A Herndon family prevailed in a rare special education due process case against Fairfax County Public Schools after a hearing officer found the school division failed to implement a key accommodation in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), denying him a free and appropriate public education.
The May decision followed a six-day due process hearing centered on Z.C., a student at Oakton High School in Vienna who communicates using a letterboard and keyboard through a motor-based communication method known as spelling to communicate.
The dispute began after Z.C.’s IEP was revised in June 2023 to include a trained communication partner, an accommodation his family said was necessary for him to fully participate in class and demonstrate what he knew…