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Special Education Advocacy

Special Education Advocacy

Department of Education Says Transition Services Must Continue During Pandemic

Government officials remind schools and vocational rehabilitation centers of their duty to help students with disabilities transition into adulthood. The realities of the COVID-19 pandemic are still setting in for some families who have teenage children with disabilities. While the transition from childhood to adulthood can be difficult for many youths, those living with a…

Mother with Special Needs Child Playing in Child's Room
Special Education Advocacy

Home Schooling Your Child: Your Rights and Obligations

By Marion Walsh, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP Every parent in New York State has the right to home school their child and, given the myriad uncertainties presented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, districts are formally offering this opportunity to parents of registered students as an alternative to remote or hybrid instruction. The prospect of…

Father with adult son in park
Special Education Advocacy

Obtaining Advanced Consent in a Medical Emergency for Your Child in College

By Marion M. Walsh, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP The transition to college and young adulthood, while exciting, can be difficult for parents. Parents must not overlook obtaining advance consent from their children so they can have access to important health and educational information—or risk begin left out in an emergency. This is even more important…

Father walking daughters to school
Special Education Advocacy

The Importance of Parental Advocacy for Vulnerable Students as Schools Reopen

By Marion M. Walsh, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP The COVID-19 pandemic has made education more challenging than ever. Schools are re-opening this year in either a hybrid or remote learning plan. In this pandemic, with all the rules on socially distancing and COVID-19 protocols, all involved face unprecedented uncertainty and stress. Yet the pandemic has…

Special Education Advocacy

The Challenges of Obtaining Services for Children with Special Needs During the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Studies show that approximately 90 percent of a child’s brain development occurs before the age of five. For children with learning disabilities or other special needs, these early years are crucial. Early intervention, sometimes even before a child has a diagnosis, can be extremely effective. As one special education expert explained, “If you miss that…

Special Education Advocacy

The 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

By Marion M. Walsh, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP This week marks 30 years since the passage of the ADA. The ADA means much more than building ramps and construction compliance.  The law protects the rights not only of those who are born with a disability, but of those who develop a disability, whether a mental…

Education
Special Education Advocacy

What to Expect on Learning in the Pandemic for the 2020-21 School Year: A Current Update

By Marion Walsh, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP Guidance, plans and recommendations for reopening schools in the fall seems to change daily and every decision is fraught with pitfalls. As of today’s date, formal guidance from the New York State Department of Education (NYSED) for fall reopening is due out this week. NYSED  provided a Framework…

Special Education Advocacy

OPWDD Rallies

By Sandi Rosenbaum, Special Education Advocate, Littman Krooks LLP Will everyone be free on Independence Day? As COVID-19 cases have dropped and New York has opened up, region by region, people with developmental disabilities have been left out. The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) has not updated its March 24…

Special Education Advocacy

Announcing A Plain-Language Resource on Police Violence

By Sandi Rosenbaum, Littman Krooks LLP People with disabilities, particularly mental or developmental disabilities, are often injured and sometimes killed in the course of their interactions with police.  A number of police forces, particularly in Westchester County, have begun to train new recruits in awareness of these disabilities; that the presentation of individuals with these…

Special Education Advocacy

Important News: Governor Orders that Special Education Services May Be Delivered in Person During Summer Term

By Marion M. Walsh, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP Finally, after months of parental advocacy, Governor Cuomo, on Friday, June 5, 2020, signed a new Executive Order, No. 202.37.  The Order states that school districts may provide required in-person special education services during the summer term. It is essential to act now to advocate for your…