Carroll Community College

An appropriate education is the right of every child, and students with disabilities are no exception. Federal and state laws guarantee students with disabilities access to education with any necessary services and modifications such that they can learn, develop and ultimately become independent members of the community.

However, these rights are often misunderstood or violated and the involvement of legal counsel becomes the only means of redress for a student. The involvement of attorneys who represent parents as well as school districts in often complicated special education cases may create an opportunity to bring about a lifetime of positive change for the disabled student, his/her family and the school district. As a result, practice in the area of special education law can be personally and professionally rewarding for the practitioner.

Geared toward parents and school district practitioners, whether they are new to special education law or need a refresher in light of major changes to the law as a result of the 2004 Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reauthorization, this course provides a balanced and comprehensive overview of federal and state laws governing the provision of special education in Maryland.

Course materials cover the special education process from initial eligibility of services through conflict resolution including mediation and due process. Suspension/expulsion and restraint/seclusion as well as other student discipline issues are also covered.

View video segments and PowerPoint presentations and read course materials from the live presentation of The ABCs of Special Education Law: Practicing in the Wake of the 2004 IDEA Reauthorization, which was originally presented on June 5, 2007. 

• Learn about the resources and services offered to the public by the Maryland Disability Law Center
• Understand the provisions of the IDEA and certain state laws that provide entitlement to Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for children with disabilities 
• Determine who is eligible for FAPE and who makes that decision 
• Study Response to Intervention (RTI) and the issues associated with those determinations 
• Identify the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team members and understand issues regarding referrals, assessments, evaluations and re-evaluations
• Learn how an IEP is developed and what parents need to know
• Understand the typical provisions of a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) and related issues
• Analyze a typical IEP timeline
• Understand the issues regarding exclusion, seclusion and restraint
• Explore the Manifestation Determination
• Learn about mediation and how it is used when parties disagree
• Discover the components of a resolution session and whose rights are affected
• Study the due process hearing
• Understand the progression of special education through analysis of recent U.S. Supreme Court cases

Course guidelines

Click below to pay for your course. You will receive an e-mail from customer service, which will contain your username and password. You will be able to access your course within 24 hours.

Sign up for LAW006 The ABCs of Special Education Law: Practicing in the Wake of the 2004 IDEA Reauthorization (4 CLE hours) - $200