Vielbaum Consulting: Special Education Advocacy, IEP Support, and School Placement in the San Francisco Bay Area

A special education consultant helps families understand their child's unique educational needs, navigate services to support those needs, and affirm their educational rights. Every child and family has different needs, but services can range from reviewing and analyzing child assessments, holding strategy sessions with parents to develop advocacy plans, attending IEP meetings to advocate for the child, and much more.

You should consider a special education consultant if you're struggling to understand where to start the process or feel like your child is not receiving support from the school to address their educational needs. A special education consultant can help you put together a plan and, depending on how much support you would like, will work with you hand-in-hand to address all of your child's educational concerns.

Neurodivergent is a broad term used to describe children whose brains learn, process information, communicate, or experience the world differently from what is considered typical. I specialize in advocating for children with autism, ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, learning disabilities, auditory processing disorder, cognitive disorder, orthopedically or visually impaired, and other developmental differences.

In California, submit a written request stating that you are concerned that your child may have a suspected learning disability and are requesting a comprehensive special education assessment. The district must:

• Provide an assessment plan within 15 calendar days.
• Give you at least 15 calendar days to review and sign it.
• Complete the assessments and hold the IEP meeting within 60 calendar days after receiving your signed consent.

Note that timeline days are calculated based on school calendar days.

• An IEP stands for "individualized education plan" and provides specialized instruction, measurable goals, services, and accommodations for a child who qualifies under special education law for an IEP.
• A 504 Plan provides accommodations and support to level the playing field so a student with a disability can access their educational curriculum. It generally does not include specialized instruction or IEP goals.

If you disagree with the IEP, you will need to attach a Parent Addendum to your IEP, detail your concerns, and request an IEP meeting to discuss these concerns. You may also want to contact an educational consultant or special education attorney if you feel your concerns are not being addressed.

FAPE means that students who qualify for an IEP are entitled to a free appropriate public education, including special education services and support, at no cost to their parents.

The least restrictive environment (LRE) means a student with an IEP should be educated with their nondisabled peers as much as appropriate, while still receiving the services and support needed to succeed in accessing their educational program.

My approach is to respectfully advocate for your child's educational rights by encouraging clear communication and collaboration to address unmet needs. Parents should feel comfortable asking questions, flagging concerns, and walking away feeling heard from their IEP team members. My goal is to develop a cohesive team that works together in collaboration to provide the best program for the student.

Yes, I've worked with families across the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond; however I specialize in working on the Peninsula including San Francisco, Daly City, Colma, Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Mountain View, Los Gatos, Cupertino, and San Jose.