Call us:
(847) 476 5051
e-mail:
Drleonintrater@Gmail.Com
to support families,agencies, organizations, and their children/adolescents, patients, and clients by providing comprehensive training and educational advocacy. Dr. Leon C. Intrater and Associates works with organizations/agencies and families to ensure that entitled children and adolescents have educational plans which focus on their strengths and foster independence. Dr. Leon C. Intrater and Associates collaborates with relevant and helpful team members to ensure that children/adolescents have adequate educational plans and IEP’s which include goals and objectives that support each child’s/adolescent’s academic, social, and emotional goals in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Dr. Leon C. Intrater and Associates seeks to ensure that all children and adolescents have resources that support the whole person. Dr. Leon C. Intratter works to ensure that training and advocacy services are based upon the most up-to-date federal and state laws available.Dr. Leon C.. Intrater and Associates believes that with its assistance, , families and human services organizations/agencies can be the most powerful advocates to ensure the appropriate progress of children and adolescents toward healthy and independent functioning adults. .
Dr. Leon Intrater and Associates provides training of board members, administrators, supervisors, caseworkers, and parents on how to obtain entitled services for youth with special needs, and how to advocate for youth with special needs at school meetings
Educational advocacy for children and adolescents with developmental problems, ADHD, PTSD, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, social/emotional problems, and problems necessitating one-on-one help in school
Training of Agency Organization, Board Members, Administration, Supervisors, Caseworkers, and Parents on How to Obtain/Advocate for Federal, State, and Locally Entitled Specialized Instructional Speech Language Therapeutic, Social Work and Post High School Services for Children and Adolescents
READ DETAILSEducational Advocacy for Children and Adolescents with Developmental Problems, ADHD, PTSD, Behavioural Problems, Learning Disabilities, Social/Emotional Problems, Speech/Language Problems, In Need of Tutoring, Special Help in School, School Social Work Services, Dedicated One-on-One Paraprofessional Teacher’s Aide, etc
READ DETAILSDr. Intrater has extensive experience in working with persons who have difficulty handling their anger including fulfillment of court-ordered anger management objectives and goals. He focuses upon: general principles regarding anger, recognizing the stages of anger, decreasing the intensity of anger, inappropriate expressions of anger such as violence and rage
READ DETAILSDr. Intrater has experience as the former director of the Ravenswood Hospital Medical Center Pain and Stress Management Center including providing biofeedback services. Dr. Intrater has developed deep berating, muscle tension relaxation, mindfulness, and visualization exercises associated with lowering brain wave frequencies, muscle tension (EMG), and blood pressure, and increasing skin temperature.
READ DETAILSDr. Intrater works with national, state and local governments, business/industry and community based agencies and organizations, advocacy groups, religious institutions, and neighborhood groups in addressing overall community needs and services. This includes independent focus groups/research, homeless services, and affordable housing with goals and objectives of promoting community well being and access to resources.
READ DETAILSDr. Leon Intrater and Associates provides various counseling services including motivational counseling for individual, family and friend issues, and employee motivation issues.
READ DETAILS
The struggle of the mind to remain open, and unsatiated in all its relations with nature is tenfold more difficult than the cultivation of a stable satisfying point of view, but a thousandfold more precious
- Human Potentialities by Gardner Murphy (Harvard University)
Dr. Intrater believes in being promptly accessible to those he serves. You will not be put on hold when you call Dr. Leon Intrater and Associates and need to listen to “elevator” music.
Dr. Intrater’s work with and on behalf of children, adolescents and those with dishabilles emphasizes independent functioning as a goal and objective of education and related services to childen and adolescents, as opposed to a reliance and dependency upon service providers.
Dr. Intrater believes in and practices compassion toward anyone who’s challenged cognitively, academically, and/or socially emotionally. He also ensures that anyone who’s mandated to do the same (such as school district admistrators and personnel develops the same approaches to persons he serves.
Dr. Intrater believes that when enthusiasm is emphasized in education, environment are created where students are engaged, motivated, and enjoy themselves, while also connecting with their postivie feelings to their learning goals.
The recommended manner of obtaining entitled specialized instructional and related services for children and adolescents is to first request a full initial “case study” evaluation (CSE) in writing from the school district in which the child/adolescent resides. The letter should be detailed and comprehensive and include the suspected category of “disabilities” under which the federal Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA) entitles youth to receive specialized instructional and related services (i.e. Developmental Delay, Specific Learning Disability (SLD), , Other Health Impairment (OHI), Emotional Disturbance (ED), Speech or Language Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disabilities, etc. Dr. Leon C. Intrater has successfully requested/obtained over 1,000 case study evaluations. The case study evaluation evaluation shows a student’s strengths and challenges. Families and schools use the results to create a program of services and supports tailored to meet the student’s needs.
When childen/adolescents struggle in school, you may hear the term “IEP”. IEP is an acronym that stands for Individualized Education Program. Some people may refer to it as an Individualized Education Plan. An IEP is more than just a written legal document (or “plan”). It’s a map that lays out the program of special education instruction, supports, and services childen/adolescents need to make progress and thrive in school. IEPs are covered by the IDEA. They’re created for eligible youth between ages three years and 22 years who attend public schools which includes charter schools, and in some cases private schools. Having an IEP gives students, families, and schools legal protections, too. It lets families be involved in decisions that impact their child’s education. It also gives students rights when it comes to school discipline. Dr. Leon C. Intrater and Associates wiol attend your IEP meeting in person or virtually. Dr. Leon C. Intrater has attended over 3,000 IEP meetings.
