Special Needs Kids Staying in Traditional Schools

August 31st, 2012
From Christina HoagSign up for our weekly newsletter! 

The high cost of educating students with special needs is disproportionately falling on traditional public schools as other students increasingly opt for alternatives that aren’t always readily open to those requiring special education.

The issue is particularly acute in districts where enrollment has declined due to demographic changes such as low birth rates and population shifts combined with an influx of charter schools and voucher programs that have siphoned off students.

School district officials say all schools that receive public funds should share the cost of special education.

“It raises an ethical responsibility question,” said Eric Gordon, chief executive officer of Cleveland Metropolitan School District. “We welcome our students with special needs, but the most expensive programming is on public districts.”

In Cleveland, the district has lost 41 percent of its students since 1996 while its proportion of students with special needs rose from 13.4 percent to 22.9 percent last year. In Milwaukee, enrollment has dropped by nearly 19 percent over the past decade, but the percentage of students with disabilities has risen from 15.8 percent in 2002 to 19.7 percent in 2012.

Los Angeles, the nation’s second largest system with 665,000 students, has seen enrollment slide by 8.5 percent since 2005-06, while its special needs population has increased from 11 percent to 13 percent.

The U.S. Department of Education’s office of civil rights is investigating charter school practices relating to students with disabilities in five districts around the country, said Russlyn Ali, assistant secretary of civil rights. The probes, which look at admissions, curriculum and accommodation of needs, are the first of their kind, said Ali, who would not release the names of the districts.

While the number of students with special needs has not increased, the rising proportion has driven up costs for cash-strapped schools. Special education, which requires speech pathologists, psychologists and trained teachers, and sometimes special facilities and equipment, can cost four times more than general education. Federal funds only cover a fraction of the extra expense.

Public Schools of Philadelphia, for example, spent $9,100 per regular education pupil in 2009, $14,560 per pupil with milder disabilities and $39,130 for more severe disabilities, according to a consultant’s report that compared special education costs. Other districts cited report similar numbers: Los Angeles Unified spent $6,900 to school a regular education student, $15,180 for a pupil with milder disabilities and $25,530 for a child with significant needs.

With budget shortfalls creating staffing crunches and federal law requiring putting children with disabilities in regular classrooms when possible to remove the stigma and encourage diversity, general education teachers now may find a number of pupils with special needs in their classes.

“There used to be one or two. You’d sit them at the front of the class, but now there are 10 or 12,” said Barbara Schulman, an Orange County special education teacher who heads the California Teachers Association’s special education committee. “Teachers need to know what they’re doing.”

Most charter, parochial and magnet schools serve children with disabilities, but they are often milder disabilities, leaving the brunt of students with significant needs in traditional district schools.

Special needs enrollment in Philadelphia district schools and charters is roughly 14 percent, but about half the district’s pupils with special needs have severe disabilities compared to about a third for charters.

Charter proponents say schools do not turn away kids with disabilities or ask if an applicant has disabilities, which is illegal, and note that in six states — Nevada, Wyoming, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania — charters serve more pupils with special needs than local districts

As districts increasingly offer other options, kids with disabilities are not enrolling in the alternatives at the same rate. Some parents may feel their child is better served with a traditional public school, said Ursula Wright, interim president and chief executive of the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools.

“Charter schools give all parents opportunities for choices. Sometimes the choice is not to select a charter school,” she said.

Some charters, such as Partnership to Uplift Communities, have made serving special needs their mission. The Los Angeles charter organization has special needs enrollment ranging from 9 percent to 17 percent at its 13 schools.

Many charters have been reluctant to tackle special education because they lack expertise, but that is starting to change, said Kaye Ragland, who heads special education for the Partnership.

Districts have started to reach out to charters to collaborate more on special education. Some, like Los Angeles Unified, are training charter teachers. Denver Public Schools has gone further.

Two years ago, the district requested that charter operators agree to a mission of equity in schools and included clauses in charter contracts stipulating that they must install programs for severe special needs if required.

Aided by district-provided training and funding, several charter operators now host centers specializing in autism, emotional disturbance and cognitive delay, serving 15 percent of the district’s students with significant needs. More centers are in the works, said John Simmons, executive director of student services for Denver schools.

“We want to realize this idea of equity between traditional district schools and non-traditional schools. It’s about looking at schools on a level playing field,” he said.

Parents like Matthew Asner, whose 9-year-old son with autism attends a traditional Los Angeles Unified school, hope the issue gets figured it out soon. He’d like the fourth-grader to go to charter middle and high schools, but knows it’s a challenge to find one that accommodates autistic students and has openings.

