Giving the State a Grasp on Your Kids

February 17, 2009

Part II of an in-depth look at Article 18 of the UN Convention on the Rights of

the Child

When and Peggy volunteered their child for special education

services, they never dreamed they would need a lawyer if they wanted to change

their minds.

After their son developed several learning issues, including an inability to

focus in class and difficulty processing and understanding oral and written

communication, the 's turned to the Cohasset Middle School in Massachusetts

for help. But after a year in the school's special education program, their son

was not improving academically, and felt harassed by school officials who were

closely monitoring and reporting on his behavior - everything from chewing gum

in class to forgetting his pencil.

Initially, the 's requested that the school pay for private tutoring, but

as their relationship with the administration continued to decline, the

exasperated parents finally decided to withdraw their son from the school's

program and to pay for private tutoring out of their own pockets.

Apparently, that option wasn't good enough for the school.

In December 2007, Cohasset hauled and Peggy into court, claiming that the

parents were interfering with their son's " constitutional right to a free and

appropriate education. " Read the rest of the article.

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Love, Gabby. :0)

" I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had

some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin. " ~ Jerry Newport

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