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Gear Up with GDPC for Back-to-School
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
What You Need to Know BEFORE the Year Begins
  • Asking for Compensatory Services Due to COVID Closures
  • Distance Learning Plans
  • Your Options for a Different Year Ahead: An Important Message from Our Founder
  • Successes In a Pandemic
Great Resources to Stay Informed
WORRIED ABOUT REMOTE LEARNING?
Let us help you through this unique time.
WHAT CAN I DO IF REMOTE LEARNING FOR 19-20 DID NOT WORK?

Some students already experienced significant regression without the special education and related services that they needed when schools closed at the end of the 19-20 school year. For every student, the IEP team must closely examine the student’s progress or regression, craft accurate present levels of performance, and provide services based on the needs established by the student’s data.  Did your district do that in preparation for 2020-2021? Did the team determine make-up services are needed?

To be clear: Any student who was unable to access remote education and fell behind as a result should receive compensatory services now. This includes students and families who had cognitive, behavioral, language or technological barriers to accessing an education; students who were unable to access an education because the district did not implement any of the IEP, or refused to implement or cancelled related services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy or speech therapy.

Whether your school had a robust response to the COVID-19 closures, but were unable to meet the needs of your child or whether your district fell way short for all kids including yours, it does not matter. A student who did not receive a FAPE is entitled to compensatory education.

If you have questions about how to obtain these make-up services for your child, call us TODAY!
DOES YOUR CHILD'S 2020-2021 IEP INCLUDE A CONTINGENCY PLAN?
GET YOUR PLAN IN PLACE TODAY

THERE IS STILL TIME TO CREATE YOUR CHILD'S CONTINGENCY PLAN. WE CAN HELP!
Creating a contingent distance learning plan in your child's IEP gives your child's team, including YOU, an opportunity to reach agreement NOW as to what circumstances would trigger the use of the distant learning plan and what services would be provided during any COVID-19 closure.

Such contingent provisions may include the provision of special education and related services at an alternate location, the provision of online or virtual instruction, instructional telephone calls, other curriculum-based instructional activities, the collaboration of public and private providers, and/or which special ed and related services could be provided at the student's home.
GDPC GETS IT RIGHT DURING PANDEMIC
PANDEMIC SUCCESSES & A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER

ALWAYS FIGHTING FOR YOUR RIGHTS
Virtual hearings are happening and no firm is doing more of them than GDPC.

That means, do not delay in calling us. We are still able to get you the same amazing results, even during these trying times. In fact, in many respects, these virtual hearings are more efficient and take less time to complete!

Just some of the great results we've received WHILE working from home:

  • $500,000.00 settlement against a Westchester district for a child who was relentlessly bullied in elementary school. A case everyone told the firm was an uphill battle. And this settlement came AFTER our attorneys got the district to place the child in a private school

  • $10,000 for private evaluations and $63,000 for compensatory services for a 5th grade student in addition to an out-of-district program search for this child

  • SIX (6) years of private school tuition for Blooming Grove Academy for a young child who is FINALLY in the right setting after her parents battled with their school district for years

  • $71,200 tuition secured for a family, this time for their child to attend Winston Prep

  • 878 hours of compensatory (make-up) ABA services awarded, along w/ 227 hours of BCBA supervision. The cost of these services exceeds $197,500, all to be paid by the child’s school district

  • 6 figure settlement secured for a GDPC family who unilaterally placed their child at Telos Academy in Utah

  • $86,200 AWARDED for tuition to The Gillen Brewer School. This is the second year of Gillen Brewer for this student, BOTH funded by their home district
A Message from Gina:

Gearing up for school this year feels like an uphill battle we have no interest in climbing. There is still so much unknown, so many questions to be answered and no matter what we learn, it feels impossible to achieve the results we want. I am working tirelessly to make this transition into a new spin on school as easy as possible for my clients. Here are some smart options:

Homebound instruction: Possible for kids who have medical needs which prevent them from attending school. The district is still responsible for providing your child with a FAPE - providing them all academic instruction, albeit for only a few hours/week. May be the only safe option for my medically fragile children.

Homeschooling: Different than home bound instruction - you have committed to educate your child and you are not looking for an IEP or program from your district. You are, however, entitled (in NY) to an IESP, a service plan for related services to help supplement the homeschooling instruction. Lots of creative, additional supplements can be added. Contact us for guidance.

Distance Learning: Are you equipped for distance learning? Do you have the right equipment/technology/computers in your home in order to access the virtual instruction? This technology can take many forms and your districts are likely on the hook for making sure you have access to it.

Private school: Is the IEP offered to your child inappropriate? Can you identify a private school that would better meet your child's needs? It is possible to get your home district to pay for private school tuition. And luckily, many of these private schools are getting it right in terms of virtual instruction! Call us to guide you through this intricate process.

Hybrid (public/private): If your child is going to be forced into distance learning and you already know that is not going to work based on what your district gave you in 19-20, let us explore getting some private providers to supplement what is being offered by the district. This could include 1:1 instruction either virtually or in-person to prevent your child from regressing. Don't let your child fall behind before you talk to us!

As always, call us to walk you through these options or to come up with a more specific plan for your child. Remember: you know your child best and how he/she will be most successful in these very unique times. Trust your gut and let us help you get the services you may be owed by your district!

Best of luck and much success to the kids!
Gina
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