August 30, 2007 – Case opened and YELP entered appearance 8/30/2007
November 2007 – Mediation and successful resolution; case monitoring
Case closed

A.V. suffered from both cortical visual impairment and traumatic brain injuries, and required the expertise of a county classroom for the visually impaired, as well as orientation and mobility instruction. Despite those needs, and without having conducted any additional assessments, A.V.’s school district demanded that she be moved to a “non-categorical” classroom for children who do not have visual impairments. When the child’s mother refused the change in placement, the school district filed for a fair hearing against her. That’s when A.C.’s mother found the Youth & Education Law Project. YELP students Inbal Naveh (‘09) and Alexis Casillas (‘09) interviewed witnesses, developed expert witness testimony, filed pre-hearing documents, and prepared for a due process hearing. To the delight and surprise of A.V.’s family, the school district withdrew its fair hearing complaint during mediation and allowed A.V. to remain in her classroom for the remainder of that academic year.