At great risk of being left behind

Jamari (not her real name) is a 16-year-old student with disabilities enrolled in the Special Education Program. She has a Specific Learning Disabilities diagnosis evidenced by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, showing difficulty in reading comprehension, writing, and mathematical calculations, easy distractibility, and a very short attention span.

She received her education at the Tomás Ongay school. Without holding IEP committee meetings, she was assigned to programs and workshops contrary to her interests, and was told that there were no other options at the school, nor did they make additional offers in line with her interests. The record showed that she did not receive related services, nor had recent or vocational evaluations, nor an adequate IEP to reflect her strengths and needs, all of this in violation of the provisions established by law.

Given Jamari's discouragement and her lack of interest in attending school in person, and without receiving the support of the school, her mother requested the services of the PRLS Special Education Project.

An IEP committee meeting was immediately requested from the school but was not convened. Therefore, a complaint was filed against the Department of Education for failing to comply with its obligation to provide Jamari with a free and appropriate public education that meets her needs and promotes her full development.

In view of this complaint, several procedures were carried out to better meet Jamari's needs, among them: IEP committee meetings were held, psychoeducational and psychometric evaluations were carried out, and private placement alternatives were considered.

After evaluating all the evidence, the administrative judge gave rise to the complaint and ordered the purchase of educational and related services through a private institution.

This placement represents a new opportunity for Jamari to complete her education in an environment that promotes her comprehensive development, eases her transition, and to complete higher education.

We thank you for helping us to continue to defend the rights of Special Education students in the courts and other forums.

Thanks again for helping us continue to meet our students’ challenges.