" of the IEP. That is, they have provided information to the IEP Team about placement, goals, and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) instead of present levels of performance. They have placed the cart before the horse. Until they have completed accurate and up to date PLOPs, the IEP cannot be accurate.

Let's talk about the procedure that IEP Teams must follow when developing an IEP. First, we fill in the child's name and biographical information. Next, we provide information about how the child currently functions academically and in the real world. This is where the IEP Team usually fills in the test scores and grades. However, this section is about much more than that. The PLOPs are the most critical part of the IEP. It is also the section that most parents and advocates prepare for the least. The parents' input is most important during the IEP Team's assessment of the child's PLOPs. Only the parents know how the child functions at home, in the community, when doing homework, at work, and in the real world.

"The present levels of performance are the foundation for everything else in the IEP," says school attorney Joe Hatley. "If your starting point is fundamentally flawed, then everything that comes after that is flawed, too."

Each time the IEP Team meets, it must update the child's PLOPs. The Katonah-Lewisboro (NY) School District failed to do this for one of its students. It simply copied the last year's "Present Levels" into the new IEP, despite information that the student had made progress in all academic areas from the private placement the parents had secured the previous school year. The Second Circuit decision found that the child's IEP "was likely to cause [the student] to regress or make only trivial advancement."

The school district's fatal flaw cost it dearly. The Court ordered it to pay the student's private placement tuition. It also had to pay the parents attorneys fees and expenses of over $156,976.00. You can read the decision here:

http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?page=2&xmldoc=In%20FCO%2020120706055.xml&docbase=CSLWAR3-2007-CURR&SizeDisp=7

If you want to learn more about how to develop your child's Present Levels click the links below.

http://www.wrightslaw.com/howey/iep.functional.perf.htm

http://www.wrightslaw.com/howey/10tips.placement.htm




 

Indiana Emergency Response Conference Presentation

Last Thursday, September 13, 2012, I presented at the Indiana Emergency Response Conference on the topic of "Prehospital Care of Children with Special Needs." Click here for the presentation paper.