Autism Attorneys A2Z Educational Advocates

Asperger's, Autism - At issue was the appropriateness of the District's offer of placement and services for a high school student with Asperger's Syndrome. The student has significant social and emotional needs related to the student's disability, and has had increased anxiety related to the pressures of attending a large public high school. The parents prevailed on all issues. The Hearing Officer held that BUSD failed to offer a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for the student for both ESY and the 2003-2004 school year. Specifically, the decision found that the district's placement was not designed to meet the student's unique needs in the areas of social skills and behavior and did not address the student's anxiety or stress. The Hearing Officer also found that the program was not reasonably calculated to provide an educational benefit, noting that "appropriate social skills and behavior are essential in order for a student to beneit educationally."On the LRE issue, the Hearing Officer found that the student needed a small, structured program in a safe environment and that the proposed placement was therefore not restrictive enough. The decision ordered reimbursement to the parents for all costs related to their unilateral placement of the student at Village Glen, which the Hearing Officer found to be an appropriate program to address the student's needs. Further, the Hearing Officer ordered prospective placement at Village Glen for the remainder of the school year...read more autism cases