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IEP Checkup! Is your child's IEP giving them all they need? Does it have the right goals, objectives and evaluation procedures? Do the services and accommodations provide all they are entitled to? If you want an IEP Checkup, Click
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About Us
To find out more about Matt Cohen & Associates, our staff, and the services we provide,
click here.
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This E-newsletter is devoted to sharing information about special education, disability rights, mental health and human services law, policy and research that is of importance to people with disabilities, their families, and the professionals that work with them.
Information includes political issues, important research, legal developments, and information based on our experiences that we hope will help you personally in your individual and professional efforts. It also provides updates and news about our firm and its activities. We hope you find it helpful and welcome your comments and suggestions.
-Matt Cohen
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Matt Cohen and Associates U
pcoming Ask the Lawyer and Webinar Events
To deal with the huge disruption to our education system, which has severely impacted special ed students, our firm is offering free webinars to help parents and others navigate the new terrain of remote learning and other issues critical to children and individuals with disabilities.
Upcoming topical webinars
Least Restrictive Environment,
M
att Cohen, July 7, 3:30 p.m.
Telehealth:The legal, ethical and practical issues relating to tele-therapy and strategies to mitigate risks,
Matt Cohen, sponsored by Metropolitan Family Services,
July 23, 1 p.m.
Adoption/Trauma Issues & Special Ed,
N
ina Hennessey-Tamburo & Matt Cohen, July 28, 3:30 p.m.
Register in advance
Advocacy for children and adolescents: regarding education during Covid 19 shut down, M
att Cohen, sponsored by Metropolitan Family Services,
July 30, 1 p.m.
More details about each webinar can be found here.
After registering in advance, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Please refer to our website and our Facebook page
for more information.
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Biden proposes huge boost in federal funding for special education
Presidential candidate Joe Biden is calling for full federal funding of special education, something that hasn't happened since Congress passed the groundbreaking Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) over 40 years ago. The extra money would allow schools to readjust their budgets, fund other programs and offset costs incurred from remote learning.
IDEA requires the federal government to pick up 40 percent of the cost of special education, but that has never happened so advocates are thrilled with Biden's recognition of the problem.
"It's hugely significant," one advocate said. "This wouldn't just benefit students with disabilities, it would benefit all children."
READ MORE
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Massive federal funding needed to reopen schools safely in the fall
Smaller class sizes; more teachers, aides and nurses; masks, hand sanitizer and other protective equipment for all; daily cleaning and sanitizing of all school buildings--these are just a few of the extra costs that are making heads spin in school districts across the country.
A massive injection of federal funds--of as much as $175 billion by some estimates--will be necessary to open schools in accordance with Center for Disease Control Guidelines. But with just eight weeks until schools begin opening, there are no assurances the money is on its way. READ MORE
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Illinois lays out fall school reopening plan, but many questions remain
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker released guidelines for resuming in-person learning in the fall. But the plan raised as many questions as it answered. The guidance calls for the use of face coverings and social distancing as much as possible, temperature checks for all, and limiting the number of people together in one place at school to 50.
It remains to be seen how that can work in under-resourced districts like Chicago, where few schools even have a full-time nurse and class sizes can top 30 or 40 students. READ MORE
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Remote learning experiment gets failing grade across the nation
School districts across the country embarked on a grand experiment to educate some 50 million students remotely this spring as COVID-19 spread. The problems began immediately: lack of technology and Internet access, little experience on the part of educators and stress and time constraints for parents required to help young children and those with special needs.
Bottom line: the experiment failed. So, as virus cases are spiking again, what should school districts be doing to prepare for education either in-person or online in the fall? READ MORE
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CPS Board ignores parent, youth pleas to end police schools contract
By just a one vote margin, the Chicago Board of Education voted to keep police in schools, despite the $33 million price tag and widespread opposition from youth, parents and educators who say the money would be better spent hiring social workers, counselors and restorative justice practitioners to keep students safe.
A group of special education parents weighed in, sending this passionate letter to the board the day before the meeting. But by a vote of 4-3 vote, the board dismissed those and many other pleas. READ MORE
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Despite difficulties, remote learning may be here to stay for part of next school year
 As school districts across the country map out plans for the fall, parents, students and teachers all agree on one thing: remote learning just isn't the same as in-person instruction. Unfortunately, with all its challenges, some form of e-learning may be here to stay for at least part of the 2020 - 2021 school year. READ MORE
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New study disputes "rigor" of pandemic's remote learning
 A new report by the American Enterprise Institute finds that only 20 percent of schools offered "rigorous, technology-based remote instruction" while schools were shut down during the pandemic. And, the study says, students in high-poverty districts were less likely to receive rigorous online schooling.
