Need help/advice on new inclusion mandate

March 15, 2002

Hi,

I really need some advice from you guys. I just received word that the

inclusion class I had thought my daughter could attend next year will not

work for her. There is a new mandate in New York that states that the

" normal " children in an inclusion class now cannot receive any services

whatsoever. (2.8 yrs, verbal apraxia, mild SID) most probably will

not qualify for the special ed half of the class since she has been doing so

well with ProEFA and a lot of therapy, so we were putting her in the " normal "

half, but she was still going to get speech and OT, however I was going to

pay for the school itself. Now, after this mandate, if I send her there, I

will have to not only pay for the school, but for private therapy, which is

out of the question for me financially. Now I have a moral dilemma that I

really need help with. Should I take the advice I have been given to test

somewhere other than her school so that she is less comfortable, make

an appointment when I know she will be tired and cranky, take her off the

ProEFA, etc.,in order to insure that she tests below her ability and

qualifies for special ed. This was suggested to me before so that she could

be in the special ed half of the inclusion class and could go to school for

free rather than us paying the tuition. My reaction was that I absolutely

would not take a space away from a child who truly should be designated as

special ed. There is a waiting list for this school because it is really

excellent and I am so gratified at 's improvement that I would never

want to deny another child this opportunity. But I am in a difficult

position because at this point the regular private preschools that I was

considering are all full and I would have to put her in a second rate school.

Sorry I am rambling, but I am so upset. If they were going to pass this

mandate, why didn't it go into effect earlier so that parents had more

options open? Not fair!

Here I am trying to do the right thing and my daughter is the one who is

getting the short end of the stick.

Thanks for any ideas you all have.

Barbara

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