Autistic Attorney - Educational Law - Michael Gilberg

EPISODE 52
Educational law: A Discussion with Autistic Attorney Michael Gilberg

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Show Notes

Michael Gilberg, an attorney specializing in educational law, discusses his varied experiences he brings as an attorney involved in legal issues for individuals with disabilities, including autism. These experiences include his being a student who received a late diagnosis of autism, as well as numerous and varied experiences working with families and school districts as a lawyer. He provides advice to school personnel and to parents about how to navigate through the through the oftentimes contentious waters of providing or securing free and appropriate services for students.

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Featuring

Michael Gilberg - Autistic Attorney

MICHAEL GILBERG

Michael Gilberg is a Special Education Attorney and Autistic self-advocate first diagnosed at age 18. Michael devotes his legal career to representing children with disabilities to ensure they get the appropriate education that they are entitled to under the law, which he was denied as a child. Michael serves on numerous Boards and committees including Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), the Autism Society of America’s Panel of People on the Spectrum, Autism Spectrum News Editorial Board, New York State Autism Spectrum Disorders Advisory Board, Hillels of Westchester and others. Michael also has years of political and policy experience in government and advocating for disability in public policy in New York State and Westchester County.

…and Continue the Discussion

Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.

1) What is unique about Michael’s background that makes him approach educational law from a different perspective than non-autistic attorneys? How does Michael apply his personal experiences to his work? Do you feel that he’s doing so would make it more effective as an education attorney?

2) Michael points out a number of issues in schools that may require parents to seek out legal advice or even representation from attorneys. In your experience, do you feel it is helpful when attorneys get involved in representing parents, and in what kinds of situations?

3) What are the major takeaways from this discussion that would lead to parents having less of a need to engage attorneys in pursuing the best services for their son or daughter? What is your opinion as to the role an attorney may play in assuring that parents and schools work cooperatively twitch of the best outcomes for a student?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Music

Matt Savage, courtesy of Savage Records

Matt Savage is an autistic jazz musician, composer, and bandleader. Matt has collaborated with jazz greats like Chick Corea, the Ellington All Stars, Chaka Khan, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Arturo O’Farrill, John Pizzarelli, Joshua Redman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jon Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi. Donny McCaslin, and more. He has recorded more than a dozen records and graciously contributes the music for Uniquely Human.

Production and Sound Design

ELEVATEDSTUDIO

Uniquely Human: The Podcast is produced, engineered, and edited by Elevated Studio in Denver, Colorado. Owned and operated by co-host Dave Finch, Elevated Studio produces digital media assets and content strategies for the electronics, entertainment, and lifestyle industries.