by Common Ground | Feb 18, 2016 | Capitols
Lawmakers in Washington have approved a $1.1 trillion plan that offers a boost in spending for federal government programs that affect children and adults with disabilities. Funding to states under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will increase...
by Common Ground | Feb 18, 2016 | Capitols
The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services have issued guidance to states, school districts, and early childhood providers urging them to take action to include more children with disabilities into inclusive high-quality early childhood programs....
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Capitols
The U.S. Department of Education has announced that states will no longer be allowed to administer tests to students with disabilities that are based on modified academic achievement standards. Previously, states were allowed to count up to 2 percent of all students...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Courts
A New Jersey Administrative Law Judge has ordered the parents of a Morris County student with disabilities to consent to evaluation. The case involves a 6th grader classified as “Other Health Impaired.” At the time of the child’s classification in the 3rd grade, the...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Courts
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider a case involving an interpretation of federal law addressing the “stay put” provision of IDEA. “Stay put” allows a student with disabilities to remain in his or her current special education placement...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Courts
A New Jersey Administrative Law Judge recently ruled that a family in which the father worked overseas was entitled to have their son’s special education services paid for by the Hunterdon County school district in which they maintained an apartment. The case involves...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Snapshot
Nearly 1 in 5 students with disabilities were placed on out-of-school suspensions during the 2011-2012 school year, a rate two to three times that of typically developing students. In North Dakota, 5% of students with disabilities were suspended statewide, while in...
by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2014 | Features
By: Nina Peckman, Esq. and Mary Coogan, Esq. In New Jersey, approximately 7,600 children live in foster care situations; many of them have learning issues, some of which have not yet been identified. Because of the complexity of the special education system, it can be...
by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2014 | Letters
By: Emerson Dickman, J.D. Too often, advocacy is seen as a contest — parents versus the system. The primary goal of an advocate should be to develop an atmosphere of collaboration and open communication between the family and the school district. The purpose of...
by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2014 | Q&A
By: Lynn Abelson, MA, CCC-SLP, OTR Q: What is the DIR® Model? A: The Developmental, Individual-Differences, Relationship-based (DIR®) model, pioneered by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. and Serena Wieder, Ph.D, provides a framework for assessment and intervention for those...
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