Product Detail

1. Illustrate how to have more focused and meaningful IEP meetings.
2. Demonstrate compliance with both the procedural and substantive requirements of IDEA.
3. Describe how to use the IDEA to work through novel situations that arise at school.
4. Identify how the IDEA can help you build better relationship with parents and colleagues.
5. Outline how to turn the IDEA into a roadmap for student success.
6. Discuss practical tips for dealing with challenging parents of students with IEPs.

IDEA - Purpose/Definition/Background

Initial Contact - The Required How’s, Why’s and What’s Next

• Introductions - ASAP
• Parental preferences & locally required communication methods
• Informal history (from parent)
• Look for Red Flags - especially if transferring
• Review the file - make sure it is complete
• “Receiving school” is on the hook for implementing the same or comparable services, regardless of notice from sending school, so be pushy
• First meeting: identify purpose and date -Is this a 30 day review? A meeting to review evaluations? A meeting to localize the IEP?

Evaluations

• Legal requirement - what does it have to do?
• Emotional components
• Small errors erode trust - don’t spend school’s social capital with nothing to show for it
• What to do when a parent requests an IEE?

Eligibility

• Agenda/Roadmap for meeting, given in advance to all parties
• Recognize emotional process for parents
• Remember social capital - where do you want to use it? Is classification a good place to use it?
• §504 is not a consolation prize
• Common eligibility mistakes

Meeting Management - Advance Notice, Flexible Scheduling, Advocates Experts, Attorneys, IEP drafts, Emails

• Agenda/roadmap
• When consensus isn’t possible - how to agree to disagree & how to disagree without being disagreeable
• Return to first principles
• Avoid predetermination

Practical Tools For:

• Working with other agencies, outside professions and reluctant team members
• Creating a system for administrative tasks - an early investment that will pay off for years
• Finding your inner Miss Manners
• Resisting the silo-ing of special education
• Dealing with emotional meetings

Examples/Case Studies/Small Group

• Doctor’s note demanding an IEP
• High achieving student with mental health concerns
• Transfer student with services you don’t have the capacity to offer
• What do you owe the non-attending student?
• What about RTI - when does it apply?

Maria E. Blaeuer, Esq., is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and Howard University School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. She has been representing students with disabilities almost exclusively since 2007, and has participated in the training of court-appointed special education attorneys in the District of Columbia for the past two years. She has served as a reactor for the last two years at the Special Education Law Symposium at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. Maria taught a continuing education class for teachers on Special Education and the Law, and taught in the paralegal studies program at Howard University. In addition, Maria is studying education policy at the University of Maryland in the School of Public Policy, where her primary research interests are predictors of success for students with disabilities, and how urban school districts implement IDEA.

She is a skilled and hi-energy presenter who has sat at the IEP table in almost every role imaginable; including as a teacher, parent, student and an attorney. She uses case law, guidance from the OSEP and examples from her work as an attorney for students with disabilities to help special educators both understand the relevant law and use it to help students succeed.


Speaker Disclosures:

Financial: Maria Blaeuer maintains a private practice. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.

Nonfinancial: Maria Blaeuer is a member of COPAA.

For U.S. and Canadian customers, a CE test is available for $9.99 USD per participant. International CE rates may vary; please contact our Customer Service at 1-800-844-8260 for more details.

Listed below are the continuing education credit(s) currently available for this non-interactive self-study package. Please note, your state licensing board dictates whether self study is an acceptable form of continuing education. Please refer to your state rules and regulations.

Certificates of Successful Completion may be emailed, faxed or mailed to participants completing the post-test/evaluation and paying the CE fee.

**Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of mental health professionals. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your professions standards.

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners. For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

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Counselors
This intermediate self-study activity consists of 6.0 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline, the certificate of completion you receive from the activity and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements.

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Educators/Teachers
This course consists of 6.0 self-study clock hours. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline, the certificate of completion you receive from this self-study activity and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements.

