Don’t Forget Children with Disabilities

Christine Gralow, a teacher who blogs on the New York Times website, writes about the difficulties parents face in finding appropriate kindergarten placements for their young children with disabilities–particularly autism. Although she’s focused on New York, the problems she describes–complex bureacratic hoops, difficulties obtaining appropriate services for children, lack of space in appropriate programs, and inequities in the services offered to children whose parents are less affluent or savvy–are hardly unique to that city. The issues that Gralow describes can be particularly problematic for children in the early years, because young children with disabilities can’t afford to waste learning time while their parents struggle with school districts to get them services. As states and school districts invest in early education reforms, they need to ensure that those reforms address the needs of children with disabilities and their families. Particular attention needs to be paid to alignment of services for children with disabilities, so that they continue receiving appropriate services when they transition from pre-k to kindergarten or from grade to grade.