But questions can be raised about the study's definition of "rigorous" because it labeled online platforms as inherently more rigorous than the printed school work many schools distributed to students. That definition ignores the fact that millions of students lack the technology to access e-learning and students with disabilities can struggle to access it even when available. READ MORE
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Study finds autism diagnosis not always static in young children
 A new study finds that children on the autism spectrum can display significant changes in their level of symptoms between the ages of three and six. This runs contrary to the long-held belief that the diagnosis remained mostly static over a lifetime.
The study, which looked at 125 children on the spectrum, found that nearly 30 percent of young children have less severe symptoms by age six. In some cases, children lost the diagnosis altogether. But, one of the study's authors cautions, some children also get worse.
READ MORE
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How to guard against offering "hostile accommodations"
If you are an employer or decision-maker in an institution, you'll want to read this essay about how to guard against making "hostile accommodations" for individuals with invisible disabilities, like ADHD, autism, mental illness and other disabilities not readily apparent.
What is a hostile accommodation? According to the writer, it's the process of offering an accommodation that is either so complex or so strenuous that most people on the receiving end would consider it hostile.
READ MORE
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Recent Firm Successes
- Worked with district to determine appropriate tools and schedule for progress monitoring a young boy with complex learning challenges.
- Secured private day school placement for a student in a school focused on Learning Disabilities.
- Obtained settlement of DOJ complaint regarding discrimination by private school against student with ADHD.
- Secured private day school placement and bilingual evaluations for English language learning student with Rett syndrome who had not received appropriate evaluations or services from her school district.
- Obtained settlement of federal court complaint regarding school district's nonpayment of private school tuition, including reimbursement, interest payment, and attorneys' fees.
- Secured residential placement funding for student with severe emotional issues.
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Matt Cohen is once again a contributing author for the K and W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities, published by Penguin Random House. His article, "10 Things College Students with Disabilities Need to Know About their Rights," will appear in the 15th edition of the guide.
Matt Cohen & Associates has been selected the Best Local Business for the 2020 Best of Chicago Awards. The award recognizes the firm's commitment to community service.
Matt Cohen again has been selected by his peers as a 2020
Illinois Super Lawyer, a distinction he has held since 2007. Matt also has been selected
as an Illinois Leading Lawyer for 2020.
The distinction of being a Leading Lawyer has been earned by fewer than 5 percent of all lawyers licensed to practice law in Illinois.
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Brochures Available
We offer several different brochures related
to the following topics:
- Introduction to College Accommodations
- IEPs and 504 Plans - Navigating the Maze
- Tips for Obtaining Accommodations for the ACT, SAT and other Placement Exams
- Obtaining an Independent Educational Evaluation
- Tips for Obtaining Appropriate Services for Your Child With Autism
- Classroom Observation
To request multiple copies for your clients,
please call us at 866-787-9270.
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M
att Cohen is the founder of the Chicago law firm Matt Cohen & Associates LLC.
The practice is concentrated in representation of children and families in special education and discipline disputes with public schools, disability rights advocacy, including advocacy for accommodations in admissions and licensing tests and in colleges and graduate schools and legal assistance to mental health and human services professionals and the organizations they work for.
For more information about Matt Cohen and the staff and to view this email in your browser, please visit our
website.
If you have any questions, please contact his assistant, Tami Kuipers at 866-787-9270
or [email protected].
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A Guide to Special Education Advocacy -
What Parents, Clinicians and Advocates Need to Know
written by Matt Cohen
published in 2009
$20 plus $4.95 shipping to order, call Tami at 866-787-9270 or [email protected] |
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Disclaimer:
The material in this enews has been prepared by Matt Cohen & staff for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. We assume no responsibility for the accuracy or timeliness of any information provided herein. Internet subscribers and online readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
We would be pleased to communicate with you via email. However, if you communicate with us through the Web site regarding a matter for which we do not already represent you, your communication may not be treated as privileged and confidential. Do not send us confidential, proprietary or other sensitive information until you speak with one of our attorneys and receive authorization to send that information. Matt Cohen is providing this enews, the information, listings, and links contained herein only as a convenience to you.
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