Special Education – Rights and Responsibilities Conference

Posted by Community College of Philadelphia on September 26, 2016

Community College of Philadelphia’s Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society:

Presents:
1st Annual
SPECIAL EDUCATION – RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES CONFERENCE
9 am to 3 pm – Friday, September 30, 2016
10 am to 12:30 pm – Saturday, October 1, 2016

at Community College Of Philadelphia
1700 Spring Garden Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130

The purpose of this annual conference is to educate and inform Pennsylvania parents, educators and service providers of their respective rights and responsibilities concerning providing additional services, support, programs, specialized placements and/or environments to ensure that all students’ educational needs are provided for. The workshops will include professional development and continuing legal education (CLE) credit opportunities and will introduce and examine the legal and psychosocial issues involved, provide practical assistance and review of IEP documentation with an opportunity to network and discuss “best practices”.

Friday, September 30, 2016
 Registration and continental breakfast – 8:30 AM
Great Hall – S2-19
 Introduction to Special Education (9 AM – 10:30 AM)
Great Hall – S2-19

This general audience workshop will answer the question, What is special education? It will look at special needs vs. gifted education, present general information, provide definitions of vocabulary and offer examples of special education services. The process for acquiring services, eligibility criteria, and an overview of some of the federal, state and municipal laws and governing entities will be explored such as IDEA, ADA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, PA Code, School District of Philadelphia Office of Specialized Services, the State Board of Education, the Bureau of Special Education and the Bureau of Teaching and Learning Support. Moderated by David K. Trevaskis, Esquire; panelists include: Deborah G. DeLauro, M.Ed., J.D., Law Office of Deborah G. DeLauro; Maria Zullo, Access Associate, CCP Center for Disabilities, Office of Educational Support Services; Alex Dutton, Esquire, Education Law Center.

 

Friday, September 30, 2016 continued
 What is Special About Special Education? – 9 AM to 10:30 AM (CLE)
S2-3 Lecture Hall

Under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), Special Education is defined as: “Specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.” This continuing legal education workshop will thoroughly examine the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and how it relates to practitioners, educators and service providers. It will explore the legal responsibilities of each stakeholder as it relates to the IDEA and will define, discuss and examine each of the 13 categories under IDEA: Autism, Deaf or Blindness, Developmental Delays, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairments, Mental Retardation, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairments, Other Health Impairments, Specific Learning Disabilities, Speech and Language Impairments, Traumatic Brain Injury, Visual Impairments. Moderated by Elbert Sampson, Esquire. Facilitated by Patricia A. Hennessy, Esquire, Conrad O’Brien.

 Special Education and the Law: Advocating for Your Child (CLE) –
10:40 AM to 12:10 PM
Great Hall – S2-19

This continuing legal education session reprised from the 2014 Law and Society Week of the Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society, offers a broad look at the current law on special education and how it affects parents, children and educational institutions. Experts in the field will address key developments and answer your questions. Facilitated by Mary Falcone Montgomery, Ed.D. and Joseph Montgomery, Esquire, Montgomery Law.

Lunch – 12:15 to 1 PM Great Hall – S2-19

Friday, September 30, 2016 continued
 Is It a Learning Disability or a Special Need? Plenary and Q&A – 1 – 3 PM (CLE)
Great Hall – S2-19

Learning disabilities involve chronic problems with learning, but not all struggles are symptoms of a disability. Most students have difficulty learning sometimes, struggling with new material is a normal part of the learning process and not always a symptom of learning disabilities. This session will present a panel of professionals that will discuss and answer questions regarding trauma and trauma-informed care; how to recognize effects of sleep deprivation, food insecurity, homelessness, malnutrition, etc., to distinguish between a special need and true learning disability. The panel will present suggested best practices for distinguishing between true emotional, medical, and/or learning disabilities and situational and/or circumstantial behaviors. Moderated by David K. Trevaskis, Esquire. Panelists include: William Miller, M.S., NCC, faculty Behavioral Health/Human Services, Community College of Philadelphia and Emily Resnick, MSW, LSW, University of Pennsylvania Center for Carceral Communities.

Dismissal and distribution of CLE and PD Certificates of Attendance – 3 PM

Saturday, October 1, 2016
 Registration and Welcome – 10 AM
Great Hall – S2-19
 How to Develop a Successful IEP Lecture and Review – 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM (CLE)
Great Hall – S2-19

An IEP (individualized education plan/program) can be a voluminous and confusing document to read and/or prepare. The IEP represents the roadmap to a student’s success in school, and should
never be signed without a prior thorough review and analysis to make sure it is a practical instrument and right for the individual student. The basic tenets of an IEP will be identified, defined
and discussed. Best practices on how to write measureable IEP goals will be presented. Immediately following the lecture, those who have draft and / or existing IEP’s will have the opportunity to review them with a volunteer special education attorney, special education advocate and/or trained paralegal. Others will have the opportunity to network and discuss successful strategies. Facilitated by Mary Falcone Montgomery, Ed.D. and Joseph Montgomery, Esquire, Montgomery Law.

Note: the IEP review does not constitute legal advice and no attorney-client relationship exists unless one is explicitly entered into in writing.

 Networking Forum – 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
S2-3 Lecture Hall

Meet and greet other professionals and take the opportunity to network and discuss successful strategies, challenges and resolutions.

Dismissal and distribution of PD Certificates of Attendance – 12:30 PM