Lara Damashek practiced for ten years as a special education attorney, at the Law Offices of Regina Skyer and Associates in NY, NY, representing parents of children with learning disabilities in their pursuit of a free and appropriate public education.  In her current role as a CSE liaison at the Windward School, she advises parents on how to secure necessary accommodations and services from their local school districts.   Prior to her work as an attorney, when Lara worked as a NYC public school teacher, she observed firsthand many students who were falling through the cracks of the NYC public school system, as a result of not receiving crucial educational interventions.   When Lara is not helping families at Windward to understand the process of navigating the special education world, and educating districts about specific children’s needs, she provides private advocacy support to families, and serves on the board of Special education Legal Fund, a non profit organization that aims to level the playing field for families of children with special education needs by providing legal grants to those who need the assistance of an education attorney but do not have the means to pay.  As a mother of a child who previously had an IEP, she also has firsthand experience navigating early intervention and preschool services.