LSNYC Wins $300,000 in Educational Supports for Autistic Student  

After years of denials and delays by the NYC Department of Education (DOE), LSNYC won a major settlement for a 13-year-old autistic student. Despite clear evidence of his significant communication and learning needs, the DOE repeatedly refused to cover the student’s specialized school tuition, denied requests for home-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, failed to ensure safe transportation, and even resisted providing necessary evaluations to assess his needs.  

Now, thanks to LSNYC’s intervention, the student has won the right to receive these therapy services and to have them added to his special education plan, has been awarded tuition at a specialized private autism school, will have safe, reliable transportation to and from school and will receive a comprehensive evaluation in advance of a new IEP planning meeting. Altogether, the decision adds up to more than $300,000 worth of educational supports and services.  

In this case, the DOE tried to argue it was not required to provide the full relief the student needed at a hearing. With LSNYC’s help, a hearing officer sided with the student—ordering the DOE to provide the comprehensive package of supports.  

For the student’s mother, who has a disability herself and also cares for another child with disabilities, this victory brings enormous peace of mind and financial relief. She no longer has to worry about unsafe buses or how to cover the staggering costs of services on her own.