IEP meetings are supposed to be about your child, yet too often they feel like a test you are set up to fail.
You may be:
- Leaving meetings in tears or furious, with no clear plan
- Hearing “let us wait and see” while your child falls further behind
- Being told “we do not offer that” without any real explanation
- Wondering what your child is actually entitled to receive
While under the surface sits a deeper fear we know all too well:
“If I get this wrong, my child will pay the price.”
How Doug Helps Parents Regain Control
Doug has sat in IEP meetings as a teacher, an autism dad, and an attorney. That mix matters. Ways he helps families include:
- Reviewing IEPs, emails, and evaluations to see what is really going on
- Explaining your child’s rights in plain English so you know where you stand
- Preparing you for IEP meetings with clear goals and questions
- Attending meetings when needed to push for clarity and appropriate services
- Advising on next steps when the district refuses to move
The focus is on meaningful progress for your child, not just getting through the next meeting.
Why Doug?
Before he became an attorney, Doug spent years in the classroom as a teacher, witnessing the shortcomings of the education system firsthand. After shifting his career path to law, Doug’s first years in law were spent on the parent side of special education. As a law clerk and young associate at a firm that represented families, he observed IEP meetings, participated in Due Process Hearings, and helped parents argue for services their children needed and were entitled to under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Doug then came to gain an even deeper understanding through lived experience when his own son was diagnosed with autism. Over the course of a decade, Doug and his wife navigated multiple school districts, endless meetings, and a full range of placements and services, from the least to the most restrictive environments. He worked with educators, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and service providers, learning how state and federal rules intersect with the realities of classrooms and the limits of school district resources.
Walking that path as a parent changed him. He learned what it feels like to sit on the other side of the table, to fight for services and watch your child struggle, and to carry the constant fear that they might fall between the cracks. It gave him an intimate understanding of how administrative decisions, paperwork, and delays translate into the daily life of a child and a family.
Now, with years of litigation experience layered on top of that lived journey, Doug has a different view of what advocacy should look like. He wants to spend the next decades of his career helping families and children obtain the services they need, in a way that acknowledges both the legal requirements and the very personal stakes involved.
A Simple Guide for Parents & Families
If you are not ready to bring in legal support, start by getting informed and organized. Below are a few resources you will find that can help you take the next step:
A child qualifies for special education in California when they have a qualifying disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and that disability adversely affects their educational performance to the point where they need specialized instruction. California recognizes 13 disability categories including autism, specific learning disability, emotional disturbance, and speech or language impairment. Eligibility is determined through a multidisciplinary assessment conducted by the school district, which must be completed within 60 days of receiving parental consent. If you disagree with the district’s eligibility finding, you have the right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation at district expense.
Preparation before an IEP meeting in California significantly affects the outcome. Review the current IEP and note any goals your child has not made adequate progress on. Request all recent assessments and progress reports at least a week in advance. Write down your specific concerns, the services you believe your child needs, and any questions about placement. Bring a support person, an advocate, or an attorney if the issues are contentious. Avoid signing the IEP at the meeting if you have reservations — California law gives you time to review and respond, and signing can waive your right to challenge what you agreed to.
A California school district cannot unilaterally remove or significantly reduce services without going through the proper IEP process, which requires giving you advance written notice of any proposed changes and an opportunity to participate in the IEP meeting where those changes are discussed. If the district reduces services in ways you have not agreed to, that may constitute a denial of Free Appropriate Public Education. You have the right to file a complaint with the California Department of Education or request a due process hearing to challenge the change. The district must maintain your child’s current services during any dispute resolution process unless you agree otherwise.
A due process hearing is a formal legal proceeding before an administrative law judge where parents and a California school district present evidence about a dispute over a child’s special education services, placement, or eligibility. It is the most formal level of dispute resolution available under IDEA and is appropriate when the district has refused services your child clearly needs, when informal resolution and mediation have failed, or when your child has been denied a Free Appropriate Public Education over a period of time. In California, a special education due process hearing request generally must be filed within two years from the date the party knew or had reason to know of the facts underlying the request, subject to limited exceptions. Due process hearings are formal and often adversarial, and representation by an attorney can help protect procedural rights and present the strongest possible case.