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Senator Charles Schumer Introduces "BPA-Free Kids Act" - December, 2009

After a Consumer Reports' study revealed that Bisphenol-A or BPA, is used in a wider range of products and consumed by children in higher concentrations than previously though, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer has introduced national legislation called the "BPA-Free Kids Act". The legislation bans the sale of children's food or beverage containers made of BPA marketed to children ages 3 and under and would strengthen enforcement and penalties for manufacturers, importers and stores found to be in violation of the law.

BPA is used to make plastics clear and shatter-resistant which is why it is commonly found in baby bottles. BPA is alo found in the lining of many canned foods. The Centers for Disease Control conducted a study that found 95% of tested Americans have BPA levels above what has been shown to cause abnormalities in laboratory animals. Infants and toddlers are at a higher risk because they have their highest BPA exposure levels at times when risks to reproductive and neural development are greatest. The Consumer Reports' study found BPA in a wide variety of products including canned soups, juice, tuna and vegetables. The study even found BPA in products that were specifically labeled "BPA-Free".

Another bill in Congress, already introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein, would permanently ban BPA from all food and beverage containers. Schumer supports this legislation as well but notes his legislation focuses on infants and toddlers as they are at the greatest risk.

Senator Charles Schumer unveils BPA legislation in Troy, NY. Learning Disabilities Association of New York State (LDANYS) Executive Director, Stephen Boese, stands second from left

Sen. Charles Schumer & LDANYS Executive Director, Stephen Boese

Senator Charles Schumer and Stephen Boese, LDANYS Executive Director

Governor Paterson Proclaims October 2009 "Learning Disabilities Awareness Month" - October, 2009

Click here to read the Governor's Proclamation (PDF)

Supreme Court Ruling in Forest Grove Case - July, 2009

The Supreme Court ruled recently that under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), reimbursement for the cost of an appropriate private special education services is authorized when a district fails to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) regardless of whether the child previously received special education services through the public school system. Click here to read the decision.

Bill to Improve Services for Individuals with Learning Disabilities Introduced in State Legislature - May, 2009

Senator Shirley L. Huntley (D-Queens), Chair of the Senate Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and Member of Assembly Peter M. Rivera (D-Bronx), Chair of the Assembly Mental Health Committee, recently introduced a bill into the New York State legislature that could improve access to services for individuals with learning disabilities and other complex neurological impairments.

S5209 Huntley/A8248 Rivera would establish a program of tiered eligibility for services offered by the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD). Senator Huntley worked with LDANYS to craft the bill. The bill would essentially create varying levels of service depending on an individuals needs. Flexibility created by this bill does not currently exist in the present OMRDD system.

OMRDD has historically been the primary provider of state-funded services for individuals with developmental disabilities including individuals with learning disabilities. However, over the past several years, OMRDD has moved more of their services under the Medicaid umbrella and tightened eligibility criteria for services. This has resulted in many individuals with learning disabilities not being deemed "eligible" for services. Many adults who have needed services through OMRDD have not been able to get them and with nowhere else to turn for services, have essentially "fallen through the cracks" in the service system.

LDANYS has been working for years on improving access to services for children and adults with learning disabilities and the introduction of this bill by Senator Huntley and Member of Assembly Rivera represents a significant step forward. LDANYS encourages members to contact their local Legislators, and the bill sponsors, to show support. Please contact the LDANYS office at 518-608-8992 or via e-mail at sboese@ldanys.org for assistance with locating your legislators' contact information.To read the bill, click here.

State Education Department Announces Creation of 11 New Special Education Parent Centers - April, 2009

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) recently announced the addition of eleven new Special Education Parent Technical Assistance Centers (TACs) across New York State, including five centers in New York City (one per borough) and six additional centers throughout the upstate region. Wildwood Programs in Latham, NY (LDA of the Capital District), wlll serve as the parent center for the capital region and several counties surrounding the capital region.

The existing Special Education Parent TACs on Long Island and Western New York will continue, resulting in the operation of thirteen Special Education Parent Centers in NYS. The centers will contribute to the implementation of the NYS Board of Regents Policy on Improving Student Achievement and School Performance through Parent and Family Partnerships.

The Special Education Parent Centers will provide parents of children with disabilities with information, resources, and strategies to:

    * promote their meaningful involvement in their children's education programs, including information regarding the special education process (referrals, individual evaluations and individualized education program development and transition planning);
    * assist in understanding their children's disabilities;
    * promote early resolution of disputes between parents and school districts;
    * promote the use of resolution sessions and special education mediation;
    * assist in understanding procedural due process rights, including the right to impartial hearings and appeals and the State complaint process; and
    * enhance parents' skills and levels of confidence to communicate effectively and work collaboratively with other schools and other stakeholders to advocate and actively participate in their children's education program.

In order to promote the development of effective parental and family engagement statewide, the Parent Centers will:

    * collaborate with public school districts on methods to facilitate positive parent involvement as a means of improving special education services and results for children with disabilities;
    * improve parent participation in the survey process to measure the percent of parents with a child receiving special education services who report that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities; and
    * assist NYSED to identify and promote effective practices for positive parental involvement in the special education process.

The contact information for the Parent Centers is available on SED's website. Click here for more information.

LDANYS, Legislators and Environmental Health Advocates Call for State Bill to Ban Bisphenol A in Childrens' Products - March, 2009

LDANYS Executive Director, Stephen Boese, joined other environmental health advocates and Assemblymembers Steven Englebright (D, E. Setauket) and Robert Sweeney (D, Lindenhurst) along with Senator Anotoine Thompson (D, Buffalo) to call for swift passage of a bill that would prohibit the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in certain products intended for use by children. BPA is a chemical used as the principle ingredient in hard polycarbonate plastics. BPA is an estrogen-mimicking endocrine disruptor that can intefere with human development and health. BPA has been linked to a variety of detrimental health effects including neurological impairment, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

In a March 16 press conference, LDANYS Executive Director Stephen Boese stated that, "Science is clear that BPA exposure can impair brain function, leading to learning disabilities. At the same time, we know the cost of learning disabilities on impacted individuals, their families and our state is enormous. Environmental toxins are the leading known cause of learning disabilities. With one out of seven New Yorkers now having a learning disability, it is certainly time for our State's leadership to protect our children from these known toxics. Banning BPA in children's products is a very positive step in that direction."

Specifically, the bill would ban BPA in toys and child care articles intended fur use by children three years of age or under; and bottles, cups or other containers that are designed to be filled with liquid, food or beverage primairly for consumption by children fourteen years of age or under; the lining of jars, cans, boxes or other containers if they are filled with any liquid, food or beverage primarily for consumption by children fourteen years of age or under; or sports water bottles.

According to the bill sponsors, "BPA is ubiquitous. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, ninety-five percent of Americans have detectable levels of BPA in their bodies, and most are at or above concentrations known to cause adverse effects in laboratory studies. Research studies have found that babies have up to eleven times higher levels of BPA in their bodies than adults do because of greater exposure and reduced capacity to metabolize BPA."

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