Large Firm Service. Small Firm Attention.
Special Needs Planning
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…
Significant Changes To The New York State Medicaid Programs
By Brian L. Miller, Esq. Recently, there have been significant changes to the New York State Medicaid programs for New Yorkers who are age 65+, blind or disabled. As discussed in our prior blogs, New York passed a law in April 2020 to implement a 30-month (two and a half year) lookback period for all…
New Law Extending Special Education Eligibility in New York
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. This June, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S7866) that allows school districts to extend the eligibility of students with disabilities to receive special education services and programming past the current age of 21 in New York. This law essentially mirrors the law the Governor signed in 2021…
Americans with Disabilities are still Struggling in New York…
By Joel Krooks, Esq. The unemployment rate as of May 2022 is at 3.6%, yet many Americans with disabilities are struggling to find jobs. Typically, in tight labor markets the unemployment rate for people with disabilities and without narrows. However, the gap is unfortunately expanding, and it is becoming more and more difficult for individuals…
Should The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Affordable Care Act, be Enforced?
By Arshi Pal, Esq. In late April 2022, the United States Supreme Court decided Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller, P.L.L.C., [LINK: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-219_1b82.pdf ] which involved Jane Cummings, a deaf and legally blind individual who sought physical therapy services from Premier Rehab Keller, a physical therapy provider. Specifically, Jane requested Premier Rehab to provide an American…
Aging Out of Special Education in New York
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. 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…
The Work of NAMI Westchester is Important
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. Littman Krooks LLP is proud to sponsor NAMIWalks Westchester. Team LK will walk with NAMIWalks Your Way on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. I am honored to lead our walk team – Team LK: Lights in the Tunnel. Our work at Littman Krooks is aligned to NAMI’s work in helping…
A New Crisis Hotline for Mental Health
By Amy C. O’Hara, CELA Starting July 16, 2022, a new crisis hotline will be rolled out for individuals to call that is being touted as the “911 for mental health.” 988 will be the new three-digit phone number that callers can call or text and they will be routed to the National Suicide Prevention…
Questions and Answers about a Student’s Right to Special Education Law and How to Proceed
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. 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…
Should You Refer Your Child with a Disability for OPWDD Services?
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,…