Bright Path Advocacy

12/28/2025

This is a great breakdown of why consultation before the RED meeting is critical. Under IDEA, decisions about evaluation areas and assessment tools determine the scope of the evaluation and directly impact eligibility and services. These early decisions shape every step that follows.

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas from Beau, Bright Paths mascot. ❤️

12/25/2025

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12/20/2025

This is a great opportunity to learn how to prepare for the future. Thank you Missouri Disability Empowerment Foundation and Nolan Law Firm for putting this together.

So many of us live in fear of what will happen to our child when we are no longer able to care for them. We're hosting a free information session with attorney Patrick Nolan to help families understand their options and the need to plan ahead.

Register: https://bit.ly/48E0Lsk
Donate to MoDE so we can continue offering opportunities like this: https://www.comogives.com/story/q0h9yf

12/19/2025

This bill would give a louder voice to the most valuable member of the IEP team, the parent. Please support this bill.

HB 2304 seeks to require parental consent for certain types of large changes to an IEP. Why is this such a big deal? Check out these stories and let us know if you're willing to volunteer during the legislative session to help us pass this bill into law!

12/18/2025

Don't miss this!

✨ 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻, of Dragan Law Firm, LLC one of St. Louis’s most trusted civil attorneys and a fierce advocate for children with disabilities. Diane brings 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 to our community — and her passion is deeply shaped by her own journey as a mother navigating the school system.

On 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵𝘁𝗵, she is joining us for a 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 during PNO Night to empower families with the tools they need to understand IEPs, FAPE, and their child’s educational rights.

This is a rare chance to learn from someone who has stood in the courtroom, the conference room, and the parent chair — and has fought tirelessly on behalf of our kids.

If you’ve ever felt confused, overwhelmed, or unheard in an IEP meeting… this night is for you. 💛

𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄!

12/11/2025

This is coming up more and more

12/10/2025

Family of student with autism wins in the Fifth Circuit in Extended School Year case

On November 21, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit handed down a victory for a student with a disability. You can read the Fifth Circuit decision in North East Independent School District v. I.M. here.

In this case, the parent of a student with autism sought full-summer extended school year services (“ESY”), among other relief, to prevent her son’s documented regression during school breaks. The parent prevailed following a due process hearing, the school district appealed, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas affirmed.

The school district appealed the district court’s decision, and the parent again prevailed, with the Fifth Circuit finding that because the school district refused to offer full-summer ESY services, the student’s Individualized Education Program (“IEP”) was insufficiently individualized and the district therefore did not provide the student an appropriate education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”). The Fifth Circuit noted that the school district had known the following: the student regressed during school breaks, he benefited from ESY services, half-day summer ESY services for only six weeks was too short a time period given the student’s needs, and the interruption of IEP services during breaks caused the student to regress. Specifically, there was clear evidence that he had regressed in toileting skills and experienced an increase in dangerous elopements following school breaks. The court also determined that the student’s behavioral regression outweighed the academic benefits of his IEP.

Family of student with autism wins in the Fifth Circuit in Extended School Year case., along with the Texas Organization of Parent Attorneys and Advocates represented by COPAA member, Roy Atwood, submitted an amicus brief to the Fifth Circuit in support of the family. The brief was authored by COPAA Legal Director Selene Almazan and Amicus Committee Co-Chairs Catherine Merino Reisman and Ellen Saideman.

�https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.copaa.org/resource/resmgr/docs/2025_docs_/24-50833,_north_east_v._i.m..pdf

ALT - Government Justice Court Symbol text read Amicus Brief

12/05/2025

Another great cause to help kids!

Help Us Continue to Provide Free Advocacy Clinics to Parents Across Missouri. A Donation of $50 or more can assist with the costs of setting up these clinics for families who can't afford an advocate. Donate today and. your donation will be double matched: https://www.comogives.com/story/q0h9yf

12/02/2025

In 2017, a small group of determined moms united by a shared struggle – the fight for literacy for their children with dyslexia. Driven by a fierce love for their kids and a burning desire to ensure their educational rights within the local public school district, we embarked on a journey that wou...

12/01/2025

L2L is honored to sponsor four students at Girls Inc. in Chattanooga. The story behind why this matters from one of our members is below.

One of the greatest and often underappreciated gifts that one can possess is literacy. The ability to comprehend what you are reading is crucial for daily life and function. While this skill is probably obvious and overlooked for some, for others it's a daily struggle. I experienced this firsthand, as someone who has struggled with dyslexia I’ve been fortunate to overcome the severity of my struggles with resources such as tutoring, which aren’t always available to others due to their financial situations and income. While I’ve been able to receive help, through volunteering I’ve seen so many others struggle.

After school, I would volunteer at an underprivileged after school daycare called Girls Inc. When I was volunteering at Girls Inc. after school, I met with girls all over town, each with different financial struggles and stories. Before we were able to play with the girls and participate in activities such as tag, puzzles and Legos, we needed to help them with their homework first.

For some girls homework was a daily battle, as they struggled with learning disabilities. One particular girl always struggled. She was going into the fifth grade and was unable to write her name or any word unless someone wrote it first, for her to copy it. I also pulled out a children's book, and she couldn’t even read the two sentences on every page. At first, I thought she was attempting to get out of her work to play, but after talking with her, she had a desire to learn to read and write, but she was at a severe disadvantage due to her learning differences.

Ultimately, while this story is incredibly sad, it's one of many all over the nation. Resources such as Lifeline2Literacy make it possible for children everywhere regardless of their financial situations to receive the help they deserve. Because, truthfully, at the end of the day, everyone deserves to read and write, for their overall function and success in society and the world.