What about starting a Texas Mediation Organization

[Guest guest]

I know that there are many of you that are single minded in following

through with school accountability for your child, no matter what the

cost to your time or pocketbook. Is there a way that we could start a

Watchdog group called Texas Education-Autism Mediation Organization

that has a volunteer board comprised of Attorneys, Medical

Professionals and Parents?

The Board's single focus would be to help parents get valid requests

acted upon by schools, without requiring families to 'get lawyered

up'. In other words, to set guidelines up that the organization would

request certain things from school districts to be forwarded to the

requesting family. Obviously, there is more than one family

requesting these items, and no one is getting it. But if this board

saw that 4 families are requesting the same thing from the same ISD

and not getting it, then something is wrong and a letter of

condemnation would go out to the Superintendent from the organization

noting the lack of response.

I just don't think schools are scared enough. They have the money,

the power, the education, the lawyers and our children. What do we as

parents have? We're broke because insurance doesn't cover autism. OT

and ST costs $100/hour ( " cash only, please " ). Our ARD Advocates have

their hands full. Maybe it's time we Autism Parents formally organized.

Well, I always have good ideas, but that doesn't mean they come to

fruition. Maybe someone else can get inspired to find a resolution to

this Educational formal lack of response.