New York SRO reverses yet another reimbursement award

SRO 08-051: Hearing officer awarded reimbursement to parents for private residential placement for severely behaviorally disordered child. SRO agreed that the district failed to offer an appropriate placement. Once again, however, as has been the pattern for the last 3 years, the SRO reversed the IHO award of reimbursement by finding that the parent had failed to establish the appropriateness of the parental placement. This is a detailed decision that on the one hand highlights the child’s behavioral progress at the placement, but ultimately weighs against the parent ostensibly for the child’s failure to make academic progress and for the failure to of the program to address the child’s behavioral needs in the way that SRO Kelly thinks they should be addressed. It is a harsh and I’m sure very disheartening decision to the family. Hopefully, the parent will appeal and the federal court will look more favorably upon what appeared to be a very reasonable placement choice by the parents.