Educational Advocacy
Pediatric behavioral health is closely entwined with both the academic and social aspects of school. In recognition of the important role that school plays in the complete care of any child, LINKS is pleased to be able to offer educational advocacy services.
On request and when appropriate, Dr. Kotler is able to attend Child Study Team/IEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings with her patients’ parents as a Behavioral Specialist and Educational advocate. She helps families understand their childrens’ educational rights and works to ensure these rights are respected and protected. Dr. Kotler works with her families, walking them step by step through the process of initiating a Child Study Team evaluation. Dr. Kotler is a fierce advocate for her patients. Side by side with her families, she helps them navigate the overwhelming and often poorly understood area of their children’s educational rights under the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), our nation’s special education law.
Every child is entitled to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). It is a cornerstone of IDEA that each eligible child with a disability shall have a program including education and related services designed to meet that child’s unique needs and that prepares the child for further education, employment, and independent living.
Dr. Kotler may recommend educational supports and/or accommodations for her patients who are struggling in school. Their behavioral and mood disorders often impede their ability to learn and can render them unavailable for learning. The stress and intensity of school is often a powerful trigger. An unstable mood can make studying, producing work, and ultimately learning, impossible. Providing ‘safety net’ support and accommodations for a child or teen during these moments can make the difference between academic success and positive school experiences or slipping grades, emotional shut downs, and falling behind or even failing.
As part of this service, Dr. Kotler spends time reviewing any and all available prior studies and reports with her families. For her patients who have had prior evaluation, either by their school district or privately, or for those who may already have an IEP in place, she ensures that they fully understand all the testing results. Knowledge regarding the meaning of these results and their clinical significance is important for understanding how a child functions in context.
The full scope of a child’s diagnosis may not be known or may be poorly understood at the time of original testing. For this reason, Dr. Kotler may suggest additional supports or accommodations be added or that additional evaluations be requested to better serve a child’s individual needs.
