The Alliance for Children's Rights

Chris is an 11-year-old boy who suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which is associated with underlying disorders including ADHD, learning disabilities and behavioral, emotional and social deficits. Chris suffers from all of these disorders. The Alliance first became aware of Chris’ special needs when we assisted his parents in finalizing the adoption of his twin brother, Jamal. During that process, we discovered that the family was unable to take on the emotional and financial responsibility of adopting Chris, due to his severe and often disruptive behavioral issues. We learned that Chris was attending a school that was not meeting his needs, and due to the school’s failure to provide Chris with appropriate positive behavioral modification services, he often had outbursts at school, including physically assaulting his teachers and peers, vehemently refusing to complete any class work, defacing his school bus, and running away from the playground and across dangerous railroad tracks. They knew that he was capable of better, and that he needed a more appropriate school placement and services to address his disabilities.

The Alliance worked with Chris’ school district to help him receive a comprehensive educational evaluation. This evaluation provided insight into Chris’ unique confluence of disabilities and allowed his Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to better understand what was driving his inattention, inappropriate behaviors, and learning disabilities. Working in collaboration with the school district, The Alliance then found an excellent and more appropriate non-public school which placed special emphasis on positive behavioral management. Chris is thriving in this new environment and the positive changes are evident in his academic growth and improved behavior at home. Additionally, through this process, and our guidance, his caregivers have obtained the increased knowledge and advocacy skills they need to navigate through the system to ensure that Chris receives all of the benefits and support to which he is entitled.

As a result of these significant changes, Chris’s foster parents decided to adopt him. The Alliance completed Chris’s adoption in a wonderful ceremony where he finally joined his brother in becoming a permanent member of the family. Chris was beaming with pride that he made it to his adoption day, a moment that for many years nobody thought was possible. Chris’ story shows how powerful the right school setting and services can be for a child in foster care. We are thrilled to have helped Chris and his family find the best program to manage his disabilities, and to give Chris the confidence and opportunity to succeed, in school and as a positive part of a wonderful family.