Boca Raton personal injury and child abuse attorney Adam Balkan was quoted as an expert source for a Florida Associated Press story looking at state schools and how they view restraint and seclusion laws.

Mr. Balkan is a leading attorney and advocate for children’s rights, especially for special needs and autistic children in Boca Raton, Palm Beach, Broward County and throughout the state of Florida. It is a national trend that special needs students are abused and mistreated by teachers and teachers aides in public and private schools.

To view the complete story, Florida Officials Struggle with School Restraint Rule, please click here.

The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network has started a petition to send to members of the Florida Department of Education to promote change that will prevent and protect students, especially special needs students, from abuse through aversives, restraint and seclusions.

Currently, the Department of Education is prosposing regulations on the “Use of Reasonable Force” in the classroom. The regulations are not sufficient or appropriate for children and students of all ages and needs.

To sign the petition, please click here.

The National Autism Association (NAA) along with 12 other organizations launched a campaign this week to spur letter writing and raise awareness about dangerous restraint and seclusion practices in schools. For more information, click here to visit the blog for Families Against Restraint and Seclusion.

To download the letter and take action, visit www.nationalautism.org.

The law firm of Balkan & Patterson is an advocate for stopping restraint and seclusion in schools and protecting all students. For more information about us, please visit www.balkanpatterson.com.

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Michigan has agreed to settle a class action case with about 100 families for a total of $1 million to reimburse expenses they paid for autism testing and treatment. It has been an ongoing battle to get insurance companies to cover autism care, as they have long excluded it from their policies and labeled treatment as “experimental.”

To date, only 13 states have laws requiring insurance companies to pay for autism treatments and screenings. This settlement is the first step in the right direction for all states requiring insurance companies to cover autism treatment and testing for all special needs and autistic children. With the recent reports of widespread abuse of special needs children in public and private schools, this is just the beginning for increased awareness of autism and those who are affected by it.To read the full story, please click here.

The law firm of Balkan & Patterson works extensively with clients, parents, students, children and families who are affected by autism. We have the experience and understanding required to successfully litigate these types of cases, as well as the compassion for what you are going through. For more information about us, please contact us online at www.balkanpatterson.com or call (561) 750-9191.

The personal injury law firm of Balkan & Patterson settled a lawsuit this week against the St. Lucie School Board on behalf of a family whose child was abused by his behavioral analyst at Oak Hammock K-8 school. The amount of the settlement is confidential.

The child, now age 10, was a special needs student and required additional help in school. He was working with a behavioral analyst when he was dragged down a hallway in the school, violently restrained and roughly handled. This treatment caused him to suffer physical injuries. The abuses he received required medical treatment, and his health care providers predict that he will require medical treatment in the future for the long term emotional and mental effects. In addition, the behavioral analyst had a questionable record that was not fully investigated by the school before he was hired.

“Our client trusted that the teachers and staff of Oak Hammock K-8 school would instruct her child, providing him with a safe and healthy  institution for learning,” said attorney Adam Balkan. “However, this was not the case, and a helpless child was severely mistreated by the people who were entrusted to help him. On top of that, the school board has a duty to fully investigate the backgrounds of their employees to ensure they are qualified to work with special needs students.”

“Thankfully the school board settled the case without having to put the family through the ordeals of a trial, but it does not excuse the treatment the boy received. It is all too common that we see these types of cases, and it is absolutely inexcusable that public schools are treating their students – especially special needs students – in this manner,” Mr. Balkan added.

Rafael Katz from the Katz Law Group acted as co-counsel on this case. Adam M. Balkan is a partner in the law firm of Balkan & Patterson, LLP. Additional information about this case can be found on our website, www.balkanpatterson.com.