Huffington Magazine Issue 83 | Page 45

LOST BOY half. A document obtained by The Huffington Post shows that the district is offering incentives to public and charter school administrators who keep special education students under their roofs. But in a positive sign for special education students in D.C., the most recent results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that students with disabilities increased their scores by nine points in fourth grade reading and eighth grade reading and math, and by three points in fourth grade reading. The district declined to discuss Max’s case, citing privacy and pending litigation. It asserts the switch from private to public schools assuages a civil rights concern, because students with disabilities can stay in regular public schools where they can be included and not segregated. “Federal law requires that local education agencies evaluate every child at least once a year to determine whether or not they are in the least restrictive environment possible,” Dr. Nathaniel Beers, a pediatrician who oversees special education for DCPS, told HuffPost. “Is there a kid in a self-contained classroom who doesn’t need to be? Is this HUFFINGTON 01.12.14 a kid who is in a more restrictive setting, like one of our self-contained school buildings?” But many special needs advocates suspect it’s an attempt to save money. For years, a court injunction compelled D.C. to place more special education students with even low or moderate disabilities in private placement. At age 6, they believe that his window for learning how to learn is closing. Consequently, private school tuition ate significantly into the city’s school budget. All of which scratches only the surface of the complicated questions being asked by school districts across the country: How do we educate our most vulnerable citizens, children who have disabilities ranging from dyslexia to autism? Is it better to make sure their individual needs are met, or is it better to surround them with their “neurotypical” peers? When making budgeting decisions in the face of dwindling resources, do your last dollars go to general education students or to the neediest cases? Within the world of autism interventions, these questions only get tougher. As a civil right for