M. Patton’s Advocacy Corner  Special Education Support for Parents

One of the most important words in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is often overlooked: Individualized. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is exactly what its name implies—an educational plan developed for the unique needs of one student. IDEA was never intended to create standardized supports or blanket approaches for students with disabilities. Instead, it requires schools to understand the individual child, identify their specific needs, and d

When schools think about Section 504, they often think about accommodations or discipline. But the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) takes a much broader view. In its 2022 guidance, Supporting Students with Disabilities and Avoiding the Discriminatory Use of Student Discipline under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (81 IDELR 111), OCR explains that disability discrimination can occur through a school’s policies, practices, procedures, r

What one Kentucky district’s data can teach us about supporting students with disabilities. Every Parent Should Ask This Question Schools have an important responsibility to respond when a student experiences a genuine mental health crisis. Crisis response protocols save lives and are an essential part of school safety. But another important question deserves attention: Are students with disabilities being referred for mental health crisis assessments at rates far exceeding t

When most parents hear the phrase behavioral threat assessment, they assume it is reserved for the rare student who poses a serious danger to themselves or others. But what happens when threat assessments are repeatedly used on students whose behaviors are actually manifestations of their disabilities? That question was at the center of a major investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice involving the Pasco County School District in Florida. The resulting Settlement Agree

One of the most common misconceptions I encounter as a special education advocate is when a student with a disability is actually considered “graduated.” Many parents are told their child is “graduating” at the end of twelfth grade. Others receive paperwork showing a graduation code in the district’s student information system or are told their child is entering “Grade 14.” Understandably, families assume their child’s special education services have ended. But under the Indi

Recent discussions regarding the transfer of federal special education oversight responsibilities from the U.S. Department of Education to other federal agencies have generated significant concern among disability advocates, families, educators, and civil rights organizations. While these discussions are often framed as administrative restructuring, the reality is that special education oversight encompasses far more than educational programming alone. It serves as the primar