BREN Clinic

olster partnerships between families and schools

The mission of the BREN Clinic is to help individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities get the educational and community support they need to reach their full potential. The BREN Clinic serves Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare Counties.

Educational Videos for Advocates

Qualifying Your Child

Do you disagree with the results of the district's evaluation of your child? Ask the district to pay for an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). Visit our resources page to find local providers as well as an overview of the process and sample request letter.

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Parent's Guide to Advocacy

A Parent Guide to Special Education book

This friendly guide cuts through the legalese to make the process of advocating for your child easier. Written by BREN founder Jodie Howard.

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BREN in Action

Preguntas y respuestas con el abogado Wade Chernick en Español

El abogado de educación especial Wade Chernick se une a nuestra serie Aprenda en el Almuerzo, el Lunes 10 de Noviembre de 2025, de 12:10 p.m. a 12:50 p. m., para contestar sus preguntas en Español. Nancy Diaz, la asistente legal de BREN, será la anfitriona de esta sesión en Español.

SJCL Alum Stefanie Krause discusses Special Needs Conservatorships in BREN's Learn at Lunch series

The BREN Clinic continues its Learn at Lunch series in conversation with Attorney Stefanie Krause, who will discuss special needs conservatorships on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 12:10-12:50p.

Criminalizing Special Needs

By Shannon Wentworth, BREN Program Director

In June, I had the opportunity to present an MCLE with the Office of the State Public Defender addressing the intersection between special needs and crime. As a criminal defense attorney, I saw that most of my long-term incarcerated clients had their initial arrest at school with many of those stemming from behaviors associated with special needs (diagnosed and undiagnosed).

BREN’s Learn at Lunch series kicks off with Misunderstanding Neurodiverse Behaviors

BREN is pleased to announce the expansion of our educational tools with our new Learn at Lunch series. Each session will feature an interview with an expert on a narrow specific topic. The series is designed to fit neatly into participant’s lunch hour, beginning at 12:10pm and ending at 12:50pm. When you register, you will be asked to submit questions for the expert. By gathering questions early, we can ensure that the session goes smoothly.

New BREN Clinic Director Settles In

When Jodie Howard (Law ’19) texted that the BREN Clinic was looking for a new program director, it felt like a good fit, except that my knowledge of special education law did not extend too far beyond what I have learned from my child’s special education journey.

Legally Strawberry Blonde

By Adrianne Paderna, Clovis Community College

Students with special needs often find themselves in situations in which their specific needs are not accommodated or accounted for – and in many cases, their parents find themselves fighting grueling, unexpected battles; Jodie Howard is one such parent, but the battles she fought were not only for her own family.

First and Foremost, Do No Harm

Michael Cohen was diagnosed with mild to moderate autism when he was just two years old. With the definition of what constitutes mild to moderate autism as varied as the opinions on how to assist those who exhibit it, some forms of “treatment” can actually do more harm than good.

Striving for Understanding and Acceptance

Like all parents, Arti Nayyar wants the best possible public education for her kids. Unlike most parents, however, she finds herself embroiled in a battle to obtain it. A veterinarian who runs her own private practice, Arti is the proud mother of two children. Her son Kabir, now six, was diagnosed with autism when he was three. With no prior knowledge about the condition, Arti felt overwhelmed and lost with the diagnoses, unsure how to find the proper resources for Kabir’s education.

Beating the Odds

Hello everyone, my name is Andres Diaz and I’m a 24-year-old man with Autism. Being diagnosed with Autism hasn’t stopped me from achieving my life goals. I spent 13 years in the special education system, and I’ve overcome many challenges that I faced throughout my Pre K-12 years while attending school in the Clovis Unified School District.

FREE Consultation

NOTE: The BREN Clinic is a teaching clinic. As such, it is closed for the summer. All requests for appointments will be contacted in the order received when we have our Fall schedule online.

The BREN Clinic offers free consultations to parents/educational rights holders in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare Counties. Through in-person, one-on-one consultation meetings, the BREN Clinic provides parents with legal counsel and advice regarding their child’s special education services. After an initial intake session, parents receive a written, personalized plan developed by a BREN Clinic staff attorney with actionable steps that may help to remedy the issues at hand.

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2021 Year End Review

A message from our Director

In 2021, the BREN Clinic was able to serve nearly 1,000 individuals and families. We helped 87 families receive an action plan through free legal consultations. 52 more families received legal services through free representation. More than 500 people participated in our online advocacy courses, offered in both English and Spanish. And 335 individuals attended our Webinars.

Download the Year End Review

Parent Advocacy Class

Free Advocacy Class

The BREN Clinic offers FREE special education law and advocacy training to parents, professionals, and community members interested in gaining comprehensive knowledge to empower families and individuals with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) to advocate for educational services and supports. Unfortunately, we are not currently taking registration. Please check again for future classes. You can also, join our mailing list to receive notices of future classes. You can also access recordings of our past classes using the Advocacy Resources Videos and Class Videos links near the top of our page.

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