Parents take Las Vegas-area special needs school to court claiming ‘misrepresentation of services’

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – They say they live in worry every day. A Las Vegas family shared their struggle to find resources for their teenager with special education needs.

After being on waitlist after waitlist to get seen by a specialist for their teenager on the spectrum, the Stransky family said they did whatever it took to find a school that had the proper resources for their child, but said they were let down.

“Autistic kids have a hard time taking pictures so we don’t get much nowadays,” Kelly Stransky said as she shared family images with 8 News Now.

“Rowan [drew] those mushrooms,” Kelly also showed the drawings her teenager worked on.

Artwork done with a gentle touch by her teenager Rowan who was diagnosed with autism at 12 years old, but behind every picture in the family’s home, there was an obstacle.

“It was a misrepresentation of services,” Stransky said.

The family said their most recent obstacle was with New Horizons Academy.

It’s a private autistic school also known as New Horizons Center for Learning near Rainbow and Charleston boulevards.

“When Rowan got home from school, and I asked Rowan how is the life skills program?”

Stransky said Rowan wasn’t enrolled in that program.

Ozzy: “Why was that program so critical for you?”

“Kids that are autistic, that’s one of the number one things they have trouble with is everyday life skills,” Stransky said.

The family alleged that no accommodations were made for Rowan in another class, which was the final straw for them.

That’s when the family said they took Rowan out of the school.

“Their reaction to our dismay and concerns didn’t show that there was a level of compassion,” Rowan’s father Joel Stransky added.

They hope their case helps other families pick the right school.

“We would like our money back,” the couple said.

The school provided a statement to 8 News Now.

“New Horizons Center for Learning DBA New Horizons Academy is aware of Ms. Stransky’s allegations. She filed the same complaint to the Nevada Department of Education (NDOE). We deny the allegations. The Board of Directors and school administration are working with the NDOE to respond to the complaint per their investigation. It is the school’s policy to refund any balance in tuition when a student withdraws. Ms. Stransky actually owes the school for three days of tuition from January 2-4, 2024. We have not and do not plan to pursue the payment owed.”

The Stransky’s told 8 News Now it was out of desperation that this happened to them.

“There is an extreme lack of resources,” they say.

And the family isn’t alone.

“That is a fact, I’ve been living it for the last 12 years,” Melody O’Connor said.

She is the mother of now-16-year-old Angeleena O’Connor.

“Angelina has been on so many waitlists for speech therapy, ABA therapy, [and] it took me a while to get her into a psych evaluation,” she said. “She has autism, cerebral palsy, frontal lobe epilepsy, ADHD,” says O’Connor.

She’s still on the waitlist to be seen by specialists. O’Connor blames her daughter’s lack of progress on limited resources in Southern Nevada.

“I reached out asking for help, [and] felt like I was hitting a wall,” O’Connor said.

With love, persistence, and dedication, she eventually found help but said it wasn’t easy.

“The earlier that we can intervene and provide the services that they need the more success they have as they grow up,” Anna Binder said.

Binder wears many hats. She is a mother of six and Vice Chair of the Special Education Advisory Committee for the Nevada Department of Education advocating for families and children with disabilities.

“Our early childhood counsel has been working with the state and they are getting ready to launch a one-stop shop,” Binder said.

It’s still in testing right now, but Binder said the hope is to help families find programs they qualify for.

“There is a big support group out there of us, parents that have autistic kiddos,” the Stranskys said.

The family told 8 News Now they thank the outpouring of love from other families on social media during this time. The Stranskys will be back in court on June 4.

Below is a response from the Nevada Department of Education:

Families who are unable to find resources at their child’s school should contact the Clark County School District at 702-799-CCSD. Three of the main resources in Nevada that support families of children who have a disability are Nevada PEP (1-800-216-5188), Nevada Disability Advocacy and Law Center (1-888-349-3843), and Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada (702-386-1070). Two Nevada private schools focus on serving students who have an autism spectrum disorder: Accelerated Learning Academy in Las Vegas and Newton Learning Center in Reno. Many other private schools accept students who have an autism spectrum disorder.

A directory of private schools can be found on the Nevada Department of Education’s Private Schools webpage.

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