Prior to expelling a child with an IEP, the school district must hold a manifestation determination review meeting (MDR) during which it is determined if the behavior for which the child/adolescent is being considered for expulsion is related to her/his disability. For example, if the child/adolescent is being considered for expulsion due to her/his impulsive acting out against teachers/other students but the child/adolescent is receiving specialized instructional services because of the child’s/adolescent’s hyperactivity, impulsivity and social/emotional problems, then the child cannot be expelled because the child’s behavior for which (s)he is being considered for expulsion is a manifestation of her/his disability. In such cases, In such cases, Dr. Leon C. Intrater has obtained new and additional services for youth, above and beyond those already in place prior to the school’s attempt to expel the youth.
Parents must be considered as equal members of the IEP team. At any time they may request that an IEP meeting be held or have their educational advocates request this. The services described in the IEP may be discussed and changed as necessary and agreed upon by the IEP team.
A school may not give a child/adolescent specialized services without the child’s/adolescent’s signed consent. This is a right of parents as part of their “procedural safeguards”. If a school district believes that a child/adolescent may be better served educationally with specialized instructional and related services than without them, it may be in the child’s/adolescent’s best interest for the parents to review the reasons that the school is recommending such services. Dr. Leon Intrater and Associates will review such information with parents to ensure that it is in the best interest of the children/adolescents.
Childen/adolescents are entitled to a safe and secure learning environment that is free from of harassment, intimidation or bullying (HIB). Especially vulnerable students who have been the alleged targets of HIB may need special protection to ensure their emotional and physical safety is secure during investigations and/or after sanctions have been imposed on aggressor students. Special student safety plans may need to be developed to include which members of the school staff are responsible for ensuring the safety of the student, specific plans for the student to visit the school counselor/school social worker to ensure that the plan is working, separation of the aggressor form the bullied student, including prohibited contact by social media,etc. as necessary, and other necessary provisions. Dr. Leon C. Intrater has successfully developed and ensured appropriate implementation and follow through of numerous safety plans in collaboration with students, parents and school district superintendents, and staff in the safety interest of youth who’ve been bullied.
While the IEP may be revised/updated more frequently, the IEP must be updated at least every twelve months. The annual IEP meeting must be scheduled by the school district at such a place and time as is accessible to the parents and the parent’s educational advocate.
No. States have specific amounts of time that school districts must enroll students in school, regardless of whether the school has received the child’s adolescent’s previous school records. (For example in Illinois, a school district may not delay a child’s/adolescent’s enrollment in school for more than 10 days and the previous school district must forward the student’s school records to the current school within 10 days of being notified of the child’s/adolescent’s current school district. Dr. Leon C. Intrater has advocated on behalf of numerous youth who’ve moved from one school district to another to ensure that educational disruption doesn’t occur due to movement from one school district to another).
Yes. You don’t have to wait until your child starts school to ask about learning differences or developmental delays. Evan infants and toddlers are federally entitled to receive specialized services at no cost through “Early Intervention” (EI). Necessary services such as speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, and developmental therapy must be provided in the child’s home and specified in wring in a legally binding document called the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), which is similar to an IEP for children under the age of three years. Dr. Leon C. Intrater has obtained services for numerous children under the age of three years. Getting answers as soon as possible can keep a child from falling behind.
Most government contracts and accrediting agencies such as the Council on Accreditation (COA) require that caseworkers: assist parents with enrollment meet with child’s adolescent’s teachers at least twice per year request for assistance from the educational advocate if the agency has hired one as necessary ensure that education is part of the client’s treatment/service plan schedule and coordinate n annual high school academic plan meeting (for youth who are in or will be attending high school) and ensure that if the agency has hired an educational advocate, the educational advocate will be present for the annual high school academic plan meeting for youth who are struggling in school and/or are in a grade below their age-level peers
Anyone who the parent agrees may attend the meeting may do so.
Documented diagnoses are not necessary to begin the process of obtaining specialized instructional and related services for children/adolescents. All that is necessary is suspicion that a youth may have a disability for which (s)he is eligible for specialized and related services in order to be evaluated for and receive these services. Generally, in his written requests for case study evaluations, Dr. Leon C. Intrater includes reasons for such suspicions and quotations from teachers indicating that they have observed deficits on the part of child/adolescent which makes the suspicions stronger.
Review child’s/adolescent’s quizzes, tests, homework, writing samples, etc; Review the IEP and ensure that child/adolescent is receiving all services (s)he needs in order to be educated appropriately. Dr. Leon C. Intrater and Associates has a planning conference with parents prior to each IEP meeting.
Yes. Problems such as stress and anxiety may cause social/emotional problems that interfere with learning. Emotional problems that interfere with child’s/adolescenct’s ability to be educated appropriately may require the assistance of such services as school social work services and such services can be documented and specific goals including socialization with other students and/or behavioral problems can be addressed with such services.
A letter should be written to the school district specifying why the services being recommended by the school district are not being agreed to, which services are being preferred, and the reasons for same. (For example, while a school district may was willing to provide a student school social work services, Dr. Leon C. Intrater requested equine therapy and music therapy for a student due to her affinity with horses and her partiality to communication through songs. Dr. Leon C. Intrater also obtained art therapy for a student who had an affinity for drawing as a way of communicating her emotions).
Yes. While colleges do not need to provide IEP:’s to students, they must provide reasonable “accommodations” to students with disabilities as per the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Common accommodations may include preferential seating (i.e. seating close to the instructor to help with focusing,/attention problems), extended time on tests, and testing in limited distraction rooms.
No. Services outlined in the IDEA and the ADA must be provided to students regardless of the budgetary constraints of the school district.
No. According to the U.S. Department of Education, all services to which students are entitled under federal educational laws must be continue to be provided as before the pandemic COVID-19 crisis.
Dr. Leon C. Intrater and Associates is available to be present at trainings and school conferences virtually and available in person if travel costs are provided as part of agreed upon fees.
