Understanding Important Special Education Court Rulings with Attorney Rebecca Diddams

The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) calls for “Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)” that is tailored to an individual’s needs.

Yet what does that really mean from a legal perspective?  What are its limits?

Over time, the courts helped define the boundaries of the IDEA through various cases. Today, I speak with Attorney Rebecca Diddams about two specific court cases: Timothy W. v. Rochester and Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. These cases helped set a standard for what services a student with more severe needs is eligible to receive.

Summary Blog Post (Coming soon)

We take the recorded interview and sum it up for you.

Bio

Rebecca Diddams

Attorney

Rebecca Diddams, Esq. received her bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Justice Studies from Arizona State University, and her Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law.

During law school, she began interning with the Lanterman Regional Center’s Special Education Law Clinic in Los Angeles, CA, working as an advocate for families of children with developmental disabilities. After law school, she continued with the law clinic as a fellow and grant recipient from the Department of Developmental Services to reduce disparity in access of services. She has been working towards this goal by providing multilingual training to families, social workers, and community members about Special Education law and families’ rights.