You’ve Just Gotten A Special Education Lawyer – Now What?

Trying to get a special education plan or accommodations in place for your child at their school can be a long and sometimes frustrating process. There are times where it goes very smoothly and the teachers and administrators are 100 percent behind the plan. Yet in other cases, the school is very resistant. They refuse to make accommodations, they give you a plan that you think is inadequate, or they do something else to make you feel like your child's needs are being ignored. In these cases, you need a special education attorney on your side.

If the Lawyer Will Represent You, Then You Know You Have a Case

Something that should make you feel somewhat less worried is that, if a special education attorney takes your case, then you know you actually have a case. No matter what the teacher or school administration say, whether they say something isn't doable or that they don't think your child is eligible for an accommodation, if the attorney takes your case, then you know that the school should be able to make accommodations or create an individual plan for the child's education.

Report Any Signs of Retaliation Immediately

Schools can't retaliate against you for asking for an education plan or accommodation, nor can they retaliate against you for seeking legal help. If you think the school is now taking action against you for your advocacy, contact your attorney immediately. Don't brush off incidents where you're not sure if it was retaliation, either; let the attorney decide if the behavior you dealt with was appropriate or not.

Run Your Plan Past the Attorney First

No doubt you've got your own ideas about how your child's education plans or accommodations need to be, and chances are, they are good plans. However, do run your plans by the attorney before speaking to the school again. If the school has refused to set up a plan to help the child or refused to accommodate them for a disability or illness, you want to be sure what you're asking for is something that no one could legally argue against. In other words, you want to be sure that all the accommodations you're asking for are possible to enact, and that the plan you have in mind for the child's education is something the school can conceivably do. Knowing with certainty that what you're asking for is legal, possible, and reasonable can boost your confidence when trying to get the school to accommodate the child. Contact a special education attorney for more information.


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