Advocacy Restored a Student’s Right to Remain in School

Quane Daley is a young adult in St. Lucie County, Florida, living with Autism. In the spring of his senior year, Quane and his parents made it clear that he wanted to stay in school, defer his diploma, and keep getting the special education support he deserved until he turned 22. But the school district gave them the wrong information, saying Quane wasn’t eligible to defer his diploma or continue his education. Even after his parents pushed back and spoke directly with the school district administration, they were told again that Quane couldn’t stay in school and would have to turn to other agencies for any additional help.

Fortunately, one of those agencies pointed the family to Disability Rights Florida. By the time Quane’s parents got connected with DRF, he had already lost an entire year of services. DRF stepped in, filed a state complaint, and fought to get Quane back in school and compensated for the time he missed. Thanks to their advocacy and a quick resolution, Quane returned to a transition program in St. Lucie Schools and received intensive summer services to help him catch up. The district finally agreed to let him re-enroll and stay until he turns 22. Now, Quane is thriving in the work-study transition program, making the most of every opportunity.