APPROPRIATELY AMBITIOUS

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Appropriately Ambitious

2 days ago
3 min

IEP Meeting Survival Tips

As the weather warms (hopefully), thoughts turn to Spring. For parents of students with disabilities, this means IEP Season, the time of...

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Mar 9
6 min

How to Respond to "That Parent"

I am “that parent.” My clients are “that parent” (or “that grandparent”). You know who I mean – the parent of the student with special...

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Feb 8
4 min

4 Quick Tips for a Better IEP Meeting

2021 is well under way, for better or worse! In the special education world, we are about to enter “CSE Season” or the “IEP Zone.” This...

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Jan 1
3 min

4 Quick Inclusion Resolutions for 2021

It's cliché to call 2020 a year of challenge and change, but it's true! Students with disabilities (and those who support them) were...

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Dec 1, 2020
4 min

IDEA @45 - Progress & Possibilities

This past Sunday marked a milestone for special education law. On November 29, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed the Education for All...

Is Mask-Wearing "Covered" by Special Education Law?

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Nov 3, 2020
3 min

Is Mask-Wearing "Covered" by Special Education Law?

For students across the country, wearing a mask has become part of the everyday school routine. In one sense, this is "good" news - as...

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Oct 19, 2020
2 min

Home Sweet Home?

You may have seen this article about two students in Central New York being "exited" from their public school after the school discovered...

Pay Attention! ADHD & Special Education Law

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Sep 16, 2020
3 min

Pay Attention! ADHD & Special Education Law

Students with "invisible" disabilities often face misinformation, misunderstanding, and misjudgment. Perhaps the most common "invisible"...

What if Remote Learning Didn't Work for My Student?

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Aug 10, 2020
4 min

What if Remote Learning Didn't Work for My Student?

It's no secret that remote learning was not successful for many students this past spring. Even though educators and parents often made...

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Jul 23, 2020
5 min

Back to School?

This is usually the time of year when stores roll out their big "back to school" sales. 2020, of course, has been different. Instead of...

Supreme Special Ed - What Does the Court Say?

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Jun 18, 2020
4 min

Supreme Special Ed - What Does the Court Say?

The Supreme Court made big news (& history) Monday with its ruling on employment discrimination, with more major decisions to come early...

Two Minute Tip for a Better IEP: Stopping the Summer Slide

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Jun 13, 2020
2 min

Two Minute Tip for a Better IEP: Stopping the Summer Slide

Teachers, therapists, and parents can spend an entire school year helping a student with special needs make progress, only to see skills...

A Private Chat - Private School as an Option for Students with Disabilities

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

May 28, 2020
5 min

A Private Chat - Private School as an Option for Students with Disabilities

Many parents of students with disabilities think about alternatives to public school. Some seek a faith-based education for religious...

Two Minute Tip for a Better IEP: With a Little Help from My Friends

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

May 21, 2020
2 min

Two Minute Tip for a Better IEP: With a Little Help from My Friends

"Friends multiply joy and divide grief." Cicero What are your most significant school memories? Probably not basic fractions, but...

Two Minute Tip for a Better IEP: One BIG Special Ed Myth you Need to Know

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

May 14, 2020
2 min

Two Minute Tip for a Better IEP: One BIG Special Ed Myth you Need to Know

"Half the truth is often a great lie." - Ben Franklin. Parents of students with disabilities may hear a half truth when they push for...

Parents of Students with Disabilities - Unsung Pandemic Heroes

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

May 7, 2020
5 min

Parents of Students with Disabilities - Unsung Pandemic Heroes

After 9/11, we celebrated first responders who rushed into danger to help others. In recent years, it has become customary to thank...

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Apr 30, 2020
4 min

DeVos's Decision

On Monday April 27th, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos issued a report to Congress regarding special education laws and the...

Patrick G. Radel, Esq.

Apr 29, 2020
2 min

I became a special education lawyer at 9:03 am on February 1, 2006, when my son Mark was born.

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