Thank you for the article by Sherry Beckman, “Local elementary school mainstreams autistic boy” that appeared in your Oct. 16 Life and Arts Section. The article points out many situations that special education students and parents go through everyday: Getting appropriate services, acceptance, advocates, navigating the infrastructure, discrimination, mainstreaming, etc., in no particular order.
SE parents must negotiate with schools to get appropriate services for their children through the IEP (Individual Education Program) and then hope that teachers are well trained and the school districts provide those services. Parents must follow up with the school systems to make sure services are delivered and know what to do if services are not delivered.
I encourage The Malibu Times to do more SE investigative reporting, and I encourage everyone to read the book “What’s Wrong With Timmy” by Maria Shiver which is in every SMMUSD Library and in half an hour will have a better understanding of an SE student’s and feelings.
David M. Kramer