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Special Education Advocacy
NYSED Issues Opinion that Students with Disabilities Should Receive Services Until 22
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. The New York State Education Department provided an opinion this summer on extending eligibility for students with disabilities until age 22. NYSED has finally acknowledged that a 2021 Second Circuit decision, A.R. v. Connecticut Board of Education, requires that public schools in New York provide special education and related services…
Steps to take if Your Child Faces Bullying or Harassment in School
By Marion M. Walsh As the new school year begins, parents must be vigilant to report and advocate against any bullying of their child. Student bullying and harassment can be a health risk to students and can impact their education. Bullying has increased in the past years and can have devastating and tragic consequences. For…
The NYCDOE Ordered To Make Changes To Its Implementation Of Impartial Hearing Decisions
By: Arshi Pal, Esq. When a school district fails to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to students with disabilities, parents can file a request for an impartial hearing. Through the hearing, the parents can seek a variety of remedies, including but not limited to; tuition reimbursement, compensatory education, compensatory related services, assistive technology…
What Parents Need to Know about the Special Education Process: 5 to 21
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) protects the rights of students with disabilities and requires the appropriate local agencies to identify, evaluate and refer children suspected of having a disability to determine eligibility for services. The IDEA protects students up to age 21 and in some cases, older. Transition to Committee…
What Parents Need to Know about the Special Education Process for Young Children: Birth to 5
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. When parents suspect that their child may have a disability, the process can be daunting and filled with many emotions. Some parents learn that their child has a disability at or near birth. Others suspect a disability when their child does not meet early developmental milestones. If you or a…
Preparing for Back to School for Your Child with Special Needs in Challenging Times
by Marion M. Walsh, Esq. Preparing for back to school in September always brings hope and a sense of expectation for both students and parents. For the 2022-2023 school year, this remains true. However, it has been a difficult two years for students, who are still recovering from isolation during the pandemic, the adjustment to…
How to Prepare to be a Successful Advocate for Your Child in College
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. It’s that wonderful time of year, when parents are helping their children prepare for college and sending them off. It is also the time to adjust to a new type of parenting and advocacy. By taking careful steps, you can ensure that you remain an effective advocate in your new capacity,…
Office for People with Developmental Disabilities Must Address Staffing Crisis in New York
by Sandi Rosenbaum, Special Education / Special Needs Advocate New York’s Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) will release its long-overdue new Statewide Comprehensive 2023-2027 Strategic plan in November 2022, following feedback and discussion. The draft Strategic Plan has been available since Spring 2022. A plain language version is also available. While OPWDD’s in-person public forums have…
What Services are Available through the Office of Mental Health?
By Sandi Rosenbaum and Marion Walsh, Esq. According to new CDC data (https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0331-youth-mental-health-covid-19.html), in 2021, more than a third (37%) of high school students reported they experienced poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 44% reported they persistently felt sad or hopeless during the past year. Undoubtedly, mental health needs for all increased in…
Students with Disabilities are Granted Extended School Year Services
By Arshi Pal, Esq. Now that summer has started, parents may have questions about the purpose of Extended School Year (ESY) Services and whether your child is eligible. ESY services are services and programming provided to students with disabilities during July and August for approximately six weeks. CSE Determines Eligibility for ESY Services The Committee…
