Informed Parents Are Their
Children’s Best Advocates!

I help parents navigate the world of special education and Section 504 school accommodations with training, advocacy and troubleshooting. If your child is struggling in school due to learning, mental health or attentional issues, has been denied an IEP or 504 plan, or the existing one is not being followed, I offer support, clarity and tools for helping you fight back. I am not your traditional special education lawyer who mostly sues for private school tuition; I work with you from the very beginning to educate and empower you to be your child’s best advocate. 

I draw on my experiences teaching special education, enforcing the anti-discrimination laws in school districts as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, and co-founding the Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS), a highly diverse and innovative middle school. As a parent of two public school students, I know how frustrating it can be to get your child’s needs met in New York City.

Regardless of where you are in the process, I am here to help you understand the system and most importantly, help you get your child the support in school they are legally entitled to.

I work on an hourly basis and create affordable packages specific to each client.

 
 

 Disability

Understanding your child’s rights
I understand how mystifying the process can be for parents trying to get their children support in school. My expertise, guidance and advocacy can help you cut through the many roadblocks put up by the system. 

If your child has a condition that qualifies as a disability, you may be legally entitled to accommodations in school through an IEP or 504 Plan. These are legal documents filled with terminology and bound by specific federal and state requirements. The more you understand all of these details, the sooner you can help your child get their needs met well and quickly. 

Interpreting the terminology 
IDEA, CSE, FAPE, LRE, ICT, IEP, 504?!?

What does it all mean? I will make sure you understand everything from evaluation to implementation. 

Breaking through obstacles 
I will empower you to support your child by demystifying the legal requirements, breaking through bureaucratic obstacles and interpreting clinical information to make a strong case for getting powerful, legally binding accommodations in school. I can help behind the scenes or advocate for you directly in IEP and 504 meetings, mediations and/or agency complaints. My goal is to help you get the services and accommodations your child needs without having to go through a lengthy and frustrating hearing.

 

Sex

If you or your child has experienced sexual harassment or different treatment on the basis of gender, sex or sexual orientation in a public or charter school or college or university, I can help. I have investigated many complaints of gender and sex discrimination for the Office for Civil Rights and was the Title IX Deputy Coordinator for Brooklyn College. I also offer engaging and interactive trainings for staff and students on the federal and state requirements for addressing and preventing discrimination on the basis of sex in educational institutions.

 

Race &
Ethnicity

If your child has experienced harassment or different treatment on the basis of race or national origin at school, whether in admissions, discipline or access to advanced programs such as gifted and talented or AP classes, I can help. I also handle cases of racial or ethnic discrimination in higher educational institutions.

 

I can help
you if…

Your child is experiencing difficulty in school due to mental health challenges, medical conditions, ADHD or learning issues.

You need help figuring out where to start trying to get the school to modify the environment.

All the confusing terms make your head spin!

You have been asking the school for help with no luck.

You have been told that your child’s grades are too high to get services.

You have been told to get a private evaluation for your child to understand what is going on with them.

Your child’s IEP or 504 plan not helping.

You need someone to help you communicate with the school or attend meetings.

You hit a roadblock trying to get services at school but want to avoid a hearing.

You need help choosing a public or charter school that can serve your child’s needs.

You are a college or graduate student who needs help getting accommodations for a disability, such as learning as a learning or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or mental or physical health challenge.

You or your child have experienced different treatment or harassment due to gender, sex or sexual orientation in a public or charter school or college.

Your child has been disciplined more harshly than others because of race, sex or ethnicity.

Services I Offer:

  • Assistance requesting evaluations from your school, including independent neuropsychological evaluations. 

  • Guidance in seeking a private neuropsychological evaluation, and support obtaining reimbursement for private evaluations when possible.

  • Coordination with private evaluators to obtain compelling recommendations for school-based services. The right recommendations can be game-changers in getting children legally-binding services and accommodations on IEPs and 504 plans. 

  • In-depth preparation for IEP and 504 meetings. IEP’s have many layers that can be hard to understand, including management needs and goals. You will learn how to build your argument for creating sophisticated IEPs and 504 plans that serve your child’s best interest - and what to do if you and the school disagree. 

  • Assistance seeking formal behavior plans at school, and representation in disciplinary proceedings for children with disabilities.  

  • Representation at IEP/504 meetings. 

  • Support following meetings to clarify and strengthen key components of draft plans developed. 

  • Behind-the-scenes assistance in communicating with your child’s school to ensure full
    IEP/504 implementation.

  • Drafting of and representation in mediation/administrative complaints. 

  • Assistance obtaining compensatory vouchers for tutoring or related services. 

  • Support navigating the school choice process to identify schools best suited to meet your child’s IEP/504 needs. 

  • Assistance deciding when to seek private school tuition reimbursement.

  • Support obtaining accommodations in higher education or testing (such as College Board exams) for a disability, such as learning or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or mental or physical health challenge.

 
 
“Miriam Nunberg helped us navigate the IEP process by empowering us with knowledge and tools when we were so overwhelmed. She gave us practical and wide-ranging advice, and ultimately, helped us get our son the services he needed to be successful in school. The effects of her gifts are lifelong!”
— L. L., Brooklyn Mom