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This E-newsletter is devoted to sharing information about special education, disability rights, mental health and human services law, political policy and research that is of importance to people with disabilities, their families, and the professionals that work with them. It also includes updates and news about our firm and its activities. We hope you find it helpful and welcome your comments and suggestions. — Matt Cohen
| | IDEA at 50, but is the future secure? | | |
The IDEA began its life as The Education for All Handicapped Children Act. But when President Gerald Ford signed the law in 1975, he opined that it might never be fully funded. The law was reauthorized in 1990 and 50 years later, Ford has been proven right.
While the number of students needing disability services has grown steadily, Congress has never met the funding mandates in the law. And with Trump dismantling the Department of Education, which is charged with enforcing IDEA, the law’s future is even murkier. Read more from Education Week.
| | Trump cancels grant program funding food banks and mental health services | | |
The Trump administration is canceling $61 million in funding of Community Schools Grants that help to provide extra services to schools, such as mental health programs and food pantries. The funding will be cut even more in future years.
“Instead of listening to educators and strengthening neighborhood public schools, this administration is actively working against them — placing ideology over the needs of America’s youngest residents,” says one union leader. Read more from WBEZ.
| Words matter, but far right revives R-word anyway | |
Intellectual disability advocates fought for years to erase the R-word from public vocabulary and they mostly succeeded. But Donald Trump and other far-right politicians don't have a problem with the slur and readily lob it at opponents.
“For those that think it’s OK to use the R-word … it’s not,” says the mother of an intellectually disabled son. “You don’t have to hurl your insult at a person with a disability for it to be wrong. Your words matter. If they didn’t matter I wouldn’t be fighting for my son’s place in school. I wouldn’t be fighting for my son’s medical treatment. I wouldn’t be fighting for people to presume competence when it comes to my son.” Read more from the Chicago Tribune.
| | Chicago Public Schools seeks community members for advisory panel | | |
CPS is seeking 14 community members to serve in an advisory capacity on its Special Education Advisory Board. According to CPS, SEAC’s purpose “is to be a source of support to the district by identifying resources, increasing visibility of the important work, dispelling misunderstandings, listening and elevating the various priorities impacting special education in the CPS community.”
Applicants must live in Chicago and complete a background check. Find the application here.
| | Houston schools to use AI to manage special education program | | |
Houston Independent School District will be the first district in the country to use AI to manage its special education compliance, along with 15 other districts that use it for other things.
The company running the system says it could streamline IEP development and will be private and secure. But advocates, including Matt Cohen, are concerned. The use of AI in schools deserves more research and scrutiny before it is adopted widely, Matt says. Read more from Disability Scoop. Notably, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has just signed a law prohibiting the use of AI to do psychotherapy. It remains to be seen how the use of AI in schools may play out or if a similar law for teaching may become necessary.
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Turns out, cell phone bans do work
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More students playing chess at lunch, checking out books and solving Rubik’s cubes. More focus, less rushing through schoolwork. These are just a few benefits educators report reaping from cell phone bans in school, now implemented at 32 districts nationally and the District of Columbia.
“Just physically having a separation from the tangible device has made a big difference this year,” says one principal. Read more from Education Week.
| | Small group or whole group reading instruction? | | |
Small group instruction is a popular approach for early educators, but there are benefits to whole group instruction, too. How do educators and school systems decide which is best?
In this essay, educators from Stanford University and the University of Michigan weigh the pros and cons of both approaches and offer their recommendations. Read more from Education Week.
| | Illinois probes charter school for special education violations | | |
The state of Illinois is investigating Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy for “repeated and unresolved failure to correct documented special education violations over multiple school years.” The state estimates the charter failed to provide legally required minutes of services — amounting to as much as 80,000 minutes of instruction — to 100 students.
The charter, which serves 479 students, 16% with disabilities, is privately run but publicly funded. Read more from Chalkbeat.
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Upcoming webinars and presentations | | |
The War Against Special Education: What is Happening in Washington and What You Can Do About It
Jan. 13, 2 - 4 p.m.
Matt Cohen, webinar
Register in advance.
Southeast Regional ADHD Conference
Jan. 30, 2026
Matt Cohen, in person
Plenary Address: 8:15 - 9:15 a.m. and Breakout: 9:45 – 11 a.m.
University of Alabama, Bryant Conference Center, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Register in advance.
Section 504: What your rights are and changes in Washington that threaten them
Matt Cohen, webinar
Feb. 4, 1 - 3 p.m.
Register in advance.
NBI Illinois IEP and 504 Plan Legal Workshop
IDEA or Section 504? Determining Eligibility Under Both Laws.
Matt Cohen, virtual presentation
June 16, time TBD
More details coming soon
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- Negotiated settlement with school district allowing multiply-disabled elementary school student to access full related services and one-to-one tutoring during the period that the school district and family are endeavoring to locate an appropriate therapeutic day school placement.
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Matt Cohen has been selected a 2026 Illinois Super Lawyer, a distinction he has held since 2007 that is awarded to only 5 percent of Illinois attorneys.
Matt has been an Illinois Leading Lawyer since 2009, a distinction he earned again this year. Fewer than 5 percent of all lawyers licensed to practice law in Illinois earn the distinction.
Matt Cohen has received an Honored Listee Badge from Marquis Who’s Who.
Matt Cohen was ranked as one of America’s Most Honored Lawyers, in the top 5 percent, by the American Registry for 2023.
The new (16th) edition of K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences is out. Matt Cohen once again is a contributing author with his article, “The Rights of College Students with Disabilities: Myth vs. Reality.”
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Is your child's IEP giving them all they need? Does it have the right goals, objectives and evaluation procedures? Do the services and accommodations provide all they are entitled to? Reach out to us at 866-787-9270 or contact Tami Kuipers, tami@mattcohenandassociates.com.
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BROCHURES AVAILABLE
We offer several different brochures related to the following topics, available by calling the office:
- Introduction to College Accommodations
- IEPs and 504 Plans - Navigating the Maze
- Tips for Obtaining Accommodations for the ACT, SAT and other Placement Exams
- Obtaining an Independent Educational Evaluation
- Tips for Obtaining Appropriate Services for Your Child With Autism
- Classroom Observation
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ABOUT US
Matt Cohen is the founder of the Chicago law firm Matt Cohen & Associates LLC.
The practice is concentrated in representation of children and families in special education and discipline disputes with public schools, disability rights advocacy, including advocacy for accommodations in admissions and licensing tests and in colleges and graduate schools and legal assistance to mental health and human services professionals and the organizations they work for.
For more information about Matt Cohen and the staff and to view this email in your browser, please visit our website.
If you have any questions, please contact his assistant, Tami Kuipers at 866-787-9270 or tami@mattcohenandassociates.com.
Matt Cohen & Associates
77 W. Wacker Drive
Suite 4500
Chicago, IL 60601
| | Matt Cohen CHADD Membership Support Fund | |
Disclaimer:
The material in this enews has been prepared by Matt Cohen & staff for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. We assume no responsibility for the accuracy or timeliness of any information provided herein. Internet subscribers and online readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
We would be pleased to communicate with you via email. However, if you communicate with us through the Web site regarding a matter for which we do not already represent you, your communication may not be treated as privileged and confidential. Do not send us confidential, proprietary or other sensitive information until you speak with one of our attorneys and receive authorization to send that information. Matt Cohen is providing this enews, the information, listings, and links contained herein only as a convenience to you.
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