Just six days before students were scheduled to return to school, Hearst Connecticut Media highlighted how special education teachers were blindsided when the Hamden school district relocated Wintergreen School’s program for those with autism. According to Hamden special education teachers, the program at Wintergreen is being relocated to ill-suited space that will not meet the needs of students with autism: no kitchen to teach life skills; no noise-proof walls for Continue Reading

As of July 1, 2022, Connecticut’s new individualized education plan (IEP) will no longer contain a prior written notice (PWN) page within the IEP. Rather, the new PWN document will now be a separate from the IEP itself. Although this “appears” to just be intended as a formatting change, it is critical that prior written notice remains part of the discussion during a planning and placement team meeting (PPT) anytime Continue Reading

On July 19, 2022 the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) issued new guidance to assist public elementary and secondary schools to fulfill their duties to meet the needs of students with disabilities and to avoid the discriminatory use of student discipline. The newly issued guidance is some of the most comprehensive guidance issued by the US Continue Reading

by Jeffrey L. Forte, Esq. | Forte Law Group LLC In Connecticut, attending a planning and placement team meeting (PPT) to discuss your child’s individualized education plan (IEP) can often be overwhelming, even intimidating, for a parent. It is important for all parents to remember the development of your child’s IEP through the PPT process is meant to be collaborative in nature pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Continue Reading

One of the most important sections of your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is the section called “Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance” often variously referred to as PLAAFP, PLEP, PLOP, PLP or PL. The present levels section of your child’s IEP delineates how your child is doing in both academics and functional performance. What the IDEA say about Present Levels of Performance Let’s look at what the Continue Reading