Beyond the Firewall: A Guide to HIPAA-Compliant Online Tutoring Platforms for Special Education
In the rapidly evolving landscape of remote learning, special education has emerged as a field requiring a unique blend of pedagogical innovation and stringent legal oversight. While general K-12 tutoring is primarily governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the shift toward providing related services—such as speech-language pathology (SLP), occupational therapy (OT), and behavioral counseling—via the internet has brought a new regulatory giant into the classroom: the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Navigating this “Compliance Crossroads” is not merely a bureaucratic hurdle; it is a foundational requirement for protecting the most sensitive data of our most vulnerable students. For providers in 2026, understanding the intersection of technology and healthcare law is essential to building a sustainable and ethical remote practice.
The Compliance Crossroads: FERPA vs. HIPAA
A common point of confusion for educators is determining which law applies. Generally, if a school employee provides a …
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