Free and Appropriate Education Under IDEA with Ashley Barlow, Special Education Lawyer

Season 3, Episode 325,   Apr 30, 11:00 AM

Ashley Barlow, a special education attorney based in Kentucky, joins Wendy Taylor on the podcast. Ashley brings a unique perspective to the discussion, drawing from her experience as a teacher, attorney, parent of a child with Down syndrome, and someone with a physical disability.

Main Discussion Points:
  1. Free and Appropriate Education Under IDEA:
    • Explanation of parents' rights and protections under IDEA, including the right to request an IEE at public expense.
    • Importance of the IEE in ensuring that students with disabilities receive necessary support and services for effective education.
    • District's obligation to pay for the IEE unless the request is proven unreasonable.
  2. IEE Process:
    • Overview of the IEE process, allowing parents to obtain an independent evaluation if they disagree with the school district's assessment.
    • Role of the IEE in providing parents with additional information and perspectives for making educational decisions for their child.
  3. Effective Reading Interventions for Dyslexia:
    • Characteristics of effective reading interventions for students with dyslexia: systemic, explicit, multisensory, and research-based.
    • Discussion on the Orton-Gillingham approach, a structured and cumulative program designed to develop phonemic awareness, phonics skills, decoding strategies, and reading fluency in students with dyslexia.
  4. Individualizing Inclusive Education:
    • Federal mandate for children with disabilities to be educated to the greatest extent possible with non-disabled peers.
    • Importance of tailoring inclusive education to meet the specific needs of each student.
  5. Misconceptions About Inclusion:
    • Addressing misconceptions, such as the idea that inclusion means always keeping a student in a general education setting without considering individual requirements.
    • Importance of assessing each student's needs and providing appropriate levels of support and intervention.
  6. Implementing Inclusive Education:
    • Emphasis on accommodations, modifications, and specially designed instruction to ensure that students with disabilities can access the curriculum and make progress in their learning.
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