By Littman Krooks LLP In the past few years, there has been a lot of confusion as to when students with disabilities age out of public education with their school district.  Students with disabilities have been among the hardest-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, whether they have missed crucial opportunities to fulfill  academic or vocational requirements. …

By Littman Krooks LLP After two years of living in a pandemic, many parents may wonder if their child has a learning or emotional disability or special needs.  For some children, parents know about the challenges at birth or in early childhood.   For other parents, they may not suspect a disability until a child is…

By Sandi Rosenbaum, Special Education/Special Needs Advocate Some students who receive special education services are indistinguishable from their typical peers once the school day is over. Others have physical, medical, or neurodevelopmental differences that affect their lives, and those of their families, every day. They require far more supervision and support than their same-aged peers,…

By Littman Krooks LLP The Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education (“OCR”) has delivered a Report on the disparate impacts of COVID-19 on students in K-12 and in higher education, Education in a Pandemic: The Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 on America’s Students (“Report”). Not surprisingly the Report concludes that the impact…

by Arshi Pal, Esq. The pandemic has been a real eye-opener for many parents. As we transitioned to remote learning, many parents became part-time instructors to ensure that their children engaged in instruction and completed assignments. Many parents witnessed firsthand the struggles their children were having with paying attention, completing assignments, understanding concepts and communicating…

By Littman Krooks LLP In 1990, Congress officially established the first full week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week.  The week runs through Sunday, October 10, which is World Mental Health Day. Mental Illness Awareness Week assumes more relevance today than ever, due to challenges raised by the pandemic and increased isolation and mental…

By Littman Krooks LLP As the school year begins, school districts in New York State will be examining new policies on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and parents should be aware of these policies.  As a first step, in April 2021, the Board of Regents released a draft Framework on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in…

By Sandi Rosenbaum, Special Education / Special Needs Advocate As schools reopen in the coming weeks, all have worries about the COVID-19 virus and its highly transmissible Delta variant. School administrators continue to plan for the safety of students and school personnel and develop new policies and protocols amid continuing concerns about the COVID-19 virus…

By Littman Krooks LLP While school districts will likely continue in-person learning this Fall, many school districts and private schools may mandate masks for both staff and students. As of Tuesday, July 27, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated its Guidance for K-12 schools across the country. The CDC now recommends all…

By Sandi Rosenbaum It is important for parents and students to understand when the entitlement to special education ends.  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that states must provide a free appropriate public education to all students with disabilities residing in the state between the ages of 3 and 21, inclusive. While many…