A Autism
A.A.C. Augmentative
& Alternative Comm
ADA Americans
with Disabilities Act
ADE Arizona
Department of Education
ADHD Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder
ALJ Arizona
Law Judge
APE Adaptive
Physical Education
A.R.S. Arizona Revised Statutes
ASD Autism
Spectrum Disorder
ASL American
Sign Language
AzEIP Arizona
Early Intervention Program
BIP Behavior
Intervention Plan
C.F.R. Code of Federal Regulations
DD Developmental
Disorder
US DOE United States Department of Ed
DP Due
Process
DSM-V Diagnostic
& Statistical Manual-5
ED Emotional
Disability
ESY Extended
School Year
FAPE Free
& Appropriate Public Education
FBA Functional
Behavior Assessment
FERPA Family
Education Records Privacy Act
GAD Generalized
Anxiety Disorder
HI Hearing
Impairment
IAEP Interim
Alternative Education Program
IAES Interim
Alternative Education School
ID Intellectual
Disability
IDEA Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act
IEE Independent
Educational Evaluation
IEP Individualized
Education Program
ISS In-school
suspension
LEA Local
Educational Agency
LOS Level
of Service
LRE Least
Restrictive Environment (Placement)
MD Multiple
Disabilities
MDSSI Multiple
Disabilities with Severe Sensory Impairment
MDR Manifestation
Determination Review
MET Multidisciplinary
Evaluation Team
MIID Mild
Intellectual Disability
MOID Moderate
Intellectual Disability
ODD Oppositional
Defiant Disorder
O&M Orientation & Mobility
OAH Office
of Administrative Hearing
OCR Office
of Civil Rights
OHI Other
Health Impairment
OI Orthopedic
Impairment
OSEP Office
of Special Education Programs
OSS Out-of-school
suspension
OT Occupational
Therapy
PEA Public
Educational Agency
PT Physical
Therapy
RED Review
of Existing Data
RTC Residential
Treatment Program
SEA State
Educational Agency
SLD Specific
Learning Disability
SLI Speech
& Language Impairment
SLP Speech
Language Pathologist
SLT Speech
Language Therapist
SPED Special
Education
TBI Traumatic
Brain Injury
U.S.C. United States Code
VI Visual
Impairment
VR Vocational
Rehabilitation (Voc Rehab)
Kirsch-Goodwin & Kirsch, PLLC
Kirsch-Goodwin & Kirsch Education Attorneys
(serving students throughout Arizona)
480.585.0600
www.azspecialeducationlawyers.com
The purposes of [the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)] are—to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living… 34 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Sec. 300.1.
Who we are:
Lori
Kirsch-Goodwin, Esq., is a 35+ year litigation attorney whose practice is
devoted to education and special education matters on behalf of students and
their families. Lori has a Bachelors
degree from Syracuse University and her law degree from Bridgeport (now
Quinnipiac) University. Lori began
advocating for special needs students when her own son, now 30 years old, was
found eligible for special education when he was in Kindergarten. Lori is regularly involved in eligibility and
IEP meetings, MDRs, disciplinary due process hearings, OCR, IDEA Due Process,
and DDD appeals. She is admitted to
practice in state and federal courts in NY, NJ and AZ, and the 9th Circuit, and
is an AV® Preeminent rated attorney (5.0 out of 5.0) and served for several
years as a Judge Pro Tem for the Superior Court of Arizona. Lori prevailed in a case before the 9th
Circuit Court of Appeals that involved appropriateness of a school’s selection
of location of a school for a student on the spectrum.
Hope N.
Kirsch, M.A.(Ed.), Esq., is a licensed special education teacher and 30+ year
attorney. She practices special education law with her sister, Lori
Kirsch-Goodwin, at Kirsch-Goodwin & Kirsch, PLLC, representing K-12 and
higher education students throughout Arizona in school-related matters
including advocacy, Due Process, 504s, OCR, discipline and bullying. Hope was a special education teacher and
coordinator in the New York City public schools for 18 years where she worked
with the most challenging populations and supervised and trained teachers in
teaching strategies, curriculum development, writing IEPs and behavior
management. She has a Bachelors degree
in special education from Boston University, a Master’s degree in special
education from NYU, 30+ post-graduate credits in educational supervision and
administration, and her law degree from Brooklyn Law School. She is admitted to the state and federal
district courts in New York, New Jersey, Arizona and the 9th Circuit Court of
Appeals. Hope was instrumental in the
passage of the first legislation in Arizona addressing restraint and seclusion
and is currently involved in expanding that legislation. She is an AV® Preeminent rated attorney, and
served for several years as a Judge Pro Tem for the Superior Court of
Arizona.
