Let's Talk Sped Law

Patricia Howey has supported families of children with disabilities since 1985. She has a specific learning disability and became involved in special education when her youngest child entered kindergarten. Pat has children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who have a variety of disabilities and she has used her experience to advocate for better special education services for several of them.
Pat is a charter member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), serving on its Board of Directors from 2000 through 2003. She has been a Commissioner on the Tippecanoe (County) Human Relations Committee, a graduate of Leadership Lafayette and Partners in Policymaking, and a member of the Wrightslaw Speakers Bureau. She has been on the faculty of the College of William and Mary Law School’s Institute of Special Education Advocacy since its inception in 2011.
Pat has an A.S. and a B.A. in Paralegal Studies from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, where she graduated magna cum laude. She is an Indiana Registered Paralegal and an affiliate member of the Indiana Bar and the American Bar Associations.

Pat began her advocacy career as a volunteer for the Task Force on Education for the Handicapped (now InSource), Indiana’s Parent Training and Information Center. In 1990, she opened her advocacy practice and served families throughout Indiana by representing them at IEP meetings, mediation, and due process hearings.

In 2017, Pat closed her advocacy practice and began working on a contract basis as a special education paralegal. Attorneys in Indiana, Texas, and California contracted with her to review documents, spot issues, draft due process complaints, prepare for hearings, and assist at hearings. In January 2019, she became an employee of the Connell Michael Kerr law firm, owned by Erin Connell, Catherine Michael, and Sonja Kerr. Her duties have now expanded to assisting with federal court cases.

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As we all come to grips with the new temporary norms across our country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that we understand and fully appreciate the impact this outbreak is having on special education and related services to our students with disabilities and their families. It is absolutely essential that families make informed decisions about the educational wellbeing of their children with disabilities by consulting with their local education agency. It is also equally important that families know their child’s rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) during this crisis situation, including their potential rights to compensatory education (“comp ed”).

What is Compensatory Education?
Is Your School District Closed, Open or Available for E-Learning?
How is Compensatory Education Calculated?https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/qa-covid-19-03-12-2020.pdf

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In this episode, we discuss the importance of how a multidisciplinary evaluation can help to more fully inform your child's IEP placement and programming needs with guest speaker, Dr. Chris Bogart, owner and Co-Director of Sasco River Center LLC located in Fairfield County, CT.
Dr. Bogart is licensed clinical psychologist who has worked in both the private and public sectors for the past twenty-five years, Dr. Bogart works with children, adolescents and parents, conducting comprehensive psychoeducational and AD/HD evaluations as well as therapy services. He also provides program consultations to local schools, as well as supervision to doctoral students in psychology. Dr. Bogart serves as the Board President of the Board of Trustees of Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities; as a member of the Board of Trustees for New Canaan Country School; and as a member of the Advisory Board for the Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education.
Prior to co-founding the Sasco River Center, Dr. Bogart held various clinical positions including staff psychologist at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City and Director of Psychology at the Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg, New York. While serving as director, Dr. Bogart organized and administered an American Psychological Association approved externship training program for clinical psychology and social work graduate students. He supervised staff psychologists on children’s and adolescent inpatient units and he devised a hospital-wide behavior modification program for the children. Dr. Bogart has provided numerous classes, lectures and training programs on various topics such as parent education, executive functions assessment and coaching, psychological testing, and stress management. He has also conducted research studies in various areas including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Social Skills Training, and depression in children.
Dr. Bogart received his undergraduate training at Georgetown University and received his doctoral degree from The American University in 1986.
For more information, visit: https://sascoriver.com/

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Katie Curra SLP, Founder of Kids Language Center
Speech and language pathologist, Katie Curra, is the founder and owner of Kids Language Center in Cos Cob, CT. In this episode, we talk about how speech and language services are assessed and evaluated as well as implemented within an IEP. We also talk about the importance of having your child's school SLP evaluator work closely with the rest of the school team. Lastly, we talk about when to recognize when an SLP evaluation is not comprehensive and what a parent should do about it.

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Regardless of the area of law, all attorneys must meet with a prospective client in what is commonly referred to as “the initial legal consultation.” This critical meeting is the first meeting that is held between you, the potential new client, and the potential attorney. In this episode, we dive into what how best to fully prepare for your first meeting with a special education attorney, what to look and listen for, and how to properly and ethically establish the formal attorney-client relationship for the betterment of advancing your child's right an appropriate education.

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