At great risk of being left behind

by Servicios Legales de Puerto Rico, Inc.
At great risk of being left behind
At great risk of being left behind
At great risk of being left behind
At great risk of being left behind
At great risk of being left behind
At great risk of being left behind

Project Report | Dec 23, 2024
Student guaranteed extended school year services

By Rebeca Dorna | Communications

Our mission to remove barriers for Special Education Students has found another success story.

Nathan (alias to protect his identity) is a 22-year-old student with multiple disabilities. As part of his Individualized Education Program (IEP), he was to have a one-to-one placement, and work on daily living skills like personal hygiene, dishwashing, identifying and storing utensils, doing laundry, and sweeping/mopping.

At the end of the 2022-2023 school year, the Department of Education intended to exit the student from the Special Education Program. However, his mother disagreed with this decision, convinced that the services outlined in the IEP had not been provided in accordance with the law. Among her concerns were the lack of assistive technology to increase the student's everyday vocabulary, unaddressed skills, and the constant movement between classrooms.

Despite the mother’s concerns, the Department of Education exited the student from the Special Education Program, and therefore, Nathan received no educational services.

She sought our legal representation. Attorney Waleska López and Specialist Ana L. Fuentes Linero represented the student in IEP meetings and later in the Administrative Complaint.

The importance of IEP implementation and transition planning lies in addressing the unique needs and goals of students with learning differences and disabilities. Transition planning, mandated by federal laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ensures a smooth shift into post-secondary education, employment, and independent living. By age 16 (or earlier if appropriate), schools must begin transition planning to provide students with the support and services needed for a successful transition into adulthood.

Through the processing of the Complaint, it was demonstrated that each time Nathan was moved from one classroom to another, he had to begin new adaptation and learning processes that limited his progress and routine. While, given the student's conditions, he might never reach an L5 level—where he would independently achieve objectives—the situations caused by the school environment affected and limited his learning.  It was shown that the student was not appropriately placed, which is an important factor for his success, since inadequate placement  limits and negatively affects the students' education and academic progress. Therefore, he was found eligible for extended school year services.

The Administrative Resolution nullified the exit decision and ordered the Department of Education to hold a properly constituted IEP meeting to review and draft the IEP for the 2024-2025 school year and establish the extended school year services that the student requires, with the proper placement that was not previously provided.

As we continue to defend the rights of Special Education, we thank you for helping us continue meet our students’ challenges.            

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Sep 17, 2024
Due process and administrative jurisdiction ensured to address special education complaints

By Rebeca Dorna | Communications

May 20, 2024
Transitions services secured

By Rebeca Dorna | Communications

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.

Sign up for updates

Organization Information

Servicios Legales de Puerto Rico, Inc.

Location: San Juan - Puerto Rico
Website:
Facebook: Facebook Page
Twitter: @slprinc
Project Leader:
Alejandro Figueroa
San Juan , Puerto Rico
$3,685 raised of $10,000 goal
 
86 donations
$6,315 to go
Donate Now
lock
Donating through GlobalGiving is safe, secure, and easy with many payment options to choose from. View other ways to donate

Servicios Legales de Puerto Rico, Inc. has earned this recognition on GlobalGiving:

Help raise money!

Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.

Start a Fundraiser

Learn more about GlobalGiving

Teenage Science Students
Vetting +
Due Diligence

Snorkeler
Our
Impact

Woman Holding a Gift Card
Give
Gift Cards

Young Girl with a Bicycle
GlobalGiving
Guarantee

Get incredible stories, promotions, and matching offers in your inbox

WARNING: Javascript is currently disabled or is not available in your browser. GlobalGiving makes extensive use of Javascript and will not function properly with Javascript disabled. Please enable Javascript and refresh this page.