Resources and References

Local and California help

• San Diego Unified Special Education — district information and contacts.
• San Diego Regional Center — services for eligible people with developmental disabilities.
• Disability Rights California — rights information and advocacy resources.
• California Department of Education Special Education — state guidance and program information.
• California special-education complaint process — current CDE complaint instructions.
• California Office of Administrative Hearings — due process, mediation, forms, calendars, and decisions.

Primary federal and state law

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
• 34 C.F.R. Part 300 — federal IDEA regulations.
• California Education Code, Part 30, Chapter 5 — procedural safeguards.
• California Education Code § 56043 — compiled special-education timelines.
• 34 C.F.R. Part 104 — Section 504 regulations.
• U.S. Department of Justice Title II primer.

Selected decisions discussed in this guide

• Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, 580 U.S. 386 (2017) — the IEP must be reasonably calculated to enable progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances.
• Capistrano Unified School District v. S.W., 21 F.4th 1125 (9th Cir. 2021) — addresses IEP obligations and unilateral private placement under its facts.
• Union School District v. Smith, 15 F.3d 1519 (9th Cir. 1994) — addresses a clear written offer of placement.
• D.O. v. Escondido Union School District, 59 F.4th 394 (9th Cir. 2023) — addresses an alleged evaluation delay and the procedural-denial-of-FAPE standard.

How to use case references

Case summaries are starting points, not substitutes for reading the decision. Confirm the citation, later history, and current statutes before relying on a case. OAH decisions are fact-specific and are not binding precedent in the same manner as appellate decisions.