“I don’t think we’ve got a good handle on this,” said Asner, who is executive director of Autism Speaks, an advocacy organization. “We don’t want to see this kind of exclusion.”

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Is Summer Camp in Your Child’s Future?

By Leia Rogers

Summer is almost here and if you’re a parent of a child of a certain age, you start hearing chatter about summer camps, day camps and all fun activities typical children enjoy. But what about your child who uses a wheelchair, or has difficulty speaking or eating? Is this in his or her future?

Definitely! There are camps in many states and across the nation that serve children with special needs. At least 32 camps specifically serve children with cerebral palsy, according to Needymeds.org, an organization that helps find affordable medications for those who can’t afford them.

But how do you choose the right camp? And, more importantly, how do you know whether your child is ready for a camp experience?

Summer camp can do wonders for a youngster’s self-confidence and social skills, not to mention new skills learned from camp activities. Sure, it can be hard letting go, especially if your child has a severe disability.  But keep in mind that even though they miss you, they’re probably going to have a ball!

Choosing a Camp

The American Camp Association provides a wealth of information about types of camps and helpful tips for choosing one. Best of all, it offers a searchable database of U.S. camps. Just plug in your requirements, such as camps that serve children with mental or physical disabilities, and appropriate camp choices appear. You can even plug in cost parameters.

Another option is to call local chapters of major disability organizations about camps in your area. Many organizations publish lists of camps and can connect you with camp directors and former campers.

Paying for Camp

Of course, part of your research will involve figuring out what you can afford. The cost of camps varies widely, with some high-end special-needs camps costing thousands of dollars for multiple-week sessions.

You can help fund your child’s camp experience by applying for scholarships. Experts say to do so from December through March, because the money is gone by April or May. If you have missed the boat this year, you can start thinking of next year. The early bird gets the worm in terms of scholarship funding.

Still other sources of funding include charitable organizations and fraternal organizations such as the Lions, Kiwanis, and Rotary Clubs, all of which sponsor special-needs camps. And depending on your child’s specific special need, he or she may be eligible for financial aid from your state. Other sources of scholarships include religious or ethnic charities.

One thing to know: You usually first need to find a camp that can take your child — most of these organizations send the scholarship money to the camp in the child’s name, not to the parents directly.

Questions to Ask of a Specific Camp

After you’ve narrowed your choices, what do you do next?  Handing over your child to complete strangers for a few days or longer requires lots of trust. Don’t be embarrassed to ask a lot of questions and repeat them until you understand the answers clearly. It is important that you feel as comfortable as possible about the camp and what it offers.

I would pay close attention to how camp staff responds to what you believe your child will need for a good camp experience. Do they listen? Do they treat your concerns with respect? Are they willing to work with you? Although camp staff has their own expertise and experience to offer, you know your child and what it takes to keep them safe and comfortable.

Moving on, according to a great article on camps and children with disabilities on Disaboom.com, basic information and questions to ask include:

• Cost  Is it free (many are), is it on a sliding scale according to the parent’s income, or can the state help pay the camp’s fees? Look at all of your options. Special-needs camps try their best to make sure their camping experience is an option for any family, regardless of their income.
• Do they have a specific camping session tailored to cerebral palsy? Many camps have a wide variety of “specialized” weeks all summer, covering all the disability bases. It’s going to be a much better camping experience for your child if the session he or she attends has staff members well prepared to handle their specific disability.
• What age groups do they cluster together, and what session is your child eligible for according to his or her age? Most special-needs summer camps split up the sessions as follows: 6- to 13-year-olds, and then 14- to17-year-olds. The smaller the gap in ages clustered together, the more finely tuned your child’s camping xperience will be.
• What’s the on-site medical care and caregiver situation like? Most camps have dozens of caregivers and five or six (depending on how many campers are in each cabin) are then assigned to each cabin. Most of these caregivers are college students who are studying for some sort of medical degree and can be a lot of fun for the kids. And lastly, make sure they have either an RN or MD on-site 24/7. Many of the special-needs summer camps are miles away from hospitals or clinics.
• What about transportation? Many camps even go as far as providing round-trip accessible transportation for your child (the pick-up point usually being at a nearby disability rehab center). This service makes it easier on the parents, and also gives your child an additional opportunity to connect with the other kids attending camp.
  
  
  

Is Your Child Ready?

Every child matures at a different rate. This is no different for a special needs child.  Pushing an unwilling child to go to camp is never a good idea. Ask yourself these questions to determine whether or not your child is ready for camp:

• Has he/she been away from you before and how has that gone? Day camps offer a good “training experience” for overnight camp.
• Can he/she be soothed or comforted by people other than family members?
• In what ways does my child need to be prepared for the camp experience, for example, sleeping in a different type of bed?

