The projected prison space needed for the year 2017 is measured by the rate of reading failure among 4th grade students this year. Reading failure and general school failure is often linked to different forms of disabilities such as learning disabilities, ADHD/ADD, speech and language deficits, visual impairments, hearing impairments and other health impairments. The law places the obligation upon schools to provide these students with the supportive services necessary to achieve success in school and become functional citizens. Students have the right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education that produces measurable annual progress for students with disabilities. Since school failure is highly correlated with criminality, poverty, unemployment and welfare recipiency, the key to changing the dismal life course of a school child unable to read, succeed or function properly in class is to prevent school failure.
At Access Center for Education, we provide accessible special education advocacy to parents of students who qualify, or may qualify, for special education. We help parents ensure their child receives a Free and Appropriate Public Education that produces measurable annual results. We help parents change the life course of their children from a trajectory of failure to a path for success. We do this by conducting a case analysis of the child's school records in order to prove what each child needs to succeed in school. We discuss our case analysis with parents and work together with parents to form a family team in meetings with school personnel and ensure each child receives the support needed to succeed.
When a child does not receive an appropriate education, the impact harms the child's self-development and disrupts the family. With some children, the impact of inappropriate education is visible in annual school photos. Do you notice changes? This boy started school happy and after a few years of an inappropriate education, became mean, self-hating and didn't have even minimal educational skills. These school pictures were taken in Kindergarten, Third Grade, and Fourth Grade -after advocacy and change. After advocacy at the end of his third-grade year, this boy began the process of healing and change in a non-public therapeutic education center designed to meet his unique needs. You can see the difference in the fourth grade school photo! Today, this boy has become a fine young man, is passing all his high school classes and has a bright future. He is only one of the children we have released from the bondage of inappropriate special education that harms children and families.