Federal Court Judge Robert Payne of Richmond, Virginia ruled in favor of the parents in a 4 year struggle on behalf of their child with autism. The parents brought due process to seek reimbursement for their unilateral placement in a private school that specializes in teaching children with autism. The private school had the needed expertise and more importantly intensity to teach this child. The progress between the public school program and the private school program was profound. The case in full can be accessed by clicking here.
The newspaper coverage (I have not seen the actual case yet as it is so recent) states:
"Payne found that Henrico improperly offered Reid [the child] an educational
program in which he would not make any more than minimal educational
progress.Payne ruled that evidence in the case showed Reid required a
rigorous, intensive education program of between 20 and 30 hours of
instruction per week. "The fifteen hours provided by the [county’s
plan] was insufficient," she said.The Tutwiler’s son began attending The Faison School in Richmond in
December 2002 and immediately began showing huge strides in his ability
to focus attention and speak. His vocabulary, almost nonexistent during
his stay in Henrico schools, grew to 100 words."
The decision is quite lengthy and should serve as precedent in other cases around the country. I will review and comment on this decision in greater detail when I have access to this case which appears to be quite exciting for parents of children with autism as this factual situation frequently arises.