2005 SPECIAL ED ADVOCACY CENTER ANNUAL
REPORT
2005 was the Special Ed Advocacy Center's 1st full
year as an institution dedicated to ensuring that children with
disabilities in the Chicago area receive all appropriate educational
services provided under law.
Between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005, the
Special Ed Advocacy Center assisted 357 families by answering intake
calls and representing parents and caregivers; conducted a dozen
educational seminars at parent support group meetings, Centers for
Independent Living and other disability groups; and attended numerous
resource fairs for law students, teachers and the special needs
community.
The Special Ed Advocacy Center continued to work on
its seven major objectives in 2005:
-
Providing free legal services to low-income parents
and caregivers of children with disabilities seeking to obtain appropriate
educational services for their children;
-
Answering intake questions from parents and caregivers
of children with disabilities on issues concerning special education
law;
-
Conducting educational conferences, lectures and
seminars;
-
Creating an informational website;
-
Creating educational brochures and manuals;
-
Creating an advisory committee comprised of parents
and caretakers of children with disabilities as well as some current
and former special education students; and
-
Offering legal internships and volunteer positions
to help train special education advocates.
Providing Legal Services
Since May 2004, the Special Ed Advocacy Center ("SEAC")
has provided free, competent legal advocacy and representation to
parents and caregivers who might not otherwise receive legal representation.
The SEAC focuses its services on parents and caregivers whose income
is at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.
The SEAC focused on the substantive and procedural
aspects of special education law, and on a broad range of lawyering
skills. The SEAC's work encompasses factual investigation; extensive
document review (Individualized Educational Plans ("IEPs"), school
and medical records, and team assessments); drafting correspondence,
complaints and pleadings; attending meetings; contacting and interviewing
expert witnesses; conducting research; preparing memoranda of law;
and handling the general disposition of cases.
The SEAC's clients were obtained through outreach
to PTAs, parent groups, child advocates, resource organizations,
private practice special education attorneys, teachers, school administrators,
churches and other religious organizations, as well as numerous
community groups throughout the Chicago area.
The SEAC attorney and volunteer attorneys answered more than 200
questions from concerned parents and caregivers of children with
disabilities such as:
-
How do I get an IEP for my child?
-
Do I have to allow the school to perform IQ testing
on my child?
-
How can I get the school to test to see if my child
has autism?
-
What can I do if the school tested my child for
special education eligibility without my consent? What happens at
the initial IEP meeting?
-
How can I make the IEP team follow the IEP?
-
What can I do if the school wants to change my child's
classroom?
-
How will the change in definition of "specific learning
disability" effect my child?
-
How do I know that my due process claim is "not
without merit" or "frivoulous"?
-
Which school district would give my child the best
special education services?
-
What should I do if the IEP team will not return
my phone calls and emails?
-
Should I let the IEP team do a Functional Behavior
Assessment on my child?
-
How do I know if I should file for due process?
-
How does mediation work? " Can I audiotape an IEP
meeting?
-
What can I do if the school no longer feels my child
needs special education services?
-
How can I get the IEP team to give my child appropriate
educational services?
-
What can I do if my child's reading level is regressing?
-
How do I get the IEP team to listen to me? " What
are transition services and how do I get them for my child?
Conducting Educational Conferences
In addition to providing free legal services, the SEAC sought to
educate parents, caregivers, and school personnel concerning their
mutual rights and responsibilities. The SEAC's staff conducted educational
conferences free of charge with the intended purpose of transforming
the complex area of special education law into simple, understandable
language that parents and other non-attorneys can utilize. Additionally,
the forums allowed parents and caregivers to ask questions concerning
special education law and teaches parents and school personnel how
to work together both cooperatively and effectively.
The SEAC's staff gives speeches, provides public comment, author
articles for periodicals, author letters to the editor, and engages
in dialogue with the general public so as to enhance general awareness
and understanding of issues concerning the special education students
being served in Illinois schools. The SEAC conducted educational conferences,
gave interviews, and participated in resource fairs with groups including
the following:
March
- Parents As Advocates - Resource Fair (Elburn) (March 12)
April
- Special Kids, Special Families (Buffalo Grove) (April 27)
- Rockford Parents Autism Support Group (Rockford) (April 28)
- Lake County Center for Independent Living Resource Fair (Mundelein)
(April 28)
May
- Interview with Daily Herald Newspaper published May 22, 2005 (Palatine)
July
- Disability Parade (Chicago) (July 23)
- August
-
- Chicago Tribune News and Education Teacher's Resource Fair (Chicago)
(August 5)
September
- Interview with cable access show Everyday Democracy that aired
in more than 30 municipalities in Cook and DuPage Counties during
September 2005 (Palatine) (September 13)
October
- Asperger Support Group (Rolling Meadows) (October 11)
- Interview with ABC-7 Television Reporter Karen Meyer to be aired
January 5, 2006 (Palatine) (October 14)
- Public Interest Employers Reception - Loyola University Chicago
School of Law (Chicago) (October 18) "
- Special Kids, Special Families (Buffalo Grove) (October 19)
- Piercing It All Together (Fairview Heights) (October 29)
November
- Inner-City Teaching Corps (Chicago) (November 15)
- Lake County Center for Independent Living (Mundelein) (November
16)
Creating a Website
The SEAC's website operates as a free public resource and information
center for issues concerning special education law. In 2005, the SEAC
added a web log (blog) that provides for a dialogue between parents
of children with disabilities and attorneys specializing in special
education law.
The website will continue to be expanded to include educational brochures,
manuals, informational articles, copies of press releases and links
to other special education resources.
Creating Educational Brochures
In 2005, the SEAC's staff continued to design and distribute free
educational brochures and manuals.
Creating an Advisory Committee
In 2005, the SEAC began to create an Advisory Council comprised of
parents and caregivers of children with disabilities, school representatives,
doctors, child psychologists, speech and occupational therapists,
and social workers.
Offering Legal Internships and Volunteer Opportunities
In 2005, the SEAC had two interns and eight volunteers who assisted
the SEAC staff in ensuring that children with disabilities in the
Chicago area receive all appropriate educational services provided
under law.
Leadership and Staff
2005 Board of Directors:
- President: Ms. Terry Pastika
- Vice-President: Ms.
- Secretary: Ms. Bethany Thompson
- Treasurer: Ms. Michele Fugger
- Director: Ms. Jill Dressner
Staff:
Ms. Jill M. Dressner, Executive Director/Attorney at Law
Support, Contributions and Donations
The SEAC's financial support came from individual donations and grantmaking
foundations. In addition, the SEAC received support from corporate
contribution programs in response to formally submitted proposals.
The SEAC would like to thank the following foundations for their
support during 2005:
- The Illinois Bar Foundation
- Donald P. and Byrd M. Kelly Foundation
- Office Max
- Colonel Stanley R. McNeil Foundation
The SEAC would also like to thank all our generous individual donors.
Special thanks to Tracy J. Dressner for donating a new desktop computer.
The SEAC complies with all record-keeping and filing requirements
mandated by state and federal law. Our corporate records are available
for inspection at our office and are on file with the appropriate
governmental agencies. The SEAC does not release the names of our
individual donors nor do we sell our mailing list to other groups.
The Special Ed Advocacy Center welcomes your contributions. Please
give if you can. For further information about the SEAC, please contact
us at: SPECIAL ED ADVOCACY CENTER 1935 South Plum Grove Road PMB #274
Palatine, IL 60067 Phone (847) 736-8286 Fax (847) 397-7011
-
|