Medicaid Cuts: "A War on Disabled People"

For families affected by disabilities, the threat to Medicaid is one of the greatest concerns about the proposed American Health Care Act. I don't need to rewrite all the information about this, but if you want to understand the risk and how it may affect people with disabilities, here's some recommended reading.

During the campaign, candidate Trump promised he would not cut Medicaid. But boy, has he backed off of that, as shown by the budget estimates from the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Read "Trump Promised Not to Cut Medicaid. His Health Bill Will Cut $880 Billion From It," Vox, March 13, 2017

This headline from Forbes speaks for itself. Citing a column in the New England Journal of Medicine, this article shows that shifting Medicaid to a block-grant program will let states decide who gets services and which services they get. For example, they could choose to deny behavioral health services, which is what people with autism and other developmental disabilities depend on.
Read "A Shift to Medicaid Block Grants is a Threat to People with Disabilities," Forbes, March 9, 2017

This isn't really about the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Do you realize that Medicaid covers 57 million people, six times the number covered by the marketplaces created through the ACA?
Read "Sleeper Issue of Medicaid's Future Could Prove Health-Care Plans' Stumbling Block," The Washington Post, March 12, 2017

In the Post article, Bob Kafka, a Texas leader of the national disability rights group ADAPT says he is concerned that cuts to Medicaid would lead to the elimination of home- and community-based services that allow people to live independently -- and force them into nursing homes. "What the Republicans are doing," Kafka says, "is basically a war on disabled people."

Is Vaccine Debate Diverting Attention from the Real Risks to People with Autism?

When you hear "Trump" and "autism," you may first think about the president's support for debunked myths that vaccines cause autism. But the uproar over that issue maybe detracting from the real concern -- the harm that will be caused by repealing protection in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), according to health policy experts at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services at the University of Pennsylvania.

In a column posted today in the New England Journal of Medicine, the authors point out that the ACA has expanded access to health insurance for low-income people in 31 states and the District of Columbia by expanding the Medicaid program -- the largest health care payer for people with autism and developmental disabilities.

One of the authors, Colleen Barry of the Bloomberg School of Public Health, said, "These rollbacks could be devastating for children and adults with autism and other disabilities. It is important not to let the controversy over the debunked link between vaccines and autism distract from what is at stake in terms of the potential loss of critical benefits this vulnerable group relies on."

The authors are also concerned about threats to the rights of students with disabilities. Barry said, "People who care about preserving and expanding services for children and adults with autism need to pay attention to the conversations in Washington around the ACA repeal and threats to IDEA to make sure important protections and guarantees are not lost."

Read "Care for Autism and Other Disabilities -- A Future in Jeopardy."

The Trump Era: What It Means for People with Disabilities, and What You Can Do

If you or someone you know has a disability and are looking for encouraging words about the election of Donald Trump, you won't find it here. But it's important to evaluate the potential impact of a Trump presidency, understand how you can be involved, and how to move forward.

Where We Are Today

I started this blog in 2008 to advocate for people with disabilities during a presidential campaign that I knew would have a major impact. Looking back, there's no doubt that our choice of President Obama led to eight years of progress. Here are just a few examples:

• Health care reform that provided coverage for millions of people, prevented insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, and removed lifetime caps on coverage.
• Advocated for rights. The Obama Administration strongly advocated for the rights of all citizens. The Department of Justice and Department of Education issued a letter to schools telling them not to tolerate bullying -- including bullying against the 6.5 million students with disabilities.
• Signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, pushing the Department of Labor, Department of Education, and other agencies to advance employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
• Launched the "Curb Cuts to the Middle Class" initiative focused on hiring people with disabilities to prepare to qualify for jobs with federal contractors and giving those employers tools to recruit and promote them.
• Signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the first new human rights treaty of the 21st century.

Many of my friends and/or Facebook friends have children with disabilities but don't appreciate the advances that have been made under President Obama. People complain about the health system, and there's certainly room for improvement, but if you have a child with a disability or chronic condition, you should cherish and fight to protect the Affordable Care Act. One way or another, changes will be made (and need to be made), but the fundamental principles -- 1) the right to health care, 2) the right to coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, and 3) the ban on lifetime caps -- must be preserved.

