Agenda

1. IDEA or Section 504? Determining Eligibility Under Both Laws

   1. Section 504
      1. What Is a Disability Under Section 504?
      2. Major Life Activities: What Do They Encompass?
      3. Substantial Limitations: What Is the Bar?
      4. Impairment Determinations: What Can and Can't Be Considered?
   2. The IDEA
      1. Eligibility Categories
      2. ADHD and Other Difficult-to-Place Disabilities
      3. Required Need for Specially Designed Instruction
      4. Best Practices for Determining Eligibility
      5. IDEA-Eligible Students With Additional Medical Needs
   3. Handling Disputes With Parents Over Eligibility

2. Developing and Implementing 504 Plans: Ensuring a Level Playing Field

   1. Eligibility: What Should Be Considered
   2. What Accommodations Should and Should Not Do
   3. 504 Accommodations vs. Specially Designed Instruction (and Why It Matters)
   4. Distribution of 504 Plans
   5. Avoiding Modifications
   6. Reviews and Re-Evaluations
   7. 504 Plan Red Flags to Avoid

3. The IEP Development Process: Handling Difficult Issues

   1. IDEA Evaluation Report Essentials
   2. The IEP Meeting: What If Parents Refuse to Come?
   3. Third-Party Participation at IEP Meetings: Outside Agencies, Invited Guests, etc.
   4. Avoiding Predetermination on IEPs
   5. Parent Recording of IEP Meetings: Can Schools Prohibit It?
   6. Ensuring the IEP Team Has All Necessary Members
   7. Creating Measurable IEP Goals and Progress Requirements
   8. Creating a Prudent Paper Trail

4. Key Considerations for Implementing IEPs

   1. Who Should Receive a Copy? What Form Should It Be?
   2. Teacher Training: Necessary Requirements to Ensure Successful Implementation
   3. Progress Monitoring, Documentation, and Reporting
   4. What to Do When IEPs Aren't Working
   5. Mid-Year Revisions
      1. Who Can Make Them?
      2. When Should They Be Made?

5. Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs): Ensuring Best Practices

   1. What IDEA Says About FBAs and BIPs
   2. Who Should Be Involved in the Process?
   3. Meeting Key Evaluation Requirements
   4. How to Use the Information
   5. BIPs and Their Relation to IEPs
   6. Creating BIPs That Are Useful for Staff
   7. Crisis Components and BIPs
   8. Behavior Plans and Section 504
   9. Handling Disagreements With Parents

6. Discipline and Expulsion Essentials Under IDEA and Section 504

   1. Providing Services During Disciplinary Removal
   2. How Manifestation Determination Reviews Apply
   3. Protections for Children Not Yet Eligible for Special Education and Related Services
   4. Changes in Placement
      1. Suspensions and the Ten-Day Rule
      2. Legal Rules Governing Removal or Expulsion
      3. Interim Alternative Educational Settings
   5. Other Available Remedies
   6. Multiple Suspensions and Denial of Free Appropriate Public Education