What does a special education attorney do?
Special education attorneys are familiar with the various laws and regulations that govern a child’s rights to special education and can guide you through the process of securing appropriate programs and services that your child may be entitled to by law.
Special education attorneys are useful resources for helping a parent identify his/her child’s specific difficulties because they can refer the parent to psychologists or other qualified professionals experienced in testing and evaluating children with similar difficulties. If you have existing evaluations, special education attorneys will review those documents and advise you about what resources your child may be entitled to and whether further testing is necessary.
Special education attorneys are experienced in litigation, mediation, and negotiation with school districts and can advise you about the benefits and risks of pursuing further legal action.
In sum, a special education attorney is in a position to tell parents what they need to know. Some parents are unaware that they have rights and procedural safeguards and it is a special education attorney’s duty to educate them. Once parents know what their rights are, they can determine how to enforce them.