Special Education

Each founding member of Adams Silva & McNally has provided special education representation to California’s school districts.  Our attorneys are skilled in the art of balancing the ongoing relationships school districts have with the students and families in their special education programs, while remaining strong advocates for their school district clients.  The attorneys at Adams Silva & McNally have provided exceptional special education legal representation at all stages for more than 16 years and are capable of handling all of your special education legal needs.  Some of their work includes, among many other things:

Proactive Support

Properly training and equipping your staff can be an effective way to avoid disputes before they arise.  To that end, we provide proactive support to our clients and all special education staff.  In addition to our various training programs and workshops, we:

  • Advise school districts in the creation and establishment of innovative programs for special education students, such as dynamic assessments and regaining regional programs
  • Professional development
  • Day-to-day consultation and case analysis
IEPs

We are prepared to assist in all areas of the IEP process, including procedural and substantive compliance.  We are also available to assist in the following areas and others:

  • Evaluation and child find
  • FAPE compliance
  • Placement and related services
  • IEP team meeting planning and preparation
  • IEP team representation
  • Post-IEP actions, including prior written notices
Disputes

We regularly represent school districts at every level of the dispute resolution process, from initial discussions with parents through, and including, federal court appeals.  We have also litigated issues of first-impression, such as providing special education services to incarcerated adults and appeals of special education due process hearing outcomes.  For example, we regularly assist and represent clients through, among many other things:

  • Files review and case analyses
  • Resolution sessions
  • Mediations
  • Witness preparation
  • Consultants and expert witnesses
  • Due process hearings
  • Federal court appeals