Michael and christina kishimoto lawsuit

Roughly 1,900 students with autism are enrolled in Hawaii public schools but the vast majority are not receiving required behavioral health treatment during regular school hours, a new lawsuit against the Hawaii Department of Education and Department of Human Services alleges.

Brought in federal court by the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, the lawsuit alleges the two state agencies have failed to provide or ensure that Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA services, are made available to the students when necessary, violating federal laws including the Medicaid Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

ABA is an individualized behavioral health therapy that treats kids with autism through scientific methods known to improve communication and social functioning and also reduce interfering behaviors.

The issue, according to the Disability Rights Center, is that both agencies are flouting their responsibility under the federal law to ensu WG v Kishimoto | 1:20-CV-00154 | Court Records - UniCourt JYFE