Last but not least, if you are feeling anxious about the whole camp thing, try not to communicate that to your child. Children are sponges when it comes to soaking up signs of stress from their parents, so stay calm and confident. Going away to camp – even if it’s just across town – could be the best thing that ever happened to your child.

The Cerebral Palsy Family Network provides more information about cerebral palsy and interaction among parents of children with cerebral palsy on its Facebook page.

“Stay Put” Rule Can Prevent Disputed IEP Changes

By Anita Howell, writing for the CP Family Network

Early in our special education journey, I would have sworn IEP stood for Intensely Exhausting Process rather than Individual Education Plan. As a regulatory auditor and parent of a child with cerebral palsy, I was driven to read and research incessantly before every IEP meeting. Unfortunately, no amount of reading ever seemed to prepare me for the latest surprise.  That all changed late one night when I found a little golden nugget in the rules and regulations that enforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT (IDEA).Two little words – “Stay Put” – gave me the confidence boost I needed.

The “Stay Put” rule is intended to maintain consistency when there is a dispute between parents and a school district.  If the parents disagree with proposed changes to their child’s education plan, the district must leave the last agreed upon plan in place until the parents exhaust the appeals process.

In our situation, the team often wanted to give up on our son, Ryan.  Ryan’s cerebral palsy is very involved and he needs maximum assistance with all activities.  We also had a period of time where seizures and medication made him lethargic, causing set-backs. We were routinely pushed, at times even bullied, to drop therapy services.  We felt the team’s behavior was shameful in that a child’s future potential can’t possibly be assessed, especially at the age of 3.  In the last two years (ages six and seven), Ryan has made great progress, making me even more thankful for the two little words that have protected his education.

The first meeting after my late night discovery was quite interesting; however, I did find that the school district needed to be educated on the “Stay Put” rule.  As the team began to discuss their reasons for removing services, I expressed that those items were in dispute and would need to remain unchanged while we appealed their recommendations. Initially, I was lectured on how it is a team decision and that one person couldn’t independently make decisions.

As in our situation, you may need to present proof that “Staying Put” is a legitimate legal requirement in order to be taken seriously. The rule can be found in §300.518 – Child’s status during proceedings of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations.  Paragraph (a) states that while administrative or judicial proceedings are pending, the child must remain in his or her current educational placement.  Federal commentary further clarifies this to include related services.

There are a few things to remember when relying on the “Stay Put” rule:

• There is an exception to this rule – children who have been removed from their current IEP placement as a result of disciplinary actions are required to remain in the interim placement during the appeals process. The interim placement is the placement that was determined at the time of discipline.
• While in the meeting, make sure the team is aware of your specific concerns and that you will be disputing any changes.
• Let the team know you will be providing a written statement as to your concerns and that you are requesting mediation regarding the disputed items.
• Make sure your concerns are properly documented in the meeting minutes prior to signing off on the IEP documents.
• Follow-up within 2 days by adapting the sample letter below to document your concerns.
• Review the updated IEP to make sure no disputed changes were made.
• Carefully review anything you sign to make sure you are not waiving your child’s “Stay Put” rights.

Sample Letter/Memo

May 1, 20XX

To: IEP Team for John Smith

Re:  April 30, 20XX IEP Meeting for John Smith

As a follow-up to our April 30, 20XX IEP meeting, I would like to formally state that the following changes are disputed:

1)      Removal of occupational therapy.

2)      Reduction of speech therapy.

3)      Change from direct physical therapy services to consultative physical therapy services.

If the school district plans to require the above changes, we would like to request a mediated meeting.  Accordingly, as required by §300.518 Child’s status during proceedings of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, we are requesting that none of the disputed changes be made until we have completed the appeals process.

Sincerely,

Mary Smith

Now you have the tools needed to prevent surprise changes to your child’s IEP.  Print out these steps, focus on things you want added to your child’s IEP, take time to enjoy your family, and get some rest the night before your next IEP meeting.

More cerebral palsy information and other valuable resources for parents, families, caregivers and others are available from Cerebral Palsy Family Network.

Writer’s Profile

Anita Howell has been married to Wes since 1988. They have an 18- year-old daughter, Emily, currently attending college, and an 8-year-old son, Ryan. She writes, “Though I have never been a medical, research, or legal professional, Ryan’s stroke at birth has thrown me into the deep end of the pool for all of it. It was quite overwhelming in the early years; however, God has made Philippians 4:13 very real throughout my journey.” She shares the successes and encouragement she has found along the way with other parents on her blog posts atwww.specialfaithforspecialneeds.com.