Attorney Wong wrote this guide for ADDitude magazine, but it applies to parents of students with a wide range of disabilities.
Dedham Teachers Advocate for Students
Parents and advocates are often too quick to view teachers as the opposition instead of the child's greatest potential ally. Teachers in Dedham demonstrated their commitment to educating students when they filed a complaint with the Department of Education against their Superintendent for her failure to implement thirteen children's IEPs.
U.S. Department of Education Answers Questions About FAPE
On December 7, 2017, the United States Department of Education ("U.S. DOE") published a document aiming to help parents and other stakeholders better understand the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, 137 S. Ct. 988.
Attorney Wong & Andover Family Prevail at BSEA
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.
2017 Year in Review
2017 was an eventful year in the world of special education. At the national level, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Endrew F., its first special education case in over thirty years. The unanimous Court held that FAPE requires a school to offer an IEP that is “reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's circumstances." The Court further emphasized that “every child should have a chance to meet challenging objectives.”
U.S. DOE Answers Questions about FAPE
On December 7, 2017, the United States Department of Education ("U.S. DOE") published a document aiming to help parents and other stakeholders better understand the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District Re-1, 137 S. Ct. 988.
Happy Thanksgiving
Q & A: School Discriminating Against Child with ADHD?
How do I pursue litigation for discrimination in the school against my son who has ADHD? My son is diagnosed with ADHD. We recently moved into a new state/school system. He is currently under a 504 plan, but the school refuses to follow it and issues punishments for actions that are due to his disability without any discussion with us (the parents).
US Supreme Court to Determine What Level of Educational Benefit Provides FAPE
For the first time in over thirty years, the nation's highest court has agreed to hear arguments about the level of educational benefit an IEP must provide in order to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA") and provide a Free and Appropriate Public Education ("FAPE").
Teacher Bullying Student - Part Two
Two years ago, I wrote a blog post explaining that the Massachusetts Anti-Bullying Law does not apply to teacher-on-student bullying. But as I said then, just because the bullying law doesn't apply in this situation, doesn't mean there isn't a remedy. Instead, students and parents must consider several different causes of action.