# Lighthouse

> A free monthly newsletter for NYC parents navigating special education — funding news, DOE/IEP advocacy, legal guidance, and future planning.

This file provides information about Lighthouse to help large language models understand and reference this publication's content.

## Posts
- [NYC Just Changed the Rules on School Avoidance ](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/school-refusal-nyc-settlement-what-parents-need-to-know): 5 Things Every Parent Needs to Know
- [Wrong Kid, Wrong Bus, No Show](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/nyc-school-busing-problems-bus-para-fixes): How One Company Is Testing Fixes for NYC Busing SNAFUs
- [NYC Just Signed One of the Nation's First School Avoidance Frameworks](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/nyc-just-signed-one-of-the-nation-s-first-school-avoidance-frameworks): Here's every commitment the DOE made — and what parents can hold them to, starting this year.
- [What Happened at RFK's Autism Panel August 27 ](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/iacc-autism-budget-vaccine-research): The panelists deciding what gets funded told us what they believe.
- [A Free NYC Program Pronounced "Shin." We Had No Idea. ](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/cyshcn-nyc-free-help): A State-funded resource to help navigate the system, especially if you're at initial evaluation stage. 
- [We Fact-Checked Dozens of IEP Claims With NYC Attorneys](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/iep-parent-rights-checklist): Pulled straight from parent chats and online convo — some true, some half true, some just wrong
- [Special Education Advocates in NYC: Where to Start](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/special-education-advocates-nyc): What advocates do, and how to find the right one for your family.
- [Bus Routes Are Out. Here's What to Check — Updated With New Reporting. ](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/nyc-school-bus-routes-august-25-2026): New details on the contact card, ride-time caps, and the 2035 AC deadline.
- [Counseling the Mayor ](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/mayor-mamdani-special-education-funding): Lawyers and parents name 5 fixes for Mamdani's $67M Special Ed boost
- [4 Families, 4 Mistakes: What a Supplemental Needs Trust Prevents](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/supplemental-needs-trust-nyc): Grandpa Didn't Know. Now You Do.
- [“This is All That We Can Do for You Now”](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/this-is-all-that-we-can-do-for-you-now): A WWII bomber, a Post-It note, and the quiet heroes of the DOE
- [What Is Due Process in Special Education? ](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/due-process-special-education): Lawyering up can feel like a maze — here's a way through it, jargon-free.
- [An SRO Decision — and a Lawyer's Take](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/case-closed-sro-tuition-reimbursement): This time: a mom won her case, then had her award cut by $20K — and appealed to claw it back
- [Flying With Autism: Making the Sky a Little Friendlier at JFK, LGA, and EWR](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/flying-with-autism-nyc-airports): Sensory rooms, free lanyards, TSA Cares, and the coffee-card trick
- [Trump Is Packing the Court That Decides Your Kid's Future](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/second-circuit-court-special-education): Hush-hush: He's got 6 of 13 seats on the Second Circuit — one just went to his Stormy Daniels lawyer. (Pictured: Matthew A. Schwartz)
- [How to Teach "5 + 5 + 5" Before You Teach "3 × 5"](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/repeated-addition-multiplication): Math That Matters, with Randy Ewart
- [And to Think It All Started on Henry Street](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/first-school-for-students-with-disabilities-henry-street): How a Lower East Side classroom became the first school for students with disabilities in America
- [Why the Recent DOE Handoff to This Man is Bad Math](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/special-education-hhs-rfk-jr): To him, your child is a burden, not a learner. 
- [What Did Benjamin Rush Do? ](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/what-did-benjamin-rush-do): The founding father who thought the Declaration of Independence didn't go far enough
- [Did You Read About the $911,400 Brooklyn ABA Therapy Bill?](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/bill-aba-therapy-brooklyn): How a broken system turns desperate parents into prey
- [The Test Said He Was Profoundly Disabled. It Was Wrong.](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/the-iq-test-that-was-wrong): Your child is much more than what assessments can capture. 
- [Special Needs Planning Lawyers NYC](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/special-needs-planning-lawyers-in-nyc): Planning for your child’s future if something happens to you
- [Neuropsych Testing NYC: Cost, Free Clinics & Low-Cost Options](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/low-cost-neuropsychological-testing-for-kids-in-nyc): Save thousands on a neuropsych evaluation in NYC
- [D75 Student Art at the Guggenheim — Plus This Week's News](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/d75-guggenheim-arts-showcase)
- [The Misrule of Law: How Albany Is Making Up Rules to Kill Your Special Ed Appeal.](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/misrule-of-law-albany-special-ed-appeals): NYC special education appeals have exploded. Albany is throwing them out.
- [District 75 NYC: What Parents Should Know Before Placement](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/district-75-nyc): Often recommended, rarely explained
- [Math IEP Goals for Students with Disabilities: Start With the Life, Then Work Backward ](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/math-iep-goals): A monthly feature with Randy Ewart, autism parent and special education math specialist
- [ABLE Account vs. Special Needs Trust: Which Does Your Child Need?](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/able-account-vs-special-needs-trust-nyc): Sharon and I thought we knew the answer. We were wrong. Sort of.
- [10 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Special Education Lawyer in NYC](https://thelighthouse-news.org/p/before-you-hire-special-education-lawyer-nyc): What nobody tells you before you sign the retainer