About the Special Education Clinic/Helpline
The promise of the federal special education law is not being fully realized. The quality of education students with disabilities receive is too often inadequate and many are unnecessarily segregated from their non-disabled peers, denying them the development of the social skills and relationships they need to move eventually from school to life in the community.
Parents of students in special education (as well as those of students with disabilities in regular education) need to be informed and active partners with the school to ensure their students get the education they need. Parents can turn to the Special Education Clinic/ Helpline for timely, accurate, up-to-date information about their students' rights, their own rights and responsibilities, and legal advice and alternative options that they should consider to get differences with the schools resolved. Once parents have a basic understanding of the schools' legal obligations in a specific situation and are given strategies to use in advocating for their student with school personnel, the vast majority can get the problem resolved without further involvement of attorneys.
Helpline
The Helpline hours are Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Messages can be left on the Special Education Clinic/Helpline voicemail at any time and all calls will be returned. The Helpline empowers parents to advocate effectively for their children. The Helpline provides self advocacy assistance, fact sheets, sample forms, sample letters, referrals, and information to accomplish this goal.
Legal Advocacy
When brief assistance, through the Helpline, is not successful and further intervention is necessary, the Special Education Clinic/Helpline may offer extended assistance if resources are available. In some circumstances, direct legal representation at critical school meetings, negotiations, due process administrative hearings and court may be available.
Contact Information:
Special Education Clinic/Helpline
20 N. Michigan, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60602
(866) KIDS-046 (After May 15, 2007)
(312) 341-0022 Se Habla Espaņol ASL
(800) 537-2632
(800) 610-2779 (TTY)
(312) 341-0295 (Fax)
specialed@equipforequality.org