The Impact of a Trump Presidency

There is much fear and speculation about what Trump will do as president, but the first place to look is his stated priorities:

• Repeal the Affordable Care Act. (Something the Republican-led Congress also wants to do.)
• Reverse the expansion of Medicaid. About 10 million people on Medicaid have disabilities, representing 15 percent, and it covers not just health care, but home health aides and other critical services. If Trump repeals the ACA and turns Medicaid into a block grant program, as many as 30 million people could lose their insurance.

There is also concern that Trump will soften enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, by shifting the priorities of the Department of Justice's civil rights division and other agencies. See "Disability Rights Advocates are Terrified of a Donald Trump White House" from the Huffington Post.

I don't have a crystal ball, but several patterns are emerging:

• President-elect Trump, the "outsider," is filling his transition team with "insiders." Many of them come from the Heritage Foundation, which advocate for traditional conservative positions like cutting taxes on wealthy people and corporations, repealing the Affordable Care Act, and reforming Social Security and Medicaid in ways that would negatively affect families. If you wonder how much the Heritage Foundation cares about families like yours, consider that they strongly advocated AGAINST signing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• The people he is putting on his transition team gives you a good idea of the kind of people who he will appoint to his Cabinet. Remember, many experienced, admired Republican policy experts and government officials have distanced themselves from Trump, so he will have a hard time finding qualified people for many positions. Most will argue for less government "interference," which families like ours may call "protection" for those who most need it. For example, Ben Carson, who's been mentioned as a potential secretary of education or HHS, has said that disability issues can be better managed by "businesses, industry, Wall Street, churches, and community groups." I don't know about you, but I'm not counting on Wall Street to ensure my child's education rights and health care.
• Trump's statements and behavior on the campaign trail have created more division than unity. Now that he's been elected, he's paying lip service to bringing America together, but everything he's said and done so far has had the opposite effect. His campaign has empowered bigots, racists, anti-Semites, and misogynists -- which is even more apparent now that he's been elected. Discrimination is likely to increase, and we can only hope that Trump will enforce existing laws and not weaken them. Let's just say that people with disabilities are not and will not be a high priority among his various constituencies.

What You Can Do

1. Advocate for People with Disabilities

Here are just a few organizations that will busy fighting for your rights, services, and programs in the next four years. Don't just visit these websites. Sign up for their newsletters, register for advocacy alerts, follow them on Facebook and Twitter. When issues come up, be ready to learn about them and take action.

• Here are Autism Speaks' legislative priorities. Join Autism Votes to get involved in your state.
• See Easter Seals' priorities and sign up for their Legislative Action Network.
• Follow The Arc's Action Center to keep up with issues that affect you. Sign up for alerts.
• Post a comment or email me to suggest other resources, and I'll add them here.

2. Focus on Your Family and Loved Ones

The night Donald Trump was elected president, I was in the hospital with my daughter, during an almost two-week stay. I was disappointed -- devastated -- by the results, but it wasn't the most important thing to me at the time. Do what you can do for the people closest to you. Being a good parent, spouse, and caregiver is one of the most important things you can do, no matter what else is going on in the world. Love and support the people who need you, and take care of yourself.

3. Be Nice

This may seem trite, but as much as we complain about Trump's behavior, comments, and actions, all we can control is how we act ourselves. Set an example for your children, neighbors, and colleagues by treating people with respect, tolerating different views, and trying to understand where people are coming from. We are not as divided as much as a 50-50 election may suggest. Let's focus on what we have in common, what we can do for others, and fight for what we believe in.

"I'm a Disabled American. Trump's Policies Will Be a Disaster for People Like Me."

Ari Ne'eman, president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, is not encouraged by the prospects of a Trump presidency. Ne'eman, one of President Obama's appointees to the National Council on Disability from 2010 to 2015, says he was bothered by Trump's mocking of people with disabilities, but he has been more focused on policy.

