May 2026:

The MLO Minute: “‘Spring Forward’ in Special Education” — 

By Dennis McAndrews, Esq., Founder and Managing Partner Emeritus, and Alison Kahney, Esq., Attorney in the Special Education and Estates and Trusts Departments — 

We all recognize the saying of “Spring Forward, Fall Back” with regard to setting our clocks in the spring and fall for daylight savings time and standard time. But the concept of “Spring forward” also has importance for children in the special education system and their families.

Spring is a critical time to assess and plan special education programs and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for several reasons. First, at this time of year, nearly a full school year of progress (or lack of progress) can be measured and examined for future programming. If a child has made meaningful educational progress toward achieving IEP goals during the current school year, optimistic but achievable goals must be carefully developed going forward for the next school year. Second, if current IEP goals have not been attained and/or meaningful progress has not been achieved, additional assessments will likely be necessary to determine the reasons for these deficits so that specially designed instruction can be adjusted and intensified going forward as necessary. This assessment can be completed through additional standardized testing or rigorous curriculum-based assessments by classroom teachers and relevant therapists. Of course, the sooner these evaluations are completed, the better the chances of an IEP being revised before the end of the current school year or at least in advance of the upcoming school year so that the child can “hit the ground running” when the next school year commences.

We serve special education students and their families every day to address the needs of children with disabilities. Our initial consultation is free, and the majority of our cases are handled on a contingency basis whereby families are not expected to pay our hourly charges.