My son was diagnosed in utero with a Congenital Heart Defect. Within his 2 1/2 years of life he has had 3 open-heart surgeries and 8 procedures. Then he was diagnosed as Autistic.

From the beginning of our transitioning from Early Intervention to our district's disability program, all I wish was to place him into a program that would have extensive OT, ST, and ABA and more importantly a full-time program.  The district claims we have to give their program a chance before our Autistic son could be placed in special education school, etc. From this point on even though we hired an advocate to increase services and get our son an Aide, we had to pay out of pocket to justify this -  as if our therapist and doctors who've dealt with our son since birth were making it up. Two minutes around my son and anyone will see that it is evident the child needs a personal aide and additional services. Well, moving forward, the program still is what it is "10 hours" and we are still told after a month that we need to wait at least until the end of the year to seek alternative placement,  or we could pay thousands of dollars and take the district to court to give our son a full-time education we feel he deserves.

I an livid and sick of hearing from everyone "Budget" issues verses the appropriate education an Autistic child needs. I am sick of the district speaking on behalf of my son, a child they don't know not even in paper. I am just sick of it all!!!! If I were rich doors would open without a fight but I'm not! I don't see how a 10 hour week program benefits the needs of an Autistic child or any other child that is disabled.

One cannot understand the issues a mother faces unless one has a sick child they go home to everyday! I am sick of the excuses the district and administrative feeds to parents who don't know the law. And if there not to blame then who, why won't they provide a contact in the board of Ed? Why won't a name or department be provided in Congress? Who makes the executive decisions? Is it too much to ask to provide an education our child deserves or do they think a disabled child has no hope? Who knows what they think inside and what they provide on the outside is something just called "A JOB". Is it oblivious that there isn't an epidemic happening? That more and more kids will be placed in a disabled school. Eventually, changes are going to have to be made. And I don't mean taking the School Bands uniforms away or the SUV's our precinct drives or the sewers we so desperately need!