From the Courts: Special Education Hearing Delays Deny Justice
Parents and school districts are waiting an average of 10 months to obtain a legal decision in non-emergency special education matters, this is in spite of state and federal laws requiring such decisions be made within 45 days. The findings are part of a report issued...Q&A: Assistive Technology
1. Isn’t assistive technology best for students with cognitive impairments? Assistive technology is used every day by people with and without disabilities. When you type on your phone, word prediction software helps you text faster. When you are at the gym, the closed...Charter Schools, Vouchers & Special Education
By Maria Docherty and Lauren Agoratus, M.A. With the increased focus in the United States on charter schools and the use of vouchers to support student attendance at private schools, more and more parents of students with disabilities are asking questions about how...From the Capitols: US DOE Issues Q&A On SCOTUS Decision
Nine months after the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled on the rights of students with disabilities, the USDOE has published a guidance paper. The nine-page Q&A document distills key points in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. It...From the Capitols: Rules on Disparity Delayed
As part of a larger effort to reduce rules and regulations deemed unnecessary, the Trump administration has proposed a two-year delay of a new rule that would require states to take a stricter approach to identifying whether local school districts have wide racial or...From the Capitols: New Jersey Adopts Rules for Seclusion and Restraint for Students with Disabilities
On his final days in office, NJ Governor Chris Christie signed into law a measure that establishes requirements for use of restraint and seclusion on students with disabilities in special education. The bipartisan bill, which was passed unanimously in both houses of...Parent’s Perspective: Process Over Product
By Joanne DeSimone I recently took notice of a headline which read, “Alabama school board member considers institutionalization for special ed students.” Early into the video, school board member Ms. Ella Bell says, “Is it against the law for us to establish perhaps...Snapshot: Medicaid and Special Education
Medicaid covers one in five Americans. Medicaid is the nation’s largest health care provider. Medicaid covers 40% of America’s children – over 30 million children. Medicaid covers half of all births in America. One in five Medicaid dollars is spent on children. 2/3 of...From the Capitol: Law Requires New Teachers to Have Experience Working with Students with Disabilities
Governor Christie has signed a measure (S1474) that requires teacher preparation programs to include instruction or clinical experience in special education, and for students with disabilities endorsement to include credit hours in autism spectrum disorders. The bill...NJCommonGround.org, and the Common Ground E-newsletter are projects of the NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities
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- The Right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education
- What to Do if You Suspect Your Child has a Disability Impacting Their Education
- Initial Special Education Evaluations and Eligibility
- The Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Special Education Placement
- Q&A: What are Extended School Year (ESY) Services?
- Q&A: Dispute Resolution