Published Work:After her decades of representing children with special needs, attorney Jayne M. Wesler, Esq., has authored four books, including Handbook for Parents of Children with Special Needs: A Therapeutic and Legal Approach, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and other locations. Ms. Wesler hosts a Facebook group for Parents of Children with Special Needs.
As a psychotherapist, Ms. Wesler has worked with children and teens in various settings, including both inpatient and outpatient individual and group therapy. As a member of multiple Child Study Teams, Ms. Wesler conducted evaluations, wrote IEP’s, case-managed elementary students, high-school students, and students placed in specialized private school programs. She also developed and facilitated various psychotherapy groups.
Ms. Wesler’s experience in the law and in clinical social work makes her uniquely qualified to represent special needs students. From the wealth of her background, she advocates for the rights of students who require special educational programs through IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. As a lawyer, a psychotherapist and a former child study team member, she also advocates for protection from bullying and the enforcement of students’ civil rights.
Ms. Wesler holds her Juris Doctor Degree from Seton Hall Law School, holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from New York University, earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, summa cum laude, from Georgian Court University and is a licensed clinical social worker. She is admitted to practice in all New Jersey courts, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Ms. Wesler presents frequently on various issues in mental health, special education and the law.
Recently, Ms. Wesler won a landmark decision in which she convinced the court that the Summit School District, NJ had denied a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment to a child diagnosed with a severe communication disorder. Wesler also won a precedent-setting case this year in which she obtained a ruling that IDEIA 2004 has a Braille presumption for blind students.