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:
