Tami Kuipers MCA Spedlaw

04/21/2026

Matt Cohen & Associates Did you know that we have both attorneys AND advocates on staff to assist you? Call us to discuss your IEP or 504 plan questions. Elizabeth Hooper MCA Spedlaw Christine Palmieri MCA Spedlaw Jill Calian MCA Spedlaw Kim Milburn MCA ADA Law

04/21/2026

Spring is a great time to get ready for that next school year and make sure your IEP is in good shape.

In our office we frequently review IEPs. Often, we raise deficiencies in these goals in the due process complaints that we file on behalf of our clients. Defective goals can form the basis of a claim that the district failed to provide an appropriate educational program. The most common flaws in these goals are that they are immeasurable, lack baselines, or are compound in nature. A group called Special Education Community posted this helpful checklist of IEP issues that I've pasted below. I'd add one more to this list: goals that are not sufficiently ambitious. We sometimes see goals that simply set the bar too low, for example, requiring a student to achieve a skill that is barely beyond what the student has already mastered. Other objectives may allow for an excessive amount of adult prompting, or set mastery criteria that are not rigorous (e.g., 60% accuracy in 3/5 opportunities). Goals that are not rigorous do not meet the standard set in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. As the Supreme Court said, "[an] educational program must be appropriately ambitious in light of [the child's] circumstances.... the goals may differ, but every child should have the chance to meet challenging objectives." Our children deserve no less.

03/23/2026

For years, many women with ADHD were overlooked, misdiagnosed, or misunderstood.
Jane Indergaard, DNP, RN, a member of the editorial advisory board for CHADD’s Attention magazine, explores how growing awareness—and emerging research on hormones, treatment, and brain function—is helping women finally connect the dots.
A diagnosis doesn’t define you. It explains you. And that understanding can change everything.

For years, many women with ADHD were overlooked, misdiagnosed, or misunderstood.

Jane Indergaard, DNP, RN, a member of the editorial advisory board for CHADD’s Attention magazine, explores how growing awareness—and emerging research on hormones, treatment, and brain function—is helping women finally connect the dots.

A diagnosis doesn’t define you. It explains you. And that understanding can change everything.

🎧 Listen now

https://podcasts.CHADD.org/e/we-ve-come-a-long-way-advances-in-adhd-care-for-women/

03/23/2026

COPAA Files Amicus Brief in the Eighth Circuit Regarding the Correct Standard for the Provision of a FAPE for Students with IEPs.

In February, COPAA filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in D.L. v. Omaha Public Schools in support of the family of a child with a disability. The brief urges the court to reverse the decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska because the district court created and applied a lower standard for a free appropriate public education (“FAPE”) that directly conflicts with the FAPE standard required by the U.S. Supreme Court in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. You can read the amicus brief here. -https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.copaa.org/resource/resmgr/docs/2026_docs_/25-3407_documents.pdf

COPAA Legal Director Selene Almazan and COPAA Amicus Committee Co-Chairs Ellen M. Saideman and Catherine Merino Reisman wrote the amicus brief. The family is represented by Amy Bonn, COPAA member.

In D.L., the school district placed a young child with autism in a self-contained classroom that was described by school staff as “chaotic” and where the district failed to implement her Individualized Education Program (“IEP”). The student was repeatedly physically harmed by another student and became afraid to go to school.

The district court stated in its decision that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) requires “only reasonableness” with respect to providing FAPE to students with disabilities and found that the district had provided the student a FAPE under that standard. As COPAA argued in its brief, the district court misstated the IDEA’s FAPE obligation—which requires, pursuant to Endrew F., that school districts offer and implement an “IEP reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances”—and that the school district failed to provide the student with a FAPE.

ALT - Government Justice Court Symbol text read Amicus Brief

03/23/2026

📢 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐁𝟓𝟔𝟎𝟓 — 𝐖𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮, 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬!
HB5605 — the Community Supported Living Arrangement Services Act — is heading to a committee hearing on Wednesday, March 25. We need to show strong support NOW.
Go to www.SupportTheComplex.org.
⏰ 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐚𝐭 𝟖:𝟎𝟎 𝐀𝐌

There are 3 simple ways to help:
✔️ 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐩 (𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓): https://qr.link/udD8Za
→ Select “Record of Appearance Only”

✔️ Share Your Story (written testimony)
→ Select “Written Testimony” or share your story after submitting a slip.
💡 Already submitted a slip? You can still share your story!

✔️ Speak at the Hearing (oral testimony)
→ Email IPACDD@gmail.com to coordinate

Every witness slip counts and helps determine if this bill moves forward. Without this service, too many individuals with complex needs are left without a real option to live safely in their homes and communities.

Please share—every voice matters.

03/23/2026

Some parents and policymakers are growing skeptical of the value of education technology.

💻 Read more: https://edw.link/997fa5

02/24/2026

"Rights are only meaningful when enforcement exists."

The Education Department dismissed nearly every discrimination complaint — likely including many based on disability — all while spending millions to fire staff charged with investigating such cases.

02/19/2026

Individuals with dyslexia do not all read or spell words backward. Parents, teachers, and other loved ones may not recognize signs of dyslexia until struggles at school or work start to emerge. But the fact is that many dyslexic telltale signs begin appearing long before.
👉 https://www.additudemag.com/unlikely-signs-of-dyslexia/

02/19/2026

Do you know what apps your kids are using?

Staying informed on your kids’ digital activity is key to helping them stay safe online. See our list of social media and apps to be aware of at https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/social-media-apps-sites-commonly-used-children-teens.

02/19/2026

IEP CHECK UP
Is your child's IEP giving them all they need? Does it have the right goals, objectives, and evaluation procedures? Do the services and accommodations provide all they are entitled to? Reach out to us at 866-787-9270 or contact Tami Kuipers, tami@mattcohenandassociates.com.