DePaoli IEP Advocacy

 If your child receives special education and related services, it is required that he/she have an Individualized Education Program (IEP).  The IEP will address your child’s unique abilities and needs and describe how he/she will access the general curriculum.  The IEP should describe how your child learns, how your child best demonstrates what he or she is learning and what teachers and service providers will do to help your child learn more effectively.  As a parent you are a very important part of your child’s IEP team.  You, your child’s teachers and other school personnel will develop an IEP for your child that will be reviewed at least once a year.  We are here to help you through the process at any level needed.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law designed to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Section 504 guarantees certain rights to individuals with disabilities, including the right to full participation and access to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to all children regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. 

Section 504 requires the provision of appropriate educational services, services that are designed to meet the individual needs of qualified students to the same extent that the needs of students without a disability are met.  Essentially Section 504 was designed to “level the playing field,” to ensure full participation by individuals with disabilities.  We will help you "level the playing field" in any way we can.

In some of our cases, the parents have been able to take the reigns themselves after receiving some guidance from DePaoli IEP Advocacy.  Nobody knows their children better than the parents, so we will be more than happy to assist you.  Remember, the goal is to empower the children to advocate for themselves, when the time is right.