Education Law
Education law encompasses various statutes, rules, and regulations relating to all levels of education involving parents, students, teachers, and administrators. Education law includes matters such as discipline, special education, teacher contracts, and budget issues.
At Purdy Law Office, LLC, our focus is special education, including individual education plans (IEPs), and 504 service plans. IEPs are governed by the federal statute entitled the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Pennsylvania’s rules and regulations relating to the same. The IDEA mandates that children with disabilities receive a free, appropriate, and public education (FAPE). If a child’s disabilities prevent them from making meaningful progress in school, the local education agency (LEA) is required to provide appropriate services, so the child develops skills for independent living, further education, and employment. An IEP is an educational plan tailored to the child providing goals, specially designed instruction, behavior plans, and other related services, such as occupational, physical, and speech therapies.
A 504 plan, on the other hand, is governed by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and has some similarities to an IEP. A 504 plan provides accommodations and modifications based on the child’s disability. A 504 plan can provide accommodations such as reduced homework, preferential seating, and chunking of assignments. There are no goals or specially designed instruction provided with a 504 plan, and generally, the plans do not require the tracking of data or progress.
Our goal at Purdy Law Office, LLC, is to assist with the collaboration between the parents, students, teachers, and administration in the development and execution of an appropriate plan for the students’ needs, including but not limited to, behavioral plans, related services, and academic supports. We are also certified mediators and prefer a collaborative process to streamline and swiftly implement the supports your child needs. The attorneys at Purdy Law Office are skilled litigators and are prepared to file for due process on the parents’ behalf should a breakdown occur in the collaborative process.
Purdy Law Office, LLC, has a special asset on their team that many law firms do not have. At Purdy Law Office, their Educational Advocate will assist you with case management, attend IEP meetings with you, and will be a lending ear when you feel that you have nowhere else to turn. With her own personal experience of being a parent with a child who had an IEP, the Educational Advocate will provide IEP reviews and guidance on services, accommodations, and modifications that may benefit your child. The Educational Advocate also has experience working with families whose children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Down Syndrome, learning disabilities, and chromosome genetic disorders.
When a higher level of advocacy is required, the attorneys at Purdy Law Office are able to provide that assistance. With their established relationships with local therapists and counselors, the attorneys at Purdy Law Office can help you navigate the special education system by assisting in finding the treatment providers who provide care and diagnoses that may lead to the implementation of services like an IEP or 504 plan. When a stronger push is required, they will attend IEP and 504 meetings, and file for due process if those meetings do not result in an acceptable level of accommodation.
Whether your child needs an evaluation to determine if a disability is present or your child has been diagnosed with a disability and you need help navigating the educational process, Purdy Law Office, LLC, is here for you. They are parents of children with special needs and understand the struggles that you may be facing with your child’s education. Their goal is to advocate for your child’s educational special needs so that you can stay focused on being your child’s parent.