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Parsippany parent tells board district delayed autism evaluation and seeks IEP after outside testing
Summary
At the board’s public comment period, Ekta Patel described four years of behavioral struggles for her son, said outside neuropsychological testing diagnosed autism and recommended supports, and said the district scheduled a CST meeting June 3 to decide whether to pursue an IEP.
Ekta Patel, a parent of a fifth-grade student at Littleton Elementary, used the public-comment period to describe years of behavioral struggles and to urge the board and administration to provide earlier recognition and supports.
"Since first grade, we have received repeated reports regarding Devon's behavior…Despite years of behavioral struggles, no one meaningfully suggested that Devon may need a neuropsychological evaluation," Patel said, recounting outside testing that identified frontal-lobe executive-function deficits and an autism-spectrum diagnosis.
Patel said the district only implemented a 504 plan after the family obtained outside evaluations and that some recommended accommodations in the 504 were minimized or dismissed. She described her son’s emotional distress and said a Child Study Team meeting is scheduled June 3 to consider whether he needs an individualized education program (IEP).
Patel praised one teacher, saying Mrs. Pappas "made meaningful connection with Devon and made him feel understood and safe," and urged the district to "recognize the child as a whole," not simply focus on disciplinary records or academic failures.
Superintendent Dr. Chase did not provide a detailed response during the public comment segment, but the Patty family reported the CST meeting is scheduled and they will attend with supporting evaluation reports and advocates.
Why it matters: the comment raises questions about evaluation timelines, early identification of special-education needs and how district staff communicate and act on behavioral and developmental concerns.
Next steps: the family will attend the June 3 CST meeting where staff will review the reports and determine whether an IEP is warranted; the board heard the comment during the meeting’s public-comment period and did not take immediate action on the matter during the session.
