We strongly believe that we must set the highest expectations possible for our children and then give them the tools necessary to achieve these goals. Of course, not every objective can be achieved by every child, but goals and expectations can always be changed. If we do not offer challenges to children, we will never know what they are capable of achieving. This philosophy applies to every child, no matter what their unique circumstances may be. Unfortunately, School Districts fail each day, over and over again, when they set unnecessarily low expectations for special needs children. To me, this is a terrible injustice.

It has been proven that with the right program in place, children with disabilities can make significant progress, often far beyond expectation. This “right program” includes the four Cs:

Competent Providers are teachers, therapists and other practitioners thoroughly trained in the methodologies which the child is best able to learn;

Consistency of Program is the teaching methods and behavioral strategies utilized uniform throughout the child’s program

Continuity of Services are the same teachers and other providers working with the child on a regular and ongoing basis; and

Comprehensiveness of Program is the program broad enough to allow the child to meet the highest possible expectations.

School Districts, although providing a public function, are still driven largely by budgetary constraints. These financial limitations are often prioritized over the needs of our children. However, that approach is just plain wrong. Our children have legal rights and should be entitled to all of the services they need without consideration of a School District’s budget.

That is the essence of my role as an education law attorney; to advocate for your child to ensure they are able to meet the challenging expectations established for all regular education students to the maximum extent possible.