With the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, professionals working with special needs children know that an understanding of special education law is crucial. You need to know the law in order to deal with complex questions that arise on a regular basis. Who pays when a special needs child is placed in private schooling at the parents' election? How can a school create the least restrictive environment and promote inclusion to the best interests of all students? It can be costly for your clients if you don't know. You need advanced skills and a thorough background in the issues to give your clients the protection they need.

That's why this legal briefing is so important. It's an investment that will pay for itself many times over, enabling you to offer your clients solid, informed advice when special education law questions arise. Ground your advice in an understanding of the federal laws governing special education. Be prepared to handle questions regarding disciplinary actions for special needs students. Confidently guide your clients through the due process procedure. Establish your expertise in the rights of special needs students. Don't miss this opportunity to further your knowledge. Order today!

1. Establishing the Framework of Special Education Law
2. Unraveling the Requirements of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
3. Successfully Handling Disciplinary Actions for Special Needs Students
4. Ensuring Successful Due Process Procedures
5. Protecting the Rights of Children With Special Needs
6. Ethics in Special Education Law
7. Missouri's New Seclusion and Restraint Law

Continuing Education Credits:   

* denotes specialty credits

1. ESTABLISHING THE FRAMEWORK OF SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW
   8:30 - 9:10, Lawrence J. Altman
1. Reviewing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
2. Examining Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
3. What are the Laws Relating to Particular Disabilities?
4. Summary of Recent Developments in Special Education Law
5. Relevant Case Law (Including Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garret F.)
2. UNRAVELING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA)
   9:10 - 9:50, Lawrence J. Altman and Gail C. Altman
1. What are Early Intervention Programs?
2. Defining State and Local Eligibility for Services
3. Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
4. Conducting Evaluations and Re-Evaluations of Students With Special Needs
5. The Role of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the IEP Team
6. Availability of Personnel Who Know How to Meet the Needs of Disabled Students
7. Specific Issues About Exceptional Needs Children Enrolled in Private Schools
8. How, When, and Why Reauthorization Occurs
3. SUCCESSFULLY HANDLING DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS
   10:05 - 10:50, Gail C. Altman
1. Providing Services During Disciplinary Removal
2. Defining Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs)
3. What are Behavioral Intervention Plans?
4. How Manifestation Determination Reviews Apply
5. Protections for Children Not Yet Eligible for Special Education and Related Services
6. Changes in Placement
1. Suspensions and the Ten-Day Rule
2. Legal Rules Governing Removal or Expulsion
3. Interim Alternative Educational Settings
7. Other Available Remedies
8. “Stay Put” Placement During Pendency of Due Process
9. Expedited Due Process Hearings
4. ENSURING SUCCESSFUL DUE PROCESS PROCEDURES
   10:50 - 11:30, Lawrence J. Altman
1. Actions to Take Upon Receipt of Request for Impartial Hearing
2. Complying With Notice Requirements
3. Examining Essential Timing Issues
4. Providing for the Option of Mediation
5. How to Prepare for a Due Process Hearing
6. Crucial Elements in an Impartial Due Process Hearing
7. When De Novo Reviews Apply
8. Effective Ways to Avoid Due Process Litigation
5. PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
   12:30 - 1:15, Lawrence J. Altman
1. Promoting Parent Awareness of Legal Rights and Recourse for Their Child
2. Understanding Placement Issues
1. Least Restrictive Environment and Inclusion
2. Requirements for Unilateral Placements by Parents Seeking Public Payment
3. Compensatory Education
3. Preventing Disability Harassment in the Schools
4. Protecting Confidentiality of Information
5. Special Education Damages Liability (Including Section 1983 Liability)
6. Using the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to Ensure Compliance
6. ETHICS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW
   1:30 - 2:30, Lawrence J. Altman
   1. Confidentiality
   2. Conflicts of Interest
   3. Acting in the Best Interests of the Child
7. MISSOURI'S NEW SECLUSION AND RESTRAINT LAW
   2:30 - 3:00, Lawrence J. Altman

 

GAIL C. ALTMAN maintains her own professional office, where she works as a special education consultant, process facilitator and mediator. Ms. Altman has more than 30 years of experience in the special education field and has served in a wide variety of positions. She started out her career as a tutor and transitioned in to being an educational interpreter for deaf students in St. Louis County Public Schools for nearly ten years. Ms. Altman also has taught in various settings as a special educator in schools throughout the years and has experience in substitute teaching and regular education. She always has had a passion for working with students with special needs. Since 2001, Ms. Altman has been working with the Law Office of Lawrence J. Altman, using a team approach to take care of the special needs of children in schools and the community. She earned her B.S. degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a lifetime certification to teach deaf and hard of hearing children from kindergarten to 12 th grade in Missouri. She is a board member of FACT (Family Advocacy and Community Training). Ms. Altman was honored by the Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center in St. Louis as one of their Advocates of the Year in 2008.

LAWRENCE J. ALTMAN is the Exceptional Education Lead Compliance Officer and attorney for special education for the Kansas City Public School District. He previously practiced in St. Louis County from 1976 through 2010. Mr. Altman graduated from St. Louis University Law School. His undergraduate degree in physics was awarded by Washington University. Mr. Altman is a member of The Missouri Bar, including active participation as a mentor in the Missouri Lawyers Assistance Program (MOLAP). Other professional associations include the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and the St. Louis County Bar Association. More than half of Mr. Altman's practice concentrates on assisting children with special needs, who qualify for services under federal law known as IDEA, and those children needing assistance via federal 504 legislation. He was honored by the Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center in St. Louis as one of their Advocates of the Year in 2007. Mr. Altman has made many presentations in the area of special education law. His support of children and parents extends beyond St. Louis City and County with his efforts as a board member of Family Support Services, an agency serving the communities of the St. Charles Metropolitan area. In addition, in December, 2008, Mr. Altman was appointed to serve on the Advisory Committee of the Missouri Supreme Court Chronic Mental Disorders Task Force that submitted to the court a Supreme Court rule that was to address situations when an attorney's professional misconduct was related to a chronic mental disorder. The Supreme Court adopted Rule 5.285 on February 8, 2010 that addressed this situation. On February 12, 2010, he was appointed to the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs.

Please refer to Continuing Education Credit FAQ for general information about seeking credit for your participation in one of our continuing education programs.

Additionally, our team of credit specialists are here to answer your specific credit-related questions weekdays 7am - 5pm Central:

Phone: 866-240-1890

Email: credit@nbi-sems.com