Run to Home Base

On Sunday May 22 I had a chance to compete in my very first road race. Using my bike that I pedal with my arms, I raced the 5.6 miles in a little over an hour finishing over home plate at Fenway Park. The Run to Home Base is an annual event that seeks to raise money for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries or combat stress disorders. These invisible wounds are just as detrimental to veterans, but often times are stigmatized or receive less attention than physical wounds. The Home Base Program also provides support and treatment to families of veterans who are coping with how to best care for an injured loved on. This year the race attracted over 2,000 runners and raised $2.6 million for veterans and their loved ones in the New England area. It was very gratifying to make my road race debut supporting such a worthwhile cause!

Brian crossing the finish line in Fenway Park. Courtesy of the Boston Globe.

Read the full article here 

New Anti-Bullying Statute in Massachusetts

The recent news about sentencing in the tragic case of Phoebe Prince throws the problem of bullying in our nation’s schools back in to the spotlight. Prince was 15 years old when she committed suicide in January of 2010 in South Hadley, MA following relentless bullying by her peers. Her death has elevated awareness of bullying and has spurred legislative changes around the country.

Massachusetts passed a new anti-bullying statute in May 2010 in direct response to the incident. St.2010, c.92 titled Bullying in Schools contains several important provisions designed to protect students from bullying and harassment. The law specifically addresses cyber-bullying a new type of bullying in today’s digital world. With Facebook, cell phones and other forms of electronic communication children who were once solely bullied while at school are now subject to a relentless wave of harassment following them when they leave school at the end of the day. The law also requires schools to create a plan to implement programs both to prevent bullying and provide successful intervention in consultation should incidents of bullying come to light.

Bullying is of particular concern to children with disabilities since they are already in a vulnerable state. According to a recent survey by the Massachusetts Advocates for Children, 90% of parents with autistic children reported that their child had been the target of bullying. In response to this concern, the Department of Special Education has issued a Technical Advisory with guidelines and resources concerning bullying and special needs children. The Advisory places particular emphasis on addressing bullying prevention in your child’s IEP and ensuring that your child has a safe person to go to if they are being bullied. The IEP should have a section for educational professionals to comment on whether your child seems withdrawn or is not socializing appropriately because of bullying. This portion of the IEP should also provide tools for the child to use themselves when confronted with bullying.

Read the full Massachsetts Statute here

Read the Technical Advisory from the Department of Special Education here

Welcome!

This blog intends to provide parents with resources for their special needs child; information equals power.  This blog will provide you with such power from both a professional and personal perspective.  I myself am in a wheelchair.  Being diagnosed with cerebral palsy from birth, as well as being a lawyer, I understand the struggle for access to education from a uniquely personal and professional standpoint.  I understand what it means not to be included in school activities.  I understand what it means to engage in transition planning.  I understand the challenges of what is and what is not a reasonable accommodation.  From my personal and professional experience I can provide real-world solutions to very difficult problems.

I grew up in Easton, Massachusetts and attended Oliver Ames High School as a mainstream student with an academic aide in the classroom. Following high school, I then went on to Boston College and Boston College Law School.  While at Boston College.  I also participated in extracurricular activities including being a member of the varsity swim team and developing a campus access plan.  Additionally, during one of my summers as an undergrad, I worked in the Massachusetts Office on Disabilities. After attending Boston College Law School I worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for two years.  Now I am a solo practitioner seeking to provide families who are confronted with the challenges of having children with special needs information and resources so that they may navigate through the school system and obtain the free and appropriate public education to which they are entitled, regardless of any disability.  I've recently been placed on the Board of Special Education appeals referral list and am the first individual to be placed on this list.  This means that I can represent families in front of the Board to advocate for your child’s rights in the school setting to the best of my abilities. I look forward to serving those in need using my personal and professional experiences to be an effective advocate.

Charitable service is at the core of my life.  I'm involved with Easter Seals, whose mission is to allow children and adults with disabilities to “live, learn, work and play".  As part of Easter Seals I participate in the adaptive technology loan committee providing low-cost loans to individuals who may need assistive technology. Assistive technologies are the means by which someone with a disability would be able to operate a computer, be able to drive a van or turn on a light switch if they were unable to do so.  I'm writing this blog with Dragon Naturally Speaking software, one of these adaptive technologies.  I also use a screen reader as I am visually impaired.  I only share these pieces of information to let you know that I understand your child's struggles.  Blog posts in the future will discuss various educational topics including: the new bullying statute in Massachusetts, information about what constitutes a disability, and what exactly is a free and appropriate education.  I look forward to being an informational resource to parents in need; please visit http://www.bmjrlaw.com/ for more information about me and my services. I offer solutions to parents by visiting with them in a one on one setting to help them overcome challenges they may be facing.