Court Affirms Reimbursement for Special Education

Court Affirms Reimbursement for Special Education

Rudi Roberson
Educ 316
August 1, 2010
Court Affirms Reimbursement for Special Education
By Tamar Lewin
Published: June 22, 2009

The article Court Affirms Reimbursement for Special Education by Tamar Lewin summarizes the Supreme Court ruling in the case Forest Grove School vs. T.A. The ruling stated, “that parents of special-education students may seek government reimbursement for private school tuition, even if they have never received special-education services in public school” (Lewin, 2009). Even though the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act says that private schools are not allowed to give tuition reimbursements to students that have never had special education services in public school (Lewin, 2009).
T.A was not diagnosed with special disabilities until he started attending private school. Forest Grove, the public school he attended, evaluated him but he was not eligible for special education services. I believe there should be better evaluations and placement in public schools for students with disabilities. Once a child is properly placed and eligible for special education services, the parents should be fully informed and able to make decisions about their child’s future education.
In conclusion, IDEA was created to make sure that disabled children are receiving fair and equal education and support. This act has several parts to it which include providing grants, funds early intervention services, and supports research and professional development programs. In this case the court ruled against the argument that because T.A was not receiving special education services in public school should therefore not be reimbursed for the tuition of the private school. I can see more cases in the future about similar dilemmas because of the improper diagnoses or lack of acknowledgement of students with disabilities in public schools.

Lewin, T. (2009, June 22). Court Affirms Reimbursement for Special Education . Retrieved September 20, 2009,...

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