Expert witness special education services for attorneys, mediators and families facing complex placement disputes in Arizona and California.
Ballou Education provides expert witness and forensic educational services for legal matters involving school placement and special education. Founder Tamara Ballou has been retained as an expert witness in domestic disputes between parents over their child’s school placement and has testified in Arizona cases.
Our forensic work helps courts, mediators and attorneys understand — with evidence, not opinion — what educational setting genuinely serves a child’s needs.
Our process is thorough and objective. We conduct a comprehensive review of the child’s educational, psychological and medical records; observe the child at school; interview parents and relevant professionals; and review assessments from psychologists, speech-language pathologists and other specialists. Each proposed placement is evaluated against the child’s actual documented needs, not against a checklist or a preferred outcome.
We prepare for and give depositions, and we produce a detailed, clearly reasoned written report for the court that explains our findings and recommendations in language judges, mediators and attorneys can rely on. Our conclusions are grounded in more than 32 years of special education advocacy, IEP and 504 experience, gifted and twice-exceptional expertise, and firsthand knowledge of how schools actually operate in Arizona and California.
Educational, psychological and medical records reviewed in full and summarized for the record.
Direct observation of the child in the proposed and current educational settings.
Parents, teachers, providers and relevant professionals, documented and compared.
Independent review of evaluations from psychologists, speech-language pathologists and other specialists.
Each proposed placement measured against the child’s documented needs and legal standard.
A detailed, clearly reasoned opinion written for judges, mediators and attorneys.
Preparation and testimony under oath, with supporting documentation.
Court-qualified testimony grounded in 32+ years of special education practice.
We are advocates, not attorneys. We do not provide legal advice or represent parties in litigation. We provide expert analysis, observation and testimony that supports the legal team’s work.
Experience, training and demonstrated knowledge of special education law and practice. Tamara Ballou has more than 32 years of advocacy experience and has been retained and testified as an expert in Arizona cases involving school placement.
A full review of educational, psychological and medical records; observation of the child at school; interviews with parents and professionals; analysis of assessments; and a written report evaluating each proposed placement against the child’s documented needs.
Yes. We prepare for and give depositions and provide written reports for courts, mediators and attorneys. We are educational experts, not attorneys, and we work alongside the legal team rather than replacing it.
As early as possible. Forensic review involves records, observation and interviews, and a report written under time pressure is a weaker report. Retaining an expert before deadlines tighten produces better work.
Still not sure where to start? Book a free consultation and we will review what you have, explain what the documents actually show, and tell you honestly whether advocacy is the right next step for your family.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss the matter, the timeline and what a forensic review would involve.
