Virginia Mercury

After years of inconsistencies and complaints, Virginia has moved closer to revising its process for reporting issues with special education services, aiming to improve the structure and ensure that families receive the necessary services for their students with disabilities. The issues with the state’s dispute resolution system — an impartial procedure for parents and schools to resolve disagreements over issues with special education services — have created a divide among parents and public school leaders for at least the past five years.

Wendy Little, a parent advocating for her son who is autistic, spoke on Monday to the state’s dispute resolution system advisory group as it reviewed a study with findings about the existing system and recommendations for bettering it. Her son’s story was a key inspiration for the formation of the advisory committee through successful legislation to address the system. She called for an overhaul of the current system to resolve problems special needs families face concerning their children’s education.