He writes, "Hillary Clinton offered clear, specific, and timely policy proposals to expand the social safety net and civil rights of people with disabilities, while Trump made clear his intent to slash services and roll back legal protections. For the millions of Americans with disabilities who depend on Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to access the health care and public services that mean basic survival, it is policy -- not personal insult -- that has brought terror and despair in the aftermath of Trump's victory."

His concerns:

• Trump plans to slash the main source of federal financing for disability and aging services.
• Trump plans to eliminate critical legal protections for disabled people in the health care system.
• Trump may be about to set back federal autism policy by at least a decade.

But there's hope:

• Disability activists have faced down conservative attempts to roll back disability rights before -- and won.
• The Trump presidency will be a disaster -- but even a disaster presents certain opportunities.

Read his detailed analysis at vox.com, "I'm a Disabled American. Trump's Policies Will Be a Disaster for People Like Me."

Father: Reject Trump to Protect People Like My Son

[This post contains no personal insults, no reference to emails, and nothing about sex. But please read it anyway.]

Blogger and author David Royko is literally begging people to not vote for Donald Trump. Why? Because he understands the threat a Trump presidency would represent for children like his his son Ben, who has autism. Read "Please, We BEG You, For Ben's Sake, Keep Trump Out."

Like other parents with firsthand experience with disability, I can relate to David's opinion in many ways. Most parents plan for the time when their child will move out, get a job, and live on their own. For fathers like David and me, we know our children will need specialized support their entire lives. The reality is that the future of Ben and other children "is 100 percent dependent upon our government," he says. "There is no other option."

In looking at next week's election, David says, "Even if Hillary Clinton is the biggest liar on our planet and is a despicable person, nothing in her history suggests she would dismantle our government, or that she would be unpredictable in absolutely extreme ways."

This is a critical decision for our country, he says, because the current system is "functional but rickety." A seemingly small change -- defunding a program, eliminating a "wasteful" agency, appointing an unqualified leader -- could have devastating effects on families that are already struggling.

David makes his final case this way: "I am begging ― BEGGING ― everybody to consider people like Ben....This is personal for our family and specifically the most vulnerable member of our family, and the most vulnerable members of many people’s families."

From a College Student with Autism: "Why Hillary Clinton Deserves Disabled Community's Support"

In a powerful and persuasive op-ed in Vassar College's student newspaper, Jesser Horowitz shares her personal story, her relationship with Hillary Clinton, and why she urges all people with disabilities to vote for Clinton.

She writes: "I believe that Hillary Clinton can be the Amer­ican president the disabled community of this country has been waiting for: a champion of dis­ability rights that can finally bring our issues to the forefront of American politics where they belong. She, more than any other candidate in the history of America, shows a unique understanding of the struggles that disability poses....

"Most candidates for public office feel content addressing the major issues and ignoring the people that are impacted by them. They’re great at talking, but they’re terrible at listening. This becomes especially prominent when addressing issues of disability. Donald Trump doesn’t even mention the word disability on his website, yet he feels the need to comment about how vaccines cause autism on national television.

"Hillary Clinton differentiates herself from al­most every other politician through her passion for listening. She has a unique ability to ensure that voices are heard, and she utilizes that ability when crafting policy. Hillary Clinton is the only candidate with an extensive, detailed plan on how promote disability rights. That is because she is the only candidate who truly appreciates the power of listening and learning from people. That quality is essential in performing the responsibilities of pub­lic office generally and addressing issues facing the disability community specifically. It is that ability that will make her the best advocate we have ever had in the White House."

Read "Why Hillary Clinton Deserves Disabled Community's Support."

Read "Why Hillary Clinton Deserves Disabled Community's Support."

The President Has Been Reelected. What Now for People with Disabilities?

"I believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you’re willing to try."

--President Obama's acceptance speech, Nov. 7, 2012

Here are some reactions from disability advocates.

