Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy

Print this page

Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.

Begin your search in the Advocacy Libraries and Law Libraries. You will find thousands of articles, cases, and resources about dozens of topics:

IDEA 2004 l Special Education l Law l Advocacy
Books, DVDs, Websites

New! J. B. D. v. North Carolina - In Custody or Free to Leave? Supreme Court Clarifies Miranda Rights - Supreme Court decision about custody, interrogations, key differences between children and adults, and Miranda warnings for kids.

Newsletter: Subscribe to the Special Ed Advocate.

This issue of the Special Ed Advocate includes Part 1 of the Summer School Short Course. You will learn to use tactics and strategies when you write effective letters to the school to clarify events and what you were told. Next issue - Rules for good letter writing and your first assignment. Summer School Short Course: Advocating Through Letter Writing.

You are Invited ... Visit the Wrightslaw Way Blog. Help us create a unique online community. Recent posts and comments ...

What to Do When ADHD is NOT in the IEP
W & M Law Institute of Special Education Advocacy, April 9-12, 2011
Special Ed Disputes: Litigate, Negotiate, or Mediate?

Special Education / Education
When is PT a "Medical Issue" - and NOT the School's Responsibility?
When Schools Punish Sick Children Who Miss School: A Game Plan
Taking Away Recess as Punishment - Find a Better Way

Special Education / Advocacy
The Art of Writing Letters
Rose's Advice to Parents: Learning Hard Lessons
Teaching a Child to Read: Special Ed or Reading First?

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004)
Legal Requirements of IEPs
Model Forms for IEPs, Procedural Safeguards, Prior Written Notice
What You Need to Know About IDEA 2004

Legal Issues & Decisions
J. D. B. v. North Carolina (U. S. __, 2011) - Where police interrogated a 13 year old middle school student at school but did not give a Miranda warning, U. S. Supreme Court holds that a child's age is relevant to the Miranda custody analysis. Reversed and remanded.

Sumter Sch Dist. v. TH - School district failed to provide a free, appropriate public education to child with autism & failed to provide services in IEP; program provided by child's parents was appropriate. Court cited testimony by ABA-trained teacher about inappropriate instruction by school, and inadequately trained teachers. (4th Cir 2011)

C.B. v. Garden Grove Unified Sch. Dist. (9th Cir 2011) - After CA school failed to provide FAPE, guardian placed child in private program and requested reimbursement. ALJ found that child received "significant educational benefits" only ordered reimbursement for half of tuition because private program did not meet all child's needs. District Court reversed, awarded full reimbursement. School appealed. Court of Appeals affirmed lower court ruling.

Law School Exam - Give it a try. Take the Final Exam that Pete and Pam administered to their students at the William & Mary School of Law. To see one of their students in oral argument in an LRE case, click here.

Free Flyers, Resources, Pubs
IDEA 2004 Resources
Help for College Students with Disabilities Flyer
Need to find an attorney, advocate, tutor, therapist in your state? Visit the Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities

Books, DVDs & Websites

Pete and Pam Wright are Adjunct Professors of Law at the William and Mary Law School where they teach a course about special education law and advocacy and assist with the Law School's Special Education Law Clinic. They are co-authors of several books published by Harbor House Law Press.

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition (ISBN: 978-1-892320-16-2, 456 pages) available in two formats, as a print publication and as a print and e-book combo.

Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition (978-1-892320-09-4, 338 pages)

Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind with Suzanne Whitney (ISBN: 978-1-892320-12-4); includes the NCLB CD-ROM of resources and references.

Wrightslaw: All About IEPs (ISBN: 978-1-892320-20-9, 192 pages) by Pete Wright, Pam Wright, and Sue O'Connor.

Surviving Due Process: Stephen Jeffers v. School Board DVD Video - award-winning documentary, 2 hours.

Pete and Pam built several websites to help parents of children with disabilities in their quest for quality special education programs.

Fetaweb.com, the companion website to Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, has advocacy information and resources to supplement the FETA book.

IDEA 2004 at Wrightslaw provides current information about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). Learn about new requirements for IEPs, IEP teams, IEP meetings, eligibility, evaluations, eligibility for specific learning disabilities, child find, reevaluations, parental consent, accommodations, alternate assessments, transition, and more.

No Child Left Behind at Wrightslaw offers accurate, up-to-date information about the No Child Left Behind Act - research-based instruction, proficiency testing, parent involvement, tutoring and supplemental educational services, highly qualified teachers, and public school choice.

At the Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities, you'll find listings for educational consultants, advocates, advisors, psychologists, diagnosticians, health care specialists, academic tutors, speech language therapists, and attorneys. You'll also find government programs, grassroots organizations, disability organizations, legal and advocacy resources, special education schools, and parent support groups.

Last revised: 07/12/11


COVID-19 Law Advocacy Topics A-Z Training Wrights' Blog Wrightslaw Store Yellow Pages for Kids