General Questions And Questions Specific To Windsor Law LLC

What is special education?

Special education refers to services given to students with disabilities through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, better known as IDEA, from Pre-K through 12th grade. Generally, these services are delivered under an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 Plan?

Both an IEP and a 504 Plan are rights covered under federal law. In general, an IEP is Specially Designed Instruction tailored to meet the unique needs of the student. There is often federal funding attached to the delivery of those services.

A 504 Plan generally just includes accommodations that are delivered under a 504 Plan rather than an IEP.

What is early intervention?

The term “early intervention” refers to services given to very young children with special needs, generally from birth until the child turns three. For this reason, these programs are sometimes called “birth to 3” or “zero to 3.” Services included are speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy, provided either in an office or in the child’s home.

The hope is that these services, provided early, will address any delays in development so that the child will not need services later on. At age three, if a child still needs help, he or she might be referred to the school district for special education preschool. Your pediatrician should be able to refer you to early intervention providers in your area, or you can find your state’s office in charge of early intervention and make the contact directly.

How can I best prepare for an Advisory Consultation?

Our Sarasota staff will walk you through this process. But in general, you will provide the following information 24 hours prior to your Advisory Consultation:

• A completed Intake Form.
• A timeline of all relevant history.
• A copy of any existing IEP or 504 Plan.
• A copy of any prior psychological or educational testing.
• A copy of any Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavioral Intervention Plan.
• A copy of any recent disciplinary records within the past year.

Is there ongoing help and direction from Windsor Law LLC?

Yes. If retained, we will act as navigators for your child by organizing and orchestrating the team and tools that are necessary for your child in order to identify and understand their specific and special needs for achieving academic success. We offer hourly as well as fixed-fee representation.