Terms you may encounter along the way.
Brief definitions to accompany the resource center’s explanations.
IEP
- Individualized Education Program. The document describing an eligible student’s special-education program and services.
IEP team
- The team that participates in decisions about the student’s IEP and educational placement, including the family.
FAPE
- Free appropriate public education. An individualized educational standard under IDEA.
Prior written notice
- A written explanation of certain actions an agency proposes or refuses concerning a student. It is more than a meeting invitation.
Causation
- The connection that must be shown between conduct and the claimed harm. Timing alone does not always establish it.
Expert witness
- A professional with specialized knowledge who analyzes or explains matters beyond ordinary knowledge. The disputed issues determine whether one is needed.
Limitation period
- A legal time limit for pursuing a claim. Its start, interruption, and possible exceptions require individual analysis.
Discovery
- A litigation process for obtaining relevant information and records; it may include written questions and depositions.
Deposition
- Testimony under oath taken outside trial, often as part of discovery.
Settlement
- An agreement resolving a dispute. Its scope, payments, and releases should be understood before acceptance.
Start with the intake review.
Initial consultations are free and strictly confidential, by videoconference. Every meeting requires completing Clio Grow intake first and receiving confirmation from the office.