by Common Ground | Jun 16, 2025 | Current-Issue, Q&A
Q: What is a special education assessment, and why is it important in determining related services? A: A special education assessment is a process that evaluates a child’s strengths and weaknesses in different areas, such as academic, social, emotional, and...
by Common Ground | May 17, 2025 | Q&A
Disagreements in special education can feel stressful, but they don’t have to become battles. Most people on the IEP team want the same thing: for the student to succeed. By learning how decisions are made, understanding common issues, and knowing your rights,...
by Miyako | Feb 13, 2025 | Q&A
Assistive technology (AT) plays a transformative role in the education of students with disabilities, offering tools and devices that can support independence, enhance learning, and help students achieve academic success. In this Q&A, we explore the many ways that...
by Common Ground | Apr 4, 2024 | Q&A
An act concerning emergency planning for students with disabilities in school settings was signed in January 2024 by Governor Phil Murphy. The bill clarifies the ways in which students with disabilities – specifically, those with an IEP, 504 Plan, or Health Plan –...
by Common Ground | Nov 29, 2023 | Parents, Professionals, Q&A, Teachers
Q: What is Decoding? A: Reading decoding is a fundamental skill in the process of reading. It refers to the ability to translate written words into spoken language. When readers decode, they use their knowledge of letter-sound relationships to recognize and pronounce...
by Common Ground | Aug 24, 2023 | Parents, Q&A, Special Ed Basics
By Jason Krasnow Q: What role do parents have in the referral process? A: A parent’s role in special education starts with the referral process. School personnel, state agencies, or parents themselves can refer a child for evaluation if they suspect that the...
by Common Ground | Jun 16, 2023 | Better IEPs, Parents, Professionals, Q&A, Students, Teachers
By Jason Krasnow Q: What does the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) say about student involvement in the IEP process? A: The IDEA requires that students aged 14 and older be invited to attend their IEP meetings. Younger students do not need to be...
by Common Ground | Apr 20, 2023 | Parents, Professionals, Q&A, Special Ed Basics, Teachers
Common Ground is committed to informing families and guardians about parental rights and special education advocacy. In this and upcoming editions we will share a series of basic and important special education topics on the rights, responsibilities, administrative...
by Common Ground | Feb 8, 2023 | Better IEPs, Parents, Professionals, Q&A, Teachers
Back by request, Common Ground is re-printing this important story last run in 2021. New Jersey law, P.L.2021, c.109 (sometimes referred to by its Senate bill number, S-3434) requires boards of education to provide special education and related services to certain...
by Common Ground | Feb 8, 2023 | Capitols, Parents, Q&A, Students
The Biden administration has issued new school discipline guidelines aimed at cutting back on high rates of suspension and expulsion for students with disabilities by clarifying rules that the nation’s schools are required to follow. The guidance is considered to be...
by Common Ground | Jun 15, 2022 | Professionals, Q&A, Teachers
For therapists, teachers, case managers, and others in ‘helping fields,’ the act of witnessing and listening to trauma stories can take an emotional toll. It can compromise professional functioning and diminish the quality of life, adding to feelings of burn out and...
by Common Ground | Feb 13, 2022 | Q&A
Q: Does my child have a Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)? A: Auditory processing is a complex internal cognitive function that impacts all aspects of learning. Because there is generally no hearing loss or APD may not be accompanied by other neurological disorders,...
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