Illinois Educators:
6.0 ISBE Professional Development (PD) Clock Hours will be made available through Quincy University. Those requesting ISBE PD Clock Hours will need to complete an Evaluation for Workshop, Conference, Seminar, in order to receive the ISBE “Evidence of Completion for Professional Development” form. Instructions and form will be made available under the “Materials” tab. Expires: 06/30/2024.

Indiana Educators: 6.0 Professional Growth Points are available for full attendance of this self-study package per the Indiana Department of Education standards.

Montana Educators: This self-study package is offered for 6.0 Renewal Units. PESI, Inc. is an Approved Renewal Unit Provider with the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

Texas Educators: PESI, Inc., has been approved as a CPE Provider #500-981 for Texas Educators by the Texas State Board for Educator Certification (SBED). This self-study package qualifies for 6.0 CPE clock hours.

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Psychologists
This self-study activity consists of 6.0 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline and the certificate of completion you receive from this self-study activity. Contact us for more information on your state board or organization specific filing requirements.

Canadian Psychologists: PESI, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program. This program is approved for 6.0 self-study continuing education hours. Full credit statement at: https://catalog.pesi.com/page/ceinformation#psychologists

Florida Psychologists: PESI, Inc., is an approved provider with the Florida Board of Psychology. Provider Number 50-399. This product qualifies for 6.0 self-study continuing education credits. Please make sure to bring your license number to the seminar so that we can report your attendance to CE Brokers.

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Social Workers
PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for this self-study course. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2017 - January 27, 2020. Social Workers completing this course receive 6.0 Clinical Practice continuing education credits. Course Level: Intermediate. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to social workers who complete the program evaluation.

Canadian Social Workers: PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for this self-study course. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2017 - January 27, 2020. Social Workers completing this course receive 6.0 Clinical continuing education credits. Course Level: Intermediate. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to social workers who complete the program evaluation. Canadian provinces may accept activities approved by the ASWB for ongoing professional development.

Illinois Social Workers: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the State of Illinois, Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation. License #: 159-000154. Successful completion of this self-study activity qualifies for 6.0 contact hours.

Minnesota Social Workers: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the State of Minnesota, Board of Social Work. Provider #: CEP-140. This self-study course has been approved for 6.0 continuing education hours. A certificate will be issued upon successful completion of a post-test.

California Social Workers/ Counselors/Marriage & Family Therapists/Licensed Educational Psychologists: The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE programs that are approved by other approval agencies, including several that approve PESI and its programs. A full list of approval agencies accepted by the BBS can be found at www.bbs.ca.gov/licensees/cont_ed.html under “Where to find CE Courses.” This intermediate level activity consists of 6.0 clock hours of continuing education instruction.

Florida Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists, and Mental Health Counselors: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. Provider Number 50-399. This self-study course qualifies for 6.0 continuing education credits.

Ohio Social Workers, Counselors, and Marriage & Family Therapists: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage & Family Therapist Board. Provider approval #: RCST071001. Successful completion of this self-study course meets the qualifications for 6.0 clock hours of continuing education credit.

Pennsylvania Social Workers/Counselors/Marriage & Family Therapists: This intermediate activity consists of 6.25 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please contact your licensing board to determine if they accept programs or providers approved by other national or state licensing boards. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to participants who are in full attendance and who complete the program evaluation. Full attendance is required, variable credits may not be awarded per the Pennsylvania State Board.

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Other Professions
This self-study activity qualifies for 6.0 clock hours of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

Disclaimer: **Information obtained in this course should be used within your scope of practice.
**It is your ethical responsibility to report accurate hours to your licensing board.
**All self-study participants must complete and pass (80% or better) a post-test and evaluation prior to receiving a certificate of completion. If you require a copy of the test/evaluation for CE purposes, please print at the time you take the test. Or you may call our customer service department and a copy of your test/evaluation will be emailed to you. Please allow 30-45 days.

Counselors, Teachers/Educators, Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech-Language Pathologists and other Related Service Providers