Help Ensure Emmet's Appropriate Education

Thank you for viewing our GoFundMe story!

We are attempting to raise funds for Emmet's IEP/Dispute Resolution.

Emmet is a sweet, kind-hearted 13yr old boy in the 8th grade. He’s autistic with ADHD. He also struggles with school-related PTSD and Anxiety, and has experienced suicide ideations due to bullying in school over the years.

Over the past 10 years, we have exhausted all the placements our district has to offer. Emmet struggles academically, emotionally, and socially. The traditional classroom setting is overwhelming, and transitions to another school setting during the day make him anxious.

The last few months have been hard on Emmet and our family. We've watched him move backwards, inching closer and closer to a crisis.

We've tried to work with our IEP team and admin to find a placement that meets his current and future needs. Our efforts have failed.

Emmet has tried very hard to self-advocate for his needs and struggles. He even spoke at his School Board Meeting in November 2023.

You can hear him speak between time markers 1:50:33 and 1:53:30. Within his 3-minute nerve racking time limit, he spoke about the isolation he has experienced.

Despite these efforts, Emmet’s needs continued to be unmet.

Putting his mental health and education first, we placed Emmet in a private school that is an AMAZING fit. He is currently attending regularly, learning, making friends, thriving, and even joined a club! His mental health is also improving!

Unfortunately, as a single-income family with six children, all with special needs, paying for school out of pocket is impossible, nor can we pay for legal representation to compel the school district to accept our placement request.

The $18,250 per year is too much for our family, although it is drastically lower than the cost of keeping Emmet in the district's most restrictive setting.

Emmet deserves to be in a school that supports his needs.

Emmet deserves a chance to be a life-long learner eager to seek out knowledge rather than a life-long education survivor who avoids the reminders of the trauma he has experienced in schools thus far.

We hope you can help us achieve this by supporting our GoFundMe.

All donations will go towards attorney fees to ensure Emmet can stay in the appropriate and life-saving educational setting!

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