More Students on the Spectrum, More Lawsuits......

by Kristina Chew · 2009-06-07 16:39:00 UTC
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IDEA 2004 from http://idea.ed.gov/images/splash_screen_muted_2.jpg
Today's Orlando Sentinel says that there has been a "surge" of students on the autism spectrum in Florida schools, and describes the challenges of providing an "appropriate" education for them. While there were 3,243 students with autism in Florida public schools in 1998-9, there were more than 15,200 this year.

I don't know the specifics for my own school district's autism program, but there's no question there are more students with autism in the public schools than before (and especially as my district has a well-regard in-district autism program) Ten years ago, programs like the one my son is in simply did not exist. Students were sent out of the district or who knows what; my son's middle school program is only in its third year. Ten years ago, Charlie could not have been educated in the public schools, which would have offered nothing for him. And even still, there have been days when we've not been sure if they still can, or if the services provided are entirely appropriate.

No surprise to read that, in California, more parents are in legal disputes with their school district, according to yesterday's Fresno Bee:

Records kept by the Office of Administrative Hearings in Sacramento, which assigns administrative law judges to hear special education disputes, show that there were 38 requests for hearings at Clovis Unified since September 2005 -- more than double the number filed for Fresno Unified, which is twice the size of the Clovis district. Clovis also had more hearing requests than other Valley school districts.
.........

Clovis Unified spends $34 million a year on special education programs, she said -- about 6% of its overall budget.

Clovis is more willing to fight than other districts -- even when it means racking up more than $100,000 in costs for a case.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensures that students with disabilities are provided with "appropriate" educational services up till the age of 21 and it's precisely what is an "appropriate education" that parents and school districts clash over. With more students in Florida and all over to provide more services for, what "appropriate" means is going to remain in dispute. Frankly I'd rather that school districts do the right thing and, instead of racking up six-figure legal bills, put that money into programs, services, and teachers---to put their dollars into what students need, rather than into lawyers' pockets.

Kristina Chew
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