Training Course Syllabus:

Comply With the Latest Special Education Laws to Avoid Liability

With the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, professionals working with special needs children know that an understanding of special education law is crucial. You need to know the law in order to deal with complex questions that arise on a regular basis. Who pays when a special needs child is placed in private schooling at the parents' election? How can a school create the least restrictive environment and promote inclusion to the best interests of all students? It can be costly if you don't know. Register today!

• Strengthen your knowledge of how recent special education legislation affects school policies and operation.
• Evaluate the legal protection offered by the Individualized Education Program (IEP).
• Successfully handle disciplinary actions for students with disabilities.
• Explore the role of manifestation determination reviewing the legality of disciplinary actions.
• Understand the rights of special needs students so you can avoid inadvertent illegal actions that may lead to a lawsuit.

1. ESTABLISHING THE FRAMEWORK OF SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW
   8:30 - 9:20, Thomas A. Durphy
1. Reviewing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
2. Examining Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
3. What are the Laws Relating to Particular Disabilities?
4. Summary of Recent Developments in Special Education Law
5. Relevant Case Law (Including Cedar Rapids Community School District vs. Garret F.)
2. UNRAVELING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA)
   9:30 - 10:15, Gail C. Altman and Thomas A. Durphy
1. What are Early Intervention Programs?
2. Defining State and Local Eligibility for Services
3. Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
4. Conducting Evaluations and Re-Evaluations of Students With Special Needs
5. The Role of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the IEP Team
6. Availability of Personnel Who Know How to Meet the Needs of Disabled Students
7. Specific Issues About Exceptional Needs Children Enrolled in Private Schools
8. How, When, and Why Reauthorization Occurs
3. SUCCESSFULLY HANDLING DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS
   10:30 - 11:20, Gail C. Altman and Amy Leech Clendennen
1. Providing Services During Disciplinary Removal
2. Defining Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs)
3. What are Behavioral Intervention Plans?
4. How Manifestation Determination Reviews Apply
5. Protections for Children Not Yet Eligible for Special Education and Related Services
6. Changes in Placement
1. Suspensions and the Ten-Day Rule
2. Legal Rules Governing Removal or Expulsion
3. Interim Alternative Educational Settings
7. Other Available Remedies
8. "Stay Put" Placement During Pendency of Due Process
9. Expedited Due Process Hearings
4. ENSURING SUCCESSFUL DUE PROCESS PROCEDURES
   11:20 - 12:00, John F. Brink and James G. Thomeczek
1. Actions To Take Upon Receipt of Request for Impartial Hearing
2. Complying With Notice Requirements
3. Examining Essential Timing Issues
4. Providing for the Option of Mediation
5. How to Prepare for a Due Process Hearing
6. Crucial Elements in an Impartial Due Process Hearing
7. When De Novo Reviews Apply
8. Effective Ways to Avoid Due Process Litigation
5. PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
   1:00 - 1:45, John F. Brink and James G. Thomeczek
1. Promoting Parent Awareness of Legal Rights and Recourse for Their Child
2. Understanding Placement Issues
1. Least Restrictive Environment and Inclusion
2. Requirements for Unilateral Placements by Parents Seeking Public Payment
3. Compensatory Education
3. Preventing Disability Harassment in the Schools
4. Protecting Confidentiality of Information
5. Special Education Damages Liability (Including Section 1983 Liability)
6. Using the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to Ensure Compliance
6. ETHICS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW
   2:00 - 3:00, John F. Brink and James G. Thomeczek
   1. Confidentiality
   2. Conflicts of Interest
   3. Acting in the Best Interests of the Child

Seminar Summary:

With the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, professionals working with special needs children know that an understanding of special education law is crucial. You need to know the law in order to deal with complex questions that arise on a regular basis. (see full course description)

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