Legal clinic helping parents of children with special needs

A big battle is about to go down in the Caruso home. Six-year-old Brayden loves playing with his toy soldiers, but his mom Brandie is a warrior in real life. She's already locked in another battle. It’s with his school district to get him the help he needs for his ADHD and anxiety.

"It feels like you are up against Goliath. They have the resources to do what you need them to do. They're legally obligated to give you the resources, but you have to fight them tooth and nail," Brandie says.

It's been a one-woman fight. Well, that is until she saw a Facebook post for the South Texas College of Law Houston's free legal clinic. Law students working under the supervision of actual lawyers will help people like Brandie to get what they need through mediation. If that doesn't work, they will take it to court. It's free. That's right, free. Yet this secret weapon for parents remains pretty much that, a secret.

"Cause they assume that they can't get a lawyer and that's mostly true because there's a huge access to justice gap in Texas. Only one in 11,000 who need free legal assistance will get free legal assistance in Texas. So most people who are low income assume they can't get it," said Attorney Eric Kwartler.

The clinic is pretty new. It's only been around about a year now, but it's already helped over 20 families -- families like Brayden and Brandie. They're still locked in their fight, but they’ve called in some reinforcements.

"If you don't know, what you don't know, you are fighting against Goliath and you don't even have a stone," she says.

Here’s the number for that stone: Call the legal clinic at (713) 646-2990.