Adam Wasserman is an attorney and managing partner of Education Justice Law Group who specializes in helping children with special needs and parents of those children receive the extra attention in school that they are legally entitled to.
\n\n\nOn the episode, we talk about ADD and ADHD in young people, and schools suggesting to parents to medicate their children \u2013 which he says should never happen.
\n\n\n\u201cIf schools are recommending that your child needs medication, what that really means is the child\u2019s not getting the services they\u2019re supposed to be getting at the school,\u201d he said.
\n\n\nWasserman says he also took this kind of medication growing up and credits a lot of his success in life to it.
\n\n\nHe points out, however, that parents should never go to a meeting at a school and have the school talk about medication.
\n\n\n\u201cThe choice to take medicine is a very private choice. It\u2019s a family choice, and it should be done after careful consultation with people trained in the field to do that," Wasserman said. "Here\u2019s the thing, schools are not allowed to diagnose children with anything. That\u2019s the wrong word. School\u2019s talk in terms of eligibility, meaning, \u2018This child reads too slow. He\u2019s eligible to get reading help.\u2019 Not, \u2018This child reads too slow. There\u2019s a problem with his brain.\u2019\u201d
\n\n\nWasserman\u2019s Education Justice Law Group covers all of California and represents children and young adults from age 3 through high school who are eligible for special education.\xa0
\n\n\nIn the episode, we also discuss the difference between IEPs (Individualized Education Plan) and 504 Plans.
\n\n\nHe says he founded the law group when he realized many students were not accessing their educational rights they have under state and federal law.
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\n\n\nThank you to Adam Wasserman!
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