Let me tell you what just happened because it matters more than the headlines are saying.

Yesterday (June 12th), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a student with epilepsy who was getting less instruction than her peers because of her disability.

Her name is Ava.

Her seizures make mornings impossible.
Her old school adjusted her schedule. Her new one refused.
So while her classmates got 6+ hours of instruction, Ava got just over 4.
 

Her parents tried everything.
Meetings. Emails. Requests.
And when nothing changed, they filed a lawsuit under the ADA and Section 504.
 

The lower courts told them: Unless the school acted in bad faith, it doesn’t count.

Read that again.
They didn’t say the school did the right thing.
They just said the bar to prove harm was too high.

But on June 12, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that families don’t have to prove schools acted out of malice. Just that they ignored the child’s needs.

That’s called deliberate indifference. And it matters.

Because for decades, families have had to prove harm like they were on trial while schools got the benefit of the doubt

You could be dismissed not because your child wasn’t harmed but because you couldn’t prove someone intended to hurt them.

Now? That bar just got lower. And fairer.

Here’s why this ruling matters for you:
• It validates what you’ve felt for years: when schools do nothing, that is a choice.
• It shifts the focus from excuses to impact because harm still hurts, even if it wasn’t “on purpose.”
• And it gives you language and legal backing to name what’s happening without being labeled “too sensitive” or “too demanding.”
 

It won’t make school teams suddenly listen.
It won’t stop the “We’ve always done it this way” scripts.

But it does send a message:

If you’ve been fighting for basic accommodations…
If you’ve been told “we’re doing our best” while your child falls further behind…
You’re not imagining it.
And you’re not alone.
 

Click here to read the Supreme Court ruling.
 

What to Ponder: 

What does it say about our systems when parents have to carry the burden of proof, even after their child has already been harmed?
 

What to Ask:  

Is my child’s school responding to what they know my child needs or just doing what’s easiest to justify?

What to Do:

Before the school year starts, name your own boundary. Not just what you’ll say yes to but what you’ll stop apologizing for.
 

You were never asking for too much. You're asking for your child to get the education they deserve.

I'm standing with you,

P.S. If you’ve been holding your advocacy together with late-night Googling and scribbled notes on the back of envelopes... you’re not alone.

During the summer I have more time where we can have a private conversation about what you are worried about and what some next steps could be for you. 

If you're interested, here's the link to my online calendar. You can pick a day and time that works best for you.
You don’t have to figure it out alone.
P.S.S. Please remember I'm not attorney and can't give you legal advice.