Practicing Under the IDEA in Schools: When You Have to Say Yes and How to Effectively Say No

Practicing Under the IDEA in Schools: When You Have to Say Yes and How to Effectively Say No

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and related regulations serve more than 6.5 million children in our nation’s public schools. They preserve a free, appropriate public education to children with disabilities. The IDEA in combination with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act entitles children with disabilities to education programs, services, and accommodations, enveloping an even larger population of children. Thus, these laws regulate and guide the evaluation, recommendation, and treatments of the pediatric healthcare practitioner within the public-school setting. However, with additional laws such as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the recent Supreme Court of the United States ruling, interpretation and serving children with special healthcare needs continue to grow in complexity.

This 90-minute webinar provides a synopsis of the IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and related legislation and rulings. Additionally, it provides guidelines to healthcare practitioners who must say yes to services and requests, as well as when they are able to say no. Finally, it provides tools for healthcare practitioners to effectively communicate and advocate for appropriate recommendations based on evaluation and clinical judgment while remaining compliant with regulating law. This course is included with the School-Based OT: The Basics Webinar Package.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify the basic principles of the laws, regulations, and guidelines involved in treatment for children within the school setting.
2. Apply the recent Endrew Supreme Court decision to defining practice within the school-based setting.
3. Delineate the evaluation and qualification process for an identified child, the creation and implementation of an IEP and the different levels of service available to appropriate students.
4. Recognize strategies for effective advocacy, documentation and communication of denials and/or reduction in services for students who do not qualify for services or qualify for less than IEP team anticipated amount of services.
5. Analyze service delivery through additional models (ESSA, etc.).

Course Information

• Target Audience: school-based occupational, physical, and speech therapists
• Course Instructor: Alyson Stover, MOT, JD, OTR/L, BCP
• View Agenda
• CE Broker course code: 20-640297

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Sensational Brain LLC is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Approved Provider #8215. This webinar is approved for 0.15 AOTA CEU or 1.5 contact hours under this Classification Codes: Category 2, OT Therapy Process: Intervention; and Category 3, Professional Issues: Legal, Legislative, and Regulatory Issues. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

Alyson Stover, MOT, JD, OTR/L, BCP, is an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh. She obtained her Juris Doctorate in Law with a post-graduate certificate in Health Law from the University of Pittsburgh. She has practiced primarily in pediatrics and currently owns a private outpatient pediatric practice north of Pittsburgh, where she continues to serve her clients through a clinical role and manage therapy staff. Her practice includes traditional outpatient services, pediatric mental health interventions, community-based interventions, and school-based contracts.  She is AOTA Board Certified in Pediatrics. Alyson’s interests include using occupational therapy as a powerful driving force for larger health care change, advancing occupational therapy’s national relevance and participation in policy change. She is also interested in access to care in rural areas and family- and community-based health programming, with increased focused on occupational therapy’s role in primary care and telehealth. To view Allison’s courses, check out her product page.

Disclosures

• Financial: Alyson Stover receives a speaking fee from Sensational Brain LLC.
• Nonfinancial: No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.

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