Special Education Symposium: Navigating Your Child’s Learning Disability Diagnosis

Morning Program

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Harold Koplewicz MD, President and Founder, Child Mind Institute

Panel 1: ADVOCACY AND INTERVENTION OPTIONS
My child has an LD diagnosis – What do I do now? This panel will focus on understanding your child’s educational needs.  You will hear from advocacy and placement experts on how they develop a plan for accommodating students with LDs.  They will provide models of different types of support that students can receive and review ways to obtain those services.

Moderator – Laura Phillips, PsyD, Clinical Neuropsychologist, Child Mind Institute Learning and Development Center

Panelists:

• Wendy Federico, Special Education Consultant and Advocate, Smart City Kids
• Chantal Aflalo, Special Needs and Educational Advisor
• Sharon Thomas, Founder and Director, MAIA Education Resource Center

Panel 2: FINDING THE RIGHT SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD
My child is not doing well and we need other school choices. What do the specialized schools provide? This panel will focus on specialized schools for students with LDs. You will hear from admissions staff at several local programs about the types of programming and models of intervention that students with an LD require, as well as how to determine if a student needs specialized placement and how to apply.

Panelists:

• Maureen Sweeney, Director of Admissions, The Windward School
• Ellen Grayson, Director of Admissions, The Gateway School
• Yoni Schwab, Assistant Head of School, The Shefa School
• Bob Thomas, Director of Admissions and Communications, The Churchill School
• Juliana May, Director of Admissions, Stephen Gaynor School

LUNCH PRESENTATION: FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
Over lunch, participants will hear from a financial planning expert who will discuss planning and managing the costs of your child’s education, including opportunities for identifying and covering the hidden costs of special education services.

Afternoon Program

Panel 3: FUNDING & OBTAINING ACCOMMODATIONS
A specialized school is costly.  How can I pay for it and what is required? This panel will focus on navigating the special education process from a legal perspective.  You’ll hear from top educational attorneys who represent families with a child who requires legal advocacy.  You will learn about your child’s rights and understand the steps required to obtain legal support and funding for the right placement. You will learn about the legal aspects of the IEP process and the approach needed to secure district support for a specialized program.

Moderator – Ken Schuster PsyD, Clinical Neuropsychologist, Child Mind Institute Learning and Development Center

Panelists:

• Tracey Spencer Walsh, Special Education Lawyer, Spencer Walsh Law
• Regina Skyer, Special Education Lawyer, Skyer Law
• Alex Hindes, Special Education Lawyer, Law Offices of Neal Rosenberg

Panel 4: SPECIAL EDUCATION PARENT PANEL
How will we get through this?  Here’s how and what to expect from parents who have gone through the process of finding the right options for their child with an LD.  They will share personal stories of how they managed the difficulties, learned to cope with the diagnosis and how they developed acceptance.

Moderator – Matthew Cruger, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Senior Director Learning and Development Center, Child Mind Institute