Understanding Evolving Public School Law: The Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and the School System

Objectives: The goal of this session is to provide attendees with sufficient understanding of the origins and evolution of regular education law, special education law, disability law, and civil rights law to effectively and constructively advocate for the educational and clinical needs in the school setting of the children and adolescents they treat. Particular attention will be paid to recent changes in regular education law based on Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 that largely replaces No Child Left Behind. Methods: This workshop provides a historical overview of education law, clarifying its origins in regular education law, special education law, civil rights law, and disabilities law, as well as the evolution from these origins to the existing legal guidelines for students with special education needs. The present legal framework is discussed from the perspective of a child and adolescent psychiatrist, a psychologist specializing in learning disorders, a director of special education for a tricounty public school system, and an attorney specializing in public school law. Results: Attendees will gain a better understanding of education law relevant to the needs of the children and adolescents they treat. The interface of legal, administrative, and clinical perspectives will be highlighted to enhance participants' abilities to effectively and constructively collaborate with school officials to optimally meet the needs of their patients in the school setting. Conclusions: An understanding of the legal framework for students with educational needs relevant to their clinical profiles and the challenges faced by teachers and school administrators will enhance the child and adolescent psychiatrist's ability to constructively collaborate with school officials to effectively advocate for the needs of those they treat.