May 30th, 2019
Students of all ages and across all grades are bombarded with anxiety-producing input from a great many sources. This can include, but not limited to, the following:

  • Academic demands
  • social activities
  • extracurricular activities
  • faith-based activities and family obligations

Added to this mix are various social media outlets and global internet access to information, and thus the list grows by leaps and bounds.

It is becoming apparent to the medical community, educators, and even legislatures, that in addition to all that makes up a 21 st Century childhood, forms of emotional trauma are sadly ever-increasing for kids. 

The good news is that state and national attention is being paid to this important issue and this is beginning to have an impact on services in schools.

Click here to read the full article and to learn more about trauma, including who is affected and what is being done.
LEGAL ACTION TO PROTECT CHILDREN IN STATE RUN FACILITIES 
Kimberly Caputo , an attorney with McAndrews Law Offices and Board member with Disability Rights PA (DRP) (a non-profit organization) reports that a federal lawsuit has been filed by DRP as a result of an investigation into reported instances of physical and emotional abuse of students while in a number of court-ordered residential settings in Pennsylvania.

Some of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable school-age students are placed into facilities that are operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.  Many of these children (upwards of 70%) have disabilities and in many instances the disabilities impact the ability to regulate behavior and /or to communicate. These settings are intended to address each child’s academic and behavioral needs through therapeutic and specialized supports. The allegations include multiple reported instances of students, as young as twelve, being hit, restrained, intimidated, injured and/or humiliated. 

Information about the lawsuit and a copy of the Complaint filed with the Court can be found at:   https://www.disabilityrightspa.org/newsroom/lawsuit-filed-to-end-abuses-at-pa-dhs-youth-development-centers/
McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. is a nationally recognized firm that provides families of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Area, and New Jersey with exceptional legal representation in Special Education, Estate Planning, and the representation of individuals involved in higher education allegations of misconduct.
Main Office: 30 Cassatt Avenue, Berwyn, PA 19312