The Law Office of Matthew Storey, APC

09/27/2026

09/23/2026

As a parent, you have the right to sign or not sign an IEP when it’s offered. But turning down the entire document usually isn’t the best move. ⚠️

✅ Sign the parts you agree with so those services can start
❌ Don’t sign the parts you disagree with
🔄 Keep working on those items with your IEP team

⚖️ In CA, under IDEA, you can consent to some parts of an IEP while withholding consent from others. Put your disagreements in writing so there’s a clear record of what you’re contesting and why.

💾 Save this for your next IEP meeting and share it with a parent who needs it.

09/18/2026

Moving school districts? Here’s what happens to your child’s IEP 🚚

📍 Moving in-state or out-of-state — the rule is the same

✅ The receiving district must implement the current IEP to the best of their ability, right away

⏰ Within 30 days, the district must hold an IEP meeting

📝 That meeting is to make any necessary updates — not to start from scratch

⚖️ The receiving district can’t just ignore your child’s existing IEP while they “figure things out.”

09/15/2026

📋 What is a Prior Written Notice (PWN)? If your child has an IEP, this is a document you need to know how to spot.

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🔹 What it is: A formal, written letter the school district is legally required to send you anytime it proposes — or refuses — to change your child’s evaluation, services, or placement.

🔹 When it’s triggered: Any proposed change AND any refusal count. Districts don’t just owe you notice when they say yes to something — they owe it when they say no, too.

🔹 Why it matters legally: This isn’t just a courtesy — it’s a legal obligation under special education law. Districts can be held liable for skipping it.

🔹 What it doesn’t automatically mean: A missing or flawed PWN doesn’t automatically mean due process.

🔹 The bottom line: Even with that nuance, a PWN is one of the most important procedural protections you have — it exists so you’re never left in the dark about decisions affecting your child’s education.

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⚖️ Tip: Anytime your school proposes or refuses a change to evaluation, services, or placement, you’re entitled to written notice explaining the decision. Keep every PWN you receive — it builds the paper trail you may need later.

09/14/2026

Service logs: What districts are (and aren’t) required to do. 📋

This is one of the most contentious issues in special education — and most parents assume the rules are stricter than they actually are.

🔹 If a district IS keeping service logs (e.g., for speech), they must provide those logs to the parent upon request
🔹 In California, districts are NOT required to keep service logs in the first place
🔹 This applies to any service — speech, OT, counseling, etc. — not just speech

📋 CA Legal Tip: Unless the IEP specifically requires service logs to be maintained, a district can lawfully provide a service without documenting it in a log. If logging matters to you as a parent — for tracking progress, consistency, or accountability — this needs to be written into the IEP itself. Don’t assume it’s happening in the background.

📌 Save this so you know what to ask for at your next IEP meeting, and share with a parent who needs this info!

09/11/2026

Misconception: Your child’s 1:1 aide must be the SAME person all day. 🚫

We hear this misconception constantly from parents — so let’s set the record straight.

🔹 A one-to-one aide does NOT mean one-to-one person
🔹 Districts CAN rotate different staff members as the aide throughout the day (morning aide, afternoon aide, etc.)
🔹 This is legal — as long as the service is being provided consistently

📋 CA: The only time a district is required to provide the same, singular aide is if the IEP document specifically states that the student must have one consistent person providing that support. If your child’s IEP doesn’t say this explicitly, the district has the flexibility to assign different staff members to fulfill that 1:1 role.

💡 If consistency matters for your child (due to trust, routine, communication needs, etc.), this is something to advocate for explicitly in the IEP language — don’t assume it’s already protected.

📌 Save this for your next IEP meeting and share with a parent who needs to hear this!

08/27/2026

You don’t have to sign your child’s IEP the day of the meeting. 🖊️

IEP meetings can be a lot — new information, a room full of professionals, and pressure to decide on the spot. You have options.

📄 Take the IEP home after the meeting before signing
✍️ Highlight anything you don’t fully understand
📧 Email the team with your questions or concerns
✅ Sign only once you’re confident in what the document says and how it will be implemented

Parents have the right to review the IEP document outside the meeting before consenting to it. Taking that time doesn’t delay services you’ve already agreed to — it protects you from agreeing to something you don’t fully understand.

Save this for your next IEP meeting, and share it with a parent who needs to hear it. 🔖

08/26/2026

🩺 “My child has a medical diagnosis, so they’re automatically entitled to an IEP... right?”

Not quite. This is one of the most common misunderstandings we see from parents and advocates. 👇

✅ A medical diagnosis alone does NOT automatically qualify a child for an IEP
✅ What it DOES trigger is the district’s obligation to assess the student for special education
✅ The district then determines whether the student meets eligibility standards — and those standards are different from a medical diagnosis

⚠️ Important: A student can have a medical diagnosis like ADHD or Autism and still not qualify for an IEP, because the educational eligibility standards look at something different than a medical diagnosis alone.

If your child has a diagnosis, request an assessment; don’t assume the IEP follows automatically. If you have questions about a denial, give us a call ☎️

08/20/2026

🚩 2 signs your child’s IEP might not be working

If you’ve been in more than one IEP meeting, pull up last year’s document and this year’s document side by side. Here’s what to look for 👇

✅ Present levels stay basically the same year after year
✅ Goals repeat — same wording, same targets, little to no progress

If you’re seeing either of these, something’s wrong. An IEP that’s working should show movement — present levels reflecting new data and skills, and goals building on what’s already been mastered.

📌 Present levels of performance (PLOPs) must be updated based on current data at each IEP, and goals should reflect meaningful progress — not be copy/pasted forward. Stagnant present levels and repeating goals can be evidence the program isn’t providing FAPE.

08/19/2026

🌟 Join us for our Back to School Session of The Fundamentals of Special Education Online Class🌟

📅 Date: 8/31/2026
🕒 Time: 6:00 PM
💻 Via Zoom

Back to School is the perfect time to learn/review the basics of special education. We will cover everything from special education eligibility, assessments, placement, advocacy, services, and IEP meetings. Our goal is to make the special education process understandable and help you become a better advocate for your child.💪✨

🔗 Register and share with others who might benefit!

Registration link in our Bio!

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4ZnS4aGNQOKnKS385Yxv4Q