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Education Interrupted: Underdiagnosis and Discrimination Against Girls with Disabilities: Legal Foundations and the Fight for an Equitable Educational Future

Program Originally Presented Tuesday, April 7, 2026 

Girls with disabilities have a right to inclusive, non-discriminatory education under laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Title IX. Yet many of these students—particularly girls of color—face both double and even triple discrimination due to the intersection of gender, disability, and race. These intersecting identities often result in insufficient identification, inadequate accommodations, and disproportionately high rates of school pushout.

Studies show that many schools are failing to identify disabilities in girls—especially conditions like Autism, ADHD, and Dysautonomia/Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Even when diagnoses are made, the special education services provided to girls are often less robust than those received by their male counterparts.

Recent federal efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives, restructure the Department of Education, redirect IDEA funding, and defund research into developmental disabilities threaten to further exacerbate the systemic neglect and inequities faced by girls with disabilities.

This CLE examines the legal foundations intended to guarantee a free and appropriate public education for all students with disabilities. Participants will explore why disabilities in girls are frequently underdiagnosed, how disparities in service provision persist post-diagnosis, and what legal rights and remedies are available to challenge discrimination. The course will also look ahead at the shifting federal and legal landscape—and how lawyers, advocates, and parents supporting special needs children can respond to protect and advance educational equity for girls with disabilities.

Attend this program to learn about the legal rights and remedies available to challenge discrimination for girls with disabilities in the fight for an equitable educational future.

Moderators:
Brenda Harkavy, Esq.
Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan, LLP.
Co-Chair, Women’s Rights Committee

Melissa Mazur, Esq.
Co-Chair, Legal Rights of Persons with Disabilities Committee

Panelists:
Chade Biney-Amissah, Esq.
Office of General Counsel
The School District of Philadelphia

Kelly Darr, Esq.
Special Education and Disability Rights Attorney
Law Office of Kelly Darr LLC

Georgina Perez Liz, M.D.
Research Associate
A.J. Drexel Autism Institute

Lauren Stiles, J.D.
President, Dysautonomia International
Research Assistant Professor of Neurology
Stony Brook University School of Medicine

0389ODV