Karrie*, a six year old with autism, was recently reunified with her father after being in foster care. Karrie was having academic and behavioral difficulties in school while she was in foster care. These difficulties increased in the school setting during the placement transition to her father. Attorneys with Legal Aid’s Education Legal Rights Project (ELRP) advocated on Karrie’s behalf and obtained an appropriate and adequate Individual Education Plan (IEP) for the eligibility of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the school setting. Karrie’s IEP provides a number of different services that assist her in accessing and obtaining educational benefit despite her challenges. These services include goals in the areas of Curriculum and Instruction, Social and Emotional Behavior, Independent Functioning, and Communication. Karrie’s IEP also includes testing accommodations as well as supplementary aids and services in the classroom. Additionally, the IEP provides Special Education Services consisting of Intensive Instruction in Academics, Behavior, Independent Functioning, and Communication on a daily basis, as well as Language Therapy (LT) and Occupational Therapy (OT) each occurring two times per week. As a result of our advocacy, Karrie is doing significantly better and making progress with the assistance of her IEP.
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of our clients.