Enhance your special education law training
with Institute Symposiums

Section 504’s broad reach, both legally and practically, can raise plenty of questions. Be curious like George and follow the clues. Attorney David Richards is your guide through the legal jungle of key requirements districts must meet under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act with no monkeying around. You'll examine the clues, delving into where curiosity meets compliance: If a student is ineligible for an IEP, are they automatically eligible for a 504 plan? Does 504 eligibility guarantee accommodations? What does an effective 504 plan look like? Beginner or expert, this Section 504 boot camp will build your confidence as you navigate the process from start to finish. From child find and eligibility determinations to leveraging evaluation data for a legally defensible plan and monitoring implementation, you’ll gain practical strategies to strengthen compliance. Bring your thinking cap — or yellow hat!

You don't need hulking muscles to educate students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment and in an appropriate placement. But to conquer this fundamental aspect of the IDEA without turning green with frustration, educators need to channel their inner Bruce Banner and develop a clear understanding of what placement and LRE standards actually require. Attorney David Hodgins will give you the practical formulas and real-world illustrations needed to smash through barriers to legal compliance and fulfill your responsibilities to students with disabilities under the IDEA. Crumple frivolous due process complaints by drawing on appropriate data and proposing placements that correlate with a student's disability-related needs.

A student is failing classes, engaging in disruptive behavior, and frequently leaving the classroom. The response is often predictable: “Let’s refer the student for special education.” But is the student manifesting a disability, or is he suffering the impact of trauma, chronic absenteeism, cultural differences, or unmet mental health issues? More importantly, does he require specially designed instruction? Determining eligibility under the IDEA and Section 504 requires careful consideration of how the student’s educational needs can be met. Attorney Darnell Henderson sets you up for success in making one of the IEP team's most consequential decisions. Through recent case law, guidance, and real-world scenarios, Darnell will examine difficult eligibility determinations, multi-tiered systems of supports, child find, and common mistakes to ensure an epic eligibility determination that withstands scrutiny!

When are students' behaviors caused by, directly and substantially related to, or a direct result of their disability? You don't need to be a Dragon Warrior to answer this question. Attorney Lorie Gerkey covers the black-and-white legal requirements under the IDEA for the manifestation determination review, when an MDR is required, what scrolls of data should be reviewed, and how to analyze that data to determine if the student's conduct violation is "caused by" the disability. She'll demystify what the IDEA says about functional behavioral assessments and behavioral intervention plans so you can return to your district with lessons for group discussions and answers to common questions regarding the provision of an MDR. You’ll also leave with practical tools and strategies to support your teams in achieving kung fu-level confidence when navigating complex MDR decisions.

Have you ever looked at a student’s IEP goal and thought, “Great Scott! This doesn’t pass the Stranger Test!”? While you can't use a time machine to fix past mistakes, this electrifying session gives you the formula to craft appropriate IEP goals in the future. Join attorney Deborah Ettinger as she showcases how to use assessment findings, present levels, and baseline data to calculate a student's destination. She also breaks down progress monitoring — the key to keeping students on course toward their annual goals. By examining common pitfalls, actual examples, and a practical "Goal Handbook," Deb equips your teams to write clear, measurable goals that anyone can understand. After this session, you won't need a flux capacitor to ensure students make meaningful progress!

Explore the wizarding world of parent communications with attorney Ron Stadler and learn how to respond to difficult or litigious parents, protect staff from constant attacks, ensure IDEA procedural compliance, and insulate your district from denial-of-FAPE claims. Go home with practical pointers to take back control of parent meetings, regulate discussions, and magically restore effective communication. Ron will impart how to keep the conversations student focused. Always.