Law Offices of Bonnie Spiro Schinagle

Parents, it’s crucial to understand what evaluations are and what they measure. If your child qualifies for an individualized educational program (iep), your public school district must reevaluate for ALL suspected disabilities at least every 3 years.

Tuition Reimbursement and Evaluation Basics Here are the general rules for getting private school tuition reimbursement 1) The District MUST offer Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) to children protected under the IDEA Appropriate means reasonably calculated to allow the child to make meaningfu...

It's IEP Time! The IDEA requires that public school districts develop IEPs by the start of the school year. For extended school year students, that means the IEP has to be in place by July and for 10-month students, the IEP has to be in place by September. Most parents will have their IEP meetings in the early spr...

IEP development time is approaching. Here are some tips:

Keep your child's records in one place - a file, an envelope, a drawer. Something.

If English is not your first language, ASK FOR AN INTERPRETER and for the documents in your native language.

Ask questions about what is being offered

If you don't feel your child has been making meaningful progress, start investigating alternatives on your own, including private ones

When you're at the meeting, channel your inner lawyer - take notes, ask questions, maintain calm