Dan Heffernan, a Newton parent and Super Lawyer in special education law will present on parent and student rights in special education. This presentation includes an overview of special education law, a discussion of IEPs, the responsibilities of the school district, approaches to resolving disagreements or disputes, etc. There will also be time for Q&A.

The Basic Rights presentation helps parents and guardians to understand the legal foundation of all special education services for their children and how to work with their child’s team and the school district. It is the only presentation that the SEPAC is mandated to offer each year. It is strongly recommended that all parents and guardians new to the world of special education attend. The presentation is also helpful for anyone who hasn’t attended it in the past couple of years since new legal rulings and guidelines can change special education law over time. We hope to see you there!

Daniel T.S. Heffernan is a partner with Kotin, Crabtree & Strong and concentrates his practice on representing families of children with special needs in education and civil rights matters. He is a 1987 cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School. From 1995 to the present he has served on the board of directors of the Federation for Children with Special Needs and was board president from 1995 to 2007. He also serves on the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress Education Task Force. Mr. Heffernan has been named a Super Lawyer in special education law every year since 2005 and was named as a Top Rated Lawyer in Education by The Boston Globe. He has two daughters and a son who has Down syndrome.