Special Education Law
LAW 740 | 2-3 Hours
This course examines the law governing the education of children with disabilities in public school. Focusing primarily on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students will learn the ins-and-outs of the special education process, from Child Find to due process. Topics include timely identification and nondiscriminatory evaluations; the meaning of a free appropriate public education (FAPE); placement decisions and the design of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); judicial approaches to least restrictive environment (LRE); appropriate implementation of IEPs and procedural safeguards; resolving educational disputes under the IDEA; and the IDEA in private schools, including parentally-placed students and equitable participation. The course will also cover special topics arising under federal civil rights law, such as the use of restraint and seclusion, the role of Section 504 plans, and physical and other accessibility issues.