This session will discuss all things preschool and the interplay with special education! We will review the legal aspects of providing special education services to preschoolers, including the continuum of placement options and the least restrictive environment, inclusion, and the provision of related services. This session will also discuss how to utilize preschool and early intervention services to ensure success following a child’s transition to TK/Kindergarten.
In the new era of virtual hearings, when litigation is even easier to pursue against a district, local educational agencies need to know how to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a special education case, and how to fix identified issues. Effective case management strategies should span the gamut, from legal trainings on compliance requirements and early resolution tactics, to due process when necessary. During this presentation, we will cover how to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a case, how to correct course, when and how to use alternative dispute resolution strategies, and when to pursue due process.
This interactive session will provide an overview of the prior year in special education, reporting on relevant, significant cases and statutory developments. This presentation will be fast paced and audience-involved and will provide useful information to audience participants.
This presentation will explore strategies for fostering strong relationships among staff and families to proactively manage conflicts, preventing them from escalating into irreconcilable disagreements. The session will delve into collaborative approaches that encourage teamwork and open communication, aiming to address potential issues before they become disputes. Additionally, the presentation will cover effective methods for navigating conflicts when they do arise, emphasizing resolution techniques that avoid the need for litigation.
School districts have encountered many legal challenges in making sure that parents have the opportunity to participate in the development and implementation of their child’s IEP. Scheduling IEP meetings, ensuring parents understand the proceedings, holding meetings without parents, and making team decisions are all issues that districts must approach carefully so that parents of students with disabilities are partners in the IEP process. Look with us at the statutes, regulations and cases addressing these topics.
TikTok and Snapchat and Discord, oh my! From its impact on mental health and the interplay with student discipline to the ability to connect and build peer relationships, social media affects our students now more than ever. During this presentation, we will discuss how to balance the benefits and detriments of student use of social media amid the social media era. Through the discussion of statistics, current events, OAH case examples, and legislation, we will discuss safety concerns and best practices to manage and monitor social media to keep students safe. After attending this presentation you will have a firm grasp of social media platforms currently used by students, the impact of social media on student mental health, and how to spot and address social media issues in the school setting.
This presentation will begin with a brief overview of the law related to addressing student behaviors. After reviewing the law, legal counsel and a behavior analyst will discuss practical implementation of behavior interventions, supports, plans, and services. You don't want to miss this session.
Part one will focus on an analysis of the least restrictive environment in conjunction with the newfound emphasis on inclusion and the use of artificial intelligence. We know that the least restrictive environment is a critical, legal principle in special education that aims to ensure students with disabilities are educated in the most inclusive setting, but is it the same as inclusion? Is inclusion defined by the law? What is the deal with co-teaching? What are the types of inclusion? And how is artificial intelligence being used for inclusion? All of these questions and more will be discussed in-depth during this session.
Is Alleged Misconduct Really Caused By Disability?
The manifestation determination review (MDR) is the process by which a child’s IEP team determines whether alleged misconduct is a manifestation of the child's disability. It must be performed when a school district proposes disciplinary measures that will result in a change of placement for a child with a disability. What should be a simple process, however, can easily be derailed by ineffective preparation, lack of necessary data, and charged emotions. Even simple missteps can result in the denial of a free appropriate public education and the halting of otherwise appropriate disciplinary proceedings. Using recent relevant federal case law as a guide, this presentation will train educators how to break down the specifics of any disciplinary incident, prepare for, and thereafter facilitate legally-sound MDRs. Participants will leave with a step-by-step guide for how to analyze the child’s disability, what information the IEP team should consider, and how to use the facts and circumstances of any disciplinary incident to determine whether alleged misconduct is, in fact, disability related.
Part two will discuss how challenging behaviors or behavioral disorders can be seen as an impediment to inclusion. This session will discuss the effect of behavioral issues on the ability for children to access the general education environment, and what the law requires for the integration of students with higher behavioral needs in general education setting. Practitioners will also hear about practical components for consideration when planning effective programs and implementing appropriate strategies and interventions for students with behavioral needs.
Part three discusses addressing mental health concerns in all students in an inclusive manner. Schools are critical partners in supporting the mental health and well-being of all students. The implications of ignoring mental health concerns can significantly interfere with a student’s ability to learn, grow and develop. Additionally, many children and students struggle with mental health challenges that impact their ability to fully access and participate in their education, and these challenges are often misunderstood. This session will discuss how resources to address and provide for effective inclusion can benefit all students.
How effective are you at communicating? Does your communication partner understand what you are conveying? Does your communication partner feel heard? From informal meetings with parents or colleagues, to the IEP table, breakdowns in communication lead to arguments, wasted time, and sometimes litigation. During this presentation we will cover reflective listening techniques, and how to employ them in the school setting. You will leave with a fresh perspective on how to effectively communicate, diffuse difficult conversations, and preserve your relationship with colleagues and parents.
You know how to use SEIS or Sirus, but do you know how to write a legally compliant IEP? During this session, we will break down each page of the IEP through the lens of legal compliance. After attending this session you will understand the "why" of IEP writing, and will also understand how to review an IEP ensuring it is legally compliant.
Artificial Intelligence is quickly expanding and is already used in some applications relevant to K-12 schools. From ChatGPT to apps which draft IEPs and evaluate IEPs for parents, this technological innovation is becoming increasingly relevant in general and special education programs.
The ever-growing impact of technology in education is also leading to increased awareness of its harms. Schools are grappling with impacts of AI tools like ChatGPT on student learning. Educators are also giving increased consideration to cell phone bans due to observed impacts on academic learning and social-emotional wellbeing from student use of technology.
Attendees will hear from an education attorney as well as an experienced school psychologist and administrator on what these technological developments mean for general and special education programs. This presentation will not only discuss what powers schools have to limit technology use from a legal perspective, but also what schools should consider from an educational perspective to maximize learning and protect social-emotional wellbeing.
This session will deep-dive into the “new era” of discipline. Educators are increasingly looking for alternatives to removing students from class or school, new classroom management techniques focusing on supporting all students through mindfulness, social and emotional learning, and restorative justice, and a focus on equity and empathy in all disciplinary decisions. This session will discuss the disparities in discipline amongst students, particularly students with disabilities, and the changing culture of discipline in schools. This session will also discuss how to continue to ensure all students are being supported, and which discipline techniques may accomplish that goal.
A school district’s obligations to serve students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment has undergone significant analysis and revisions by various courts over the past several decades. In this session, we will examine the most recent LRE decisions in detail in the context of the rules and legal trends governing LRE and the continuum of placements. We will examine the evolving balance between LRE and educational benefit.
