Special Education Help

When your child needs more support at school, the rules, paperwork, and meetings can be hard to follow. I help North Carolina parents understand and use the process for an IEP under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and for a 504 plan under Section 504.

Meeting Preparation Consultation

$250

• A 60-minute consultation before an IEP or 504 meeting, with a review of one current plan of up to 10 pages: what to ask for, what to bring, and how to respond to what the school proposes.
• Plain-English explanations of your rights as a parent, including your right to see your child's records and to disagree with the school.

Records and Plan Review

$500

• Review of up to 25 pages of your child's school records, evaluations, and current IEP or 504 plan, and a 60-minute meeting to go over the findings.
• Written findings on what stands out and what to raise with the school.

Review Plus One Meeting

$1,000

• The records and plan review, with written findings.
• I attend one IEP or 504 meeting with you by video, up to two hours, followed by a 30-minute debrief.

Additional records, additional meetings, in-person attendance, and travel are not included.

Credit: if you start with the $250 consultation and move up to the $500 review or the $1,000 review and meeting for the same matter within 30 days, the $250 is credited.

You pay these fees yourself. Parents generally cannot recover attorney fees from the school for work on IEP or 504 meetings.

Deadlines

Some special education rights have short deadlines, including for requesting a hearing and in school discipline. If your child has been suspended, expelled, or moved to another placement, or you have received a notice from the school, say so in your first message, so I can tell you quickly whether I can help or where to go.

Who I represent

I represent you as the parent. The school or school district is the other side, and I check for conflicts before I take on your matter.

Not Included

• Due-process hearings, mediation, state complaints, complaints to the Office for Civil Rights, school discipline matters, settlement negotiations, private-school tuition claims, appeals, and lawsuits. If your situation needs one of these, I tell you whether I can help under a separate agreement, or I decline and refer you.