Gaining Perspective: Special Education & the Law in the COVID-19 Crisis - Video

Are you an educator challenged by meeting the needs of your students with IEPs during the extended school closures? Are you a parent or caregiver struggling to balance the demands of homeschooling your student with special needs and recognizing the limits of what can be reasonably provided via remote learning? Join attorney Patrick Radel and Dr. Clonan, a licensed psychologist—both also parents of children with disabilities—as they share current insights on the intersection of special education and the law in this unprecedented era of extended school closures. Participants will be encouraged to view the "big picture" of this moment in time and to consider issues of equity and access vs. minutes and methods. We will also discuss practical strategies and approaches for parents and educators.

About the presenters:

Dr. Sheila Clonan, Ph.D. is a New York State Licensed Psychologist in private practice, specializing in the assessment of students with dyslexia, ADHD, and other disabilities. Dr. Clonan is also a NYS Certified school psychologist with nearly twenty years of experience in public school and university settings. She is a knowledgeable and passionate advocate for children with disabilities, their families, and teachers. Dr. Clonan lives and works in Cazenovia, NY with her husband and their four children.

Patrick G. Radel is a member of the law firm of Getnick Livingston Atkinson & Priore, LLP, located in Utica, New York. He received his B.A. summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his law degree summa cum laude from the University at Buffalo Law School. Mr. Radel is passionate about the rights of people with disabilities and has been honored to represent families of students with disabilities at CSE meetings, in due process proceedings, and in federal court. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern and Western Districts of New York, and in the courts of New York State. He lives in New Hartford, New York with his wife, Mary Snyder Radel, Esq., and their three sons.

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