This E-newsletter is devoted to sharing information about special education, disability rights, mental health and human services law, political policy and research that is of importance to people with disabilities, their families, and the professionals that work with them. It also includes 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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U.S. Education Department launches review of digital accessibility
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The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights is launching compliance reviews to investigate whether the digital resources provided by educational institutions are in compliance with the IDEA. The department is including K-12 school districts, postsecondary institutions, state departments of education, libraries, and vocational rehabilitation services in the review.
The department created a National Digital Accessibility Team three years ago and has resolved more than 1,000 digital accessibility cases since then. Read more from Disability Scoop.
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CPS schools in dire straits with support staff substitute shortage
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In Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Special Ed Classroom Assistants (SECAs, aka Paraprofessionals) are critical to providing the services to which students with disabilities are legally entitled. But staffing shortages are hitting the pool of SECA substitutes, putting schools in a bind when a SECA falls ill or needs personal time off.
According to a Chalkbeat analysis, the school district received nearly 80,000 substitute requests already this year but was able to fill just over a quarter of them. “SECAs are an integral part of the school community,” says one CPS teacher. “You can definitely feel a shift when they are absent.” Read more from Chalkbeat.
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Easing the transition to a new school for children with disabilities
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Switching schools is difficult for most students and their families, but it can be especially troubling for children with disabilities. However, special ed advocates and therapists say there are strategies parents can use to make the transition less painful.
Matt Cohen advises parents to keep in mind that IEPs do not automatically transfer over to new schools. “When a child moves from one school to another, the new school is obligated to consider the plan that was in place at the other school but is not bound by it,” Matt says. “They have a right to start all over again.” Read more from ADDitude Magazine.
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New study suggests school disruptions from the pandemic could lead to misdiagnosis of learning disorders
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The school shutdowns, virtual learning, delays or denials of services and the increased stress and anxiety of the pandemic could lead to the misdiagnosis of learning disorders in children, a new study suggests.
The new report explains that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) indicates that a learning disorder diagnosis can be made when a student’s difficulties have persisted for at least six months despite intervention and cannot be explained by “psychosocial adversity or inadequate instruction.” But, the authors note, those conditions have been rampant during the pandemic. Read more from ADDitude Magazine.
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Time to protect public education funds from private interests
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As the Biden administration proposes new rules governing a federal program that provides grants to charter schools, the debate over the success or failure of the privately-run, but publicly-funded institutions is intensifying. In this essay in Forbes Magazine, a former Clinton administration education official, supports the new rules.
“This is not the time to permit private interests to exploit the concept of charter schools for their private gain and profit,” he writes. “I applaud the federal government’s effort to safeguard the federal dollars in the charter school grant program to ensure that they are used in the public interest.” Read the full essay in Forbes Magazine.
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Illinois Statewide Transition Conference being held Nov. 3 - 4
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Matt Cohen will be presenting at the Illinois Statewide Transition Conference on Nov. 3. The title of his presentation is “The Challenge of Finding Hope for Our Kids and Ourselves!”
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Registration open for COPAA SPED advocacy trainings
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Registration is open for the next Special Education Advocate Training (SEAT) offered by the Council of Parent Advocates and Attorneys (COPAA), of which Matt Cohen is a board member. SEAT 3.0 is being offered this summer and SEAT 2.0 is being offered in the fall. There are three levels of training and the courses fill up quickly. Find more info and registration links here.
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- Successfully advocated for co-taught classes despite team pressure for inappropriate instructional-level classes for a student with an IEP.
- Worked effectively with a therapeutic day school to address parent concerns with a proactive and positive plan.
- Supported a family to successfully advocate that meaningful vision supports be included within the IEP.
- Coached a family to navigate the process to advocate for a therapeutic day school level of placement and to find an appropriate program.
- Supported family and team to create a robust and individualized IEP and transition plan for high school.
- Collaborated with district staff to transfer a student to a more appropriate Therapeutic Day School placement.
- Secured placement at HPDS at district expense.
- Secured placement at Brehm at district expense.
- Secured placement at Cove at district expense.
- Secured a second placement at Cove, for another student, at district expense.
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Matt Cohen has been ranked as one of America’s Most Honored Lawyers, in the top 1 percent, by the American Registry.
Matt Cohen again has been selected a 2022 Illinois Super Lawyer, a distinction he has held since 2007.
Matt also has once again been selected an Illinois Leading Lawyer for 2022, a distinction earned by fewer than 5 percent of all lawyers licensed to practice law in Illinois.
Matt also has been named an Avvo top lawyer for 2022.
Matt once again is 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," appears in the 15th edition of the guide.
Matt Cohen & Associates was selected the Best Local Business for the 2021 Best of Chicago Awards. The award recognizes the firm's commitment to community service.
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Summer is starting...a great time for an IEP check up to prepare for next year!" 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? Click here for further details.
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BROCHURES AVAILABLE
We offer several different brochures related to the following topics, available by calling the office:
- 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
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ABOUT US
Matt 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 tami.kuipers@gmail.com.
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Matt Cohen CHADD Membership Support Fund
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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
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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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