by Common Ground | Feb 8, 2023 | Better IEPs, February 2023, 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 | 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,...
by Common Ground | Dec 20, 2021 | Q&A
As schools returned to in-person instruction this fall and faced a host of challenges, the US Department of Education received multiple requests from a variety of special education stakeholders to issue guidance interpreting the requirements of the IDEA. The guidance,...
by Common Ground | Oct 4, 2021 | Q&A
Q: What is Employment First? A: New Jersey is part of national movement that is centered on the belief “that all citizens, including individuals with significant disabilities, are capable of full participation in integrated employment and community life.” The...
by Common Ground | Aug 27, 2021 | Q&A
Q: What is compensatory education? A: Compensatory education is designed to get a student to the place they would have been had they not been deprived of special education and related services. The content of a compensatory education program should be based on a...
by Common Ground | Jun 1, 2021 | Capitols, Q&A
Does your child with disabilities turn 21 on or before June 30, 2021? Did they miss out on vital transition services due to the pandemic? Are they scheduled to graduate because they are “aging out”? Not so fast… There is a new law on its way. S-3434 is on track to go...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Parents, Q&A
By Adam Wilson, Esq. | Hinkle Prior & Fischer, Attorneys at Law 1) My child is turning 21 and is scheduled to graduate in June. After being out of school since mid-March, I don’t think he is ready, and his post-secondary program is not ready for him. He...
by Common Ground | Feb 24, 2020 | Q&A
Q: What is Extended School Year? A: ESY means educational programming beyond the traditional 180-day school year. Q: Who determines ESY eligibility? A: Every student with a disability under IDEA must be considered for ESY services. The determination is made on an...
by Common Ground | Nov 19, 2019 | Q&A
Editor’s note: The New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Education Policy and Procedure has completed its piloting of Facilitated IEP meetings, and the option is now available statewide for school districts and parents. This Common Ground...
by Common Ground | Oct 29, 2019 | Q&A
Q: Can I ask for time off from work to attend my child’s IEP meetings? A: Yes In August, the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued a letter clarifying that parents and guardians are allowed to use the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) intermittently to attend...
by Common Ground | Aug 12, 2019 | Q&A
By Melissa Powers, Esq. The do’s and don’t’s of school observations are tricky; it is an area of law that is underdeveloped and incredibly fact sensitive. As you read the Q&A, keep in mind that schools often err on the side of being too restrictive and protective,...
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