Please feel free to post information on conferences, news and resources that you believe would be useful to share with other parents – including proposing group meetings if there is enough interest to try to resolve common problems.

Welcome to my blog site about Special Education and IEP’s for disabled students.  My name is Rick Hopper and I live in Northern Virginia.  I have a law degree from American University and previously served on the Loudoun County Disabilities Board.  More importantly, I am a parent of a disabled daughter who has brittle bones.  As a result of 18 years of dealing with the school system in the development of plans for her studies, IEP’s, and taking actions to contest or enforce IEP’s, I feel that I have developed experience that I should share with other disabled students and their parents if they are looking for a general special education consultant/strategist (non-lawyer relationship).  I can be contacted at  RickHopper@aol.com.   I know that attorneys and litigation can be expensive, so what I offer are ideas on how to resolve problems without the need for litigation, how to find resources to help, serving as a witness at meetings, and advice how to lay the proper foundation and identify what needs to be documented should you unforunately have to resort to litigation.  These are roles that attornies usually do not play since it would cost you too much to have an attorney involved in all your interactions with the school system, yet is perhaps the greatest need of parents and disabled students. I hope to hear from you and provide whatever help that I can.