The following blog post is brought to you by Amled Perez, Esq., Senior Associate Attorney at the Law Offices of Adam Dayan:
Over the last few years, our law firm has seen an increase in requests from parents for a specialized form of physical therapy called Cuevas Medek Exercise Physical Therapy.
We wanted to provide some information about this important therapy and highlight our recent legal victories.
Cuevas Medek Exercise (CME) Physical Therapy is a psychomotor form of physical therapy for infants and children experiencing delayed motor development. The overarching goal of CME therapy is to develop functional motor control in order to achieve the maximum level of motor independence.
CME may be appropriate for various diagnoses and conditions, including, but not limited to: Global Developmental Delay; Cerebral Palsy; genetic disorders such as Down Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, etc.; Spina Bifida; seizure disorders; and motor delay risks related to premature birth and/or hypoxic brain injury.
Few providers are fully certified to provide this type of specialized related service and the cost per session may be prohibitive for many families. However, the outcomes achieved with this unique therapeutic approach are often life-changing for families who are able to see their children sitting up or standing up on their own.
Although CME has, in some instances, been funded for children under the Department of Health's Early Intervention program, an increasing number of parents come to our office seeking relief when the service is discontinued, or funding is refused, as the students transition to the Department of Education's (Department's) Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) or Committee on Special Education (CSE).
Many parents are misled to believe that CME cannot be funded by the Department. However, federal and state regulations are clear that appropriate recommended related services must be provided by the DOE to enable the student to benefit from special education. This includes the provision of CME where necessary.
Since the 2018-2019 school year, our law office has been successful in securing favorable outcomes for parents of children who require Cuevas Medek Exercise physical therapy in order to gain independence and grow in their educational placements but have been denied access to this service by the DOE. We have done so by presenting robust evidence on the efficacy of CME for our clients who have received it and proven to impartial hearing officers the appropriateness of these services for our clients.
If your child has been denied a recommendation for CME, or funding for the service, please contact our law office to discuss your specific circumstances.