Friday, November 30, 2007

Children with IEP's Need Choice

Tax Credits for Special Needs Support is Expanding~This is a good foot forward. Instead of burying parents and teachers in the mountain of paperwork and countless endless meetings, special education, like all education, should be child-focussed. It's a wonder a parent gets anything done in today's environment where 90% of marriages of people with autistic children end in divorce. This unusually high statistic is just one indicator of the many challenges facing parents with autistic children.

Families and communities are organizing to bring support to special needs children who are just trying to be kids. Parents with autistic children shouldn't have to care about national test scores nor should they have to move every time their child is trapped in a system that promises the hope of education and tragically fails a child. Nor should they spend their time worrying about such issues given the increased stresses they already must overcome.

In 2000, Florida enacted a scholarship program allowing parents with children with disabilities to choose a school--public or private--to serve their child. By 2003, over 8000 children with disabilities in Florida attended 464 private schools. The program enjoys continued success. Empowering parents to make the best choices--whether it's a school or a service--for their children makes emotional and economic sense.

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