Parent of disabled H.S. grad sues to invalidate diploma

[healthy11]

www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-high-school-graduate-diploma-lawsuit-20140911-story.html

I know many Millermom parents struggle for years to get their children an appropriate education, and yet, in some ways, we should consider the blessings we have of time, to become familiar with special education guidelines and an understanding of the rules.

The story in the above article is about a parent whose daughter suffered traumatic brain injury after being hit by a drunk driver in her senior year of H.S. The mother, not wanting to think of her daughter as a special ed student, and not wanting her to miss graduation with her classmates, didn't object to teachers giving her inflated grades and passing her through the last few months of high school. NOW, she realizes that her daughter is ineligible for many educational services that she really still needs, so she's suing to "invalidate" the regular diploma that was given.

[kewpie]

This may be a tough case depending on what documents the mother signed. Its sad that the cursory explanations given to parents by the school district leave out the long range implications of what could happen to their child.

[empeg1]

Not always, Kewpie. In the district where I work we are very careful to explain what in California is a diploma and a Certificate of Completion and what the difference means. At times, I have been at IEP meetings in which a parents insists upon a regular diploma despite clear explanations about special education ending upon the granting of a diploma and the loss of the young adult program offered until 22 years of age. It is sad that the medical personnel working with this mother also did not make plain what the effects of a TBI would have on her daughter. I happen to have also worked on a pediatric rehabilitation unit at a children's hospital, with patients who have had a TBI. And, I also worked at a specialty diagnostic clinic at a large urban school district. In the latter setting, we had a case in which a 17-year old incurred a brain injury due to ecstasy and heart failure. The most difficult part of the above case, besides the heartache of a 17 year old with widespread brain damage, was the struggle of the parents who simply could not move beyond the child they remembered and the child they now had. They would not consider any recommendations for a special education program. Nothing we could do at that time would change the above besides offering support and knowledge that we were there, long term.

[kewpie]

Unfortunately districts vary widely in how they work with the parents and how carefully they explain. Also personnel within districts may vary widely as to how they work with parents. That being said, with recent injuries to a child, parents may still be in a state of shock. They simply may not be able to comprehend what is being said to them as well as long term implications, no matter how good the explanation.

I was watching a Suzie Orman lecture and she advise people to NEVER make any decisions after for at least a year after the death of a spouse as the decision making abilities are impaired as the person is still in a shock and simply cannot comprehend the long term effects. IMHO, this rule of thumb should apply to a child too.