Applaud U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Reaffirming Parents' Right to Due Process in Securing Appropriate Education for Children with Disabil

Since I am having my own trouble and fight with the school system over where Xander is going to go this fall, I am happy to see that someone in authority has brains! Yea for the judges!!!

NEW YORK, N.Y. (June 23, 2009) – Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, applauded the United States Supreme Court decision yesterday in Forest Grove v. T.A in which the Court held, in a 6-3 vote, that “IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) authorizes reimbursement for the cost of private special education services when a school district fails to provide a Free and Appropriate Public Education and the private school placement is appropriate, regardless of whether the child previously received special education or related services through the public school.” The Court's decision means that parents have the right to sue without having to first “try out” the district's program of services for their child.

Autism Speaks, through its Federal Legal Appeals Project (FLAP), filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court to explain why a contrary result would have prejudiced the autism community. Autism Speaks Board Member Gary Mayerson, director of FLAP, filed the amicus brief together with Robert Pees and other attorneys with the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP.

“Children with autism cannot afford to waste valuable time in inadequate or otherwise inappropriate programs,” said Mayerson. “The High Court's decision recognizes the importance of timely judicial access to achieve the remedial purposes of IDEA.”

Justice Stevens wrote the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer and Alito. Justice Souter, who recently announced his retirement from the bench, filed a dissenting opinion, joined by Justices Scalia and Thomas. In light of the high court's 4-4 decision in the Tom F. case just two years ago, some legal commentators had predicted a much closer result.

The school district in Forest Grove failed to offer the student an Individualized Education Program (IEP), but argued that fact was irrelevant. The school district argued that because the student had never received special education services from the district the student's parents lacked standing to sue under IDEA. The court rejected the school district's argument as unavailing, relying upon the “remedial purpose” of the statute, and reasoning that parents already have a heavy evidentiary burden to prove when they assume the risk of a private placement. Moreover, the court pointed out that “a school district's failure to propose an IEP of any kind is at least as serious a violation of its responsibilities under IDEA as a failure to provide an adequate IEP.”

Furthermore, the court rejected as unfounded the school district's fear that schools districts will suffer financial hardship if parental standing is not restricted to those situations where the student has already received and “tried out” the school district's offerings.

About Autism
Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 150 children in the United States, affecting four times as many boys as girls. The prevalence of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.

About Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Autism Speaks funds more than $30 million each year in new autism research, in addition to supporting the Autism Treatment Network, Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, Autism Clinical Trials Network, Autism Tissue Program and a range of other scientific and medical programs. Notable awareness initiatives include the establishment of the annual United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 and an award-winning, multi-year national public service advertising campaign with the Ad Council. Autism Speaks' family services efforts include the Autism Video Glossary, a 100 Day Kit for newly-diagnosed families, a School Community Tool Kit and the distribution of community grants to local service providers. Its government relations department, through its Autism Votes initiative, has played a critical role in securing federal legislation to advance the federal government's response to autism, and has successfully advocated for insurance reform to require insurers to cover medically-necessary autism therapies. Each year, Autism Speaks Walk Now for Autism fundraising events are held in more than 70 cities across the country, as well as Canada and the United Kingdom. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit www.autismspeaks.org.

Men's Age as Determined by a Trip to Walmart.

You are in the middle of some kind of project around the house mowing the lawn, putting a new fence in, painting the living room, or whatever. You are hot and sweaty, covered in dirt or paint. You have your old work clothes on. You know the outfit - shorts with the hole in crotch, old T-shirt with a stain from who knows what, and an old pair of tennis shoes.

Right in the middle of this great home improvement project you realize you need to run to Wal-Mart to get something to help complete the job.

Depending on your age you might do the following:

In your 20's:
Stop what you are doing. Shave, take a shower, blow dry your hair, brush your teeth, floss, and put on clean clothes. Check yourself in the mirror and flex. Add a dab of your favorite cologne because you never know, you just might meet some hot chick while standing in the checkout lane. And you went to school with the pretty girl running the register.

In your 30's:
Stop what you are doing, put on clean shorts and shirt. Change shoes. You married the hot chick so no need for much else. Wash your hands and comb your hair. Check yourself in the mirror. Still got it. Add a shot of your favorite cologne to cover the smell. The cute girl running the register is the kid sister to someone you went to school with.

In your 40's:
Stop what you are doing. Put a sweatshirt that is long enough to cover the hole in the crotch of your shorts. Put on different shoes and a hat. Wash your hands. Your bottle of Brute Cologne is almost empty so you don't want to waste any of it on a trip to Wal-Mart. Check yourself in the mirror and do more sucking in than flexing. The spicy young thing running the register is your daughter's age and you feel weird thinking she is spicy.

In your 50's:
Stop what you are doing. Put a hat on, wipe the dirt off your hands onto your shirt. Change shoes because you don't want to get dirt in your new sports car. Check yourself in the mirror and you swear not to wear that shirt anymore because it makes you look fat The Cutie running the register smiles when she sees you coming and you think you still have it. Then you remember the hat you have on is from Buddy's Bait & Beer Bar and it says, 'I Got Worms .'

In your 60's:
Stop what you are doing. No need for a hat anymore. Hose the dog shit off your shoes. The mirror was shattered when you were in your 50's. You hope you have underwear on so nothing hangs out the hole in your pants. The girl running the register may be cute, but you don't have your glasses on so you are not sure.

In your 70's:
Stop what you are doing. Wait to go to Wal-Mart until they have your prescriptions ready, too. Don't even notice the dog shit on your shoes. The young thing at the register smiles at you because you remind her of her grandfather.

In your 80's:
Stop what you are doing. Start again. Then stop again. Now you remember you needed to go to Wal-Mart. Go to Wal-Mart and wander around trying to think what it is you are looking for. Fart out loud and you think someone called out your name. You went to school with the old lady who greeted you at the front door.

thank you to David (Andy's dad) for sharing this...

Why me?

Sometimes we understand a message when it is simply illustrated...

.....and you question God - 'why me?'....
always look at the bigger picture....

A day without the Lord - Is a day wasted.

Thank God for the stuff that didn’t hit you!

Pretty Self Expanatory. I got this from a cousin of mine and had to share. Cause I know I always forget to thank him for the "stuff that didn't hit" me. :-)
think i fixed the image issue...

SWAPTREE.COM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok so this is old news and some of you have heard about it, but for those who have not you have to check out this website!!!!!!!!!!! What you do is list books. dvds, and cd's and game systems games! Soooooo cool! All you have to do is list stuff you bought in a moment of weakness by entering the upc or isbn numbers. Then it pulls up a picture (most of the time) and puts it in your have list. Then you list things you want YOu can upload a list from AMaazon and some other site, or just look at what people have and say hey I want that and click the button and it will add it to your list. Then when someone has something you want and they have something you want you trade! All it costs you is the postage! Its awesome. Now it does ask for you credit card, but I think that is if you stiff someone. No mysterious charges have appeared so I"m not worried about it. But it is the best thing ever! We love it!!! Check it out, our user name is Pirates_Revenge.... huh wonder where that came from...
www.swaptree.com