As any parent of a child with a disability can confirm, special needs affect students' educational experience. Whether a child needs help to hear or see their instructors clearly, assistance with physically navigating their environment, or hands-on management of any challenges that make traditional classroom learning a challenge, accommodations are often necessary before children with disabilities can benefit from the quality educational experience that they deserve. Unfortunately, the following processes can be stumbling blocks on the way to a meaningful solution to such issues:
- Formalizing a disability diagnosis in ways that a school or district will recognize
- Identifying which accommodations are necessary
- Convincing a school or school district to grant those accommodations
- Enforcing a child's accommodations consistently
- Modifying accommodations as a child's needs evolve
Navigating a school or district's particular disability procedures can also be challenging, as every institution handles these matters a little differently. Thankfully, whether your child is enrolled in Waukesha or Racine, Cedarburg or Brown Deer, Shorewood or Whitewater, we know how your child's unique school district operates. Connect with our team today by calling 888-535-3686 or by contacting us online to learn about how the compassionate Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm can help.
When Greater Milwaukee Students Need Some Extra Help
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction recognizes 12 distinct special education disability categories. Some children are entitled to specific legal and educational protections due to one of these categories, and some are entitled to accommodations due to more than one designation:
- Intellectual Disability
- Emotional Behavioral Disability
- Significant Developmental Delay
- Speech and Language
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Autism
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Blind and Visually Impaired
- Deafblind
- Specific Learning Disabilities
- Other Health Impairment
Once a disability is diagnosed, the first step that parents and educators usually take together in order to meet that child's educational needs and safeguard their rights in enforceable ways is to create an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). More than 120,000 schoolchildren in Wisconsin benefit from IEPs on any given day. That means that approximately 14% of Wisconsin's 867,800 public school children benefit from IEPs. Whether your child is educated in the tiny Norris School District or in the vibrant maze of Milwaukee Public Schools, if they are in need of an IEP, they are in excellent company.
An IEP, however, can only be effective if it is thoughtfully structured, strictly enforced, and informed by each child's unique needs and circumstances. This is where many parents, unfortunately, run into trouble. They set up an IEP for their child only to recognize over time that it isn't being adhered to, their child's needs are evolving past its provisions, and/or it wasn't as informed as it needed to be in the first place. Sometimes, schools even fail to recognize that a child with a disability needs accommodations or fail to grant reasonable accommodation requests.
Thankfully, parents are legally empowered to seek legal guidance during the IEP drafting and modification processes, and attorneys skilled in special education matters know how to get results. Whether your child needs a solid IEP crafted from scratch, their current IEP needs to be modified to better meet their needs, or their school district isn't honoring their end of things, the knowledgeable Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm can help.
Good Trouble
Sometimes, parents hesitate to seek accommodations for their children, to modify existing plans, or to push back in the face of resistance on the part of educators. This is understandable. Many parents know firsthand that advocating for their children can be a risky business, and that even the most well-informed and well-intentioned efforts can lead to negative outcomes. Yet, the stakes of a child's educational experience are so high that it is often necessary to kick up a little dust in order to make sure that they have access to what they need to thrive. Otherwise, their well-being and future opportunities could become compromised in ways that are undeniably difficult to repair.
Thankfully, parents don't have to manage the process of seeking meaningful accommodations for their children with disabilities alone. Working with a dedicated legal team with extensive experience in special education legal matters can transfer the weight and risk off of a parent's shoulders and onto the back of a professional who is committed to serving a child's interests effectively.
It is also important to understand that when our Student Defense Team advocates on behalf of students, even when we have to push back against resistant educators, we never escalate a situation unless it is absolutely necessary to do so. We pride ourselves on our skilled negotiation tactics, our willingness to dialogue in ways that educators respond to, and our dedication to seeking amicable solutions whenever possible. Although we will go to the mat aggressively if the situation requires it, we understand that students and families need to work with educators on a daily basis, and that any animosity stirred up when resolving challenges can negatively impact their experience. Advocating for a child with disabilities is sometimes a risky task. But with knowledgeable guidance and support, it doesn't have to be too risky.
Legal Assistance Is Available
Although the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team benefits from practicing nationwide, we have truly seen and navigated “it all” – we also take great pride in understanding the unique ins and outs of how special education law impacts K-12 students in Southeastern Wisconsin. If your child needs help, it will be our privilege to advocate for their rights. Whether your child needs a brand-new IEP to thrive in the Whitefish Bay School District or their current IEP isn't working for them in the School District of Elmbrook, we will do our utmost to resolve their situation favorably, both efficiently and effectively.
Your child's educational experience affects their development, their immediate well-being, and will affect their access to future opportunities. Getting their situation “right” could not be more important. Connect with our team today by calling 888-535-3686 or by contacting us online to learn more about how we can help. We look forward to working with you and your child.