From American Training, Inc.:

"Obama's Victory Speech Includes People with Disabilities. Will His Policies Do the Same?" Chris Lenois writes, "Yes, people with disabilities are part of the President’s vision of the American dream. Obama used practically the same inclusive language at the start of his 2008 acceptance speech and I’m sure many other U.S. Presidents also have done so. Now comes the work to make the vision a reality."But the election is over, mercifully. Now it is time for the country that President Obama called 'the most diverse nation on Earth' early Wednesday morning to open its arms a little wider and embrace the more than 50 million Americans with disabilities who walk among us."

From the American Association for People with Disabilities:

"AAPD looks forward to working with President Obama, his administration, and Members of Congress to continue to expand employment opportunities, improve access to affordable health care, and increase independence for people with disabilities." AAPD President & CEO Mark Perriello said, “President Obama has a strong record on disability issues. I am confident that President Obama’s second term offers an opportunity for significant progress for Americans with disabilities.” Read more.

From Autism Speaks:

In a blog post titled "The Election is Over. Now What?" Shelley Hendrix of Autism Speaks writes: "Autism doesn’t take a break for the holidays. It doesn’t have a lame duck session. It doesn’t conduct business as usual until it is sworn into office....Our community understands that autism is an urgent public health crisis. Over the next couple of months, we need to continue our 1 in 88 Can’t Wait campaign to ensure that our family members, friends and most importantly, our elected officials, understand that as well....

"We have a lot to do....We must unite this community. We must unite our voices. We can make a difference and we can make change, but that change that we all want to see will come faster when we work together. We can do that. We just have to make a commitment to ourselves and our children that we will.

"The Autism Votes advocacy program makes it easy for you to engage to affect change at the state and federal level for people with autism and their families. Sign up today at http://advocacy.autismspeaks.org/register and when we send you an email, take five minutes to open it then make the call, send the email and ask your friends to help you make a difference."

See also "Following Election, Disability Advocates Fear Budget Cuts," from DisabilityScoop.com.

Disability Policy and the Election: A Wrap-Up

Still trying to decide who to vote for? Want to easily share a summary of the top issues to people with disabilities? Review this blog's most popular posts this election season:

Easter Seals on Campaign Issues: Exclusive Interview. The head government relations official at Easter Seals on the record of the Obama Administration, health care reform, special education, and key differences between the candidates' positions.

Thank You, Ann Coulter! A response to Coulter's offensive use of the "r-word."

Ayn Rand and Disabilities: Part 1 and Part 2. Why author Ayn Rand is relevant to this year's election, and her shocking disdain for people with disabilities.

Advocates Agree: Health Care Law is Good for People With Disabilities

Will Romney Cut Funds for Autism Program He Supported in Massachusetts?

Ryan Budget: "Dangerous to People with Disabilities"

Romney's Voucher Plan: "Disaster for Special Education Students" and Vouchers: What Would They Mean for Special Education?

A Parent's Perspective: "Autism and the GOP"

Back in April, a parent of a child with autism wrote a passionate defense of government programs that support people with autism, and how proposed cuts in the Ryan budget would affect them and their families. Among the programs:

• Birth To Three: Provides early intervention services
• IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act): Mandates a free appropriate public education for ages 3-21
• SSI: Supplemental Security Income (from Social Security)
• Medicaid: Health insurance
• Department of Developmental Disabilities: Provides a case manager, funding and some programming depending upon level of need for individuals that also have an intellectual disability

This parent wrote, "People who have high-functioning autism, Asperger's syndrome, or those who don't have a dual diagnosis of intellectual disability, don't receive services once they graduate from high school. The Bureau of Rehabilitation Services provides services for a limited time and then is phased out.

"IDEA has never been funded properly. Parents constantly and continually have to fight for educational programming. The maze of obtaining services once children turn 18 years old is a nightmare. The quality of services and level of funding now are not adequate, but if the Republicans have their way, it will get worse....

"People with autism are growing up.  They want to live productive lives as independently as possible.  Without early intervention, education and safety net supports, their outcomes will deteriorate.  The numbers of people diagnosed with autism is growing.  Ignoring this issue will not make it disappear....

"In 2012, 1 in 88 children will be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.  Some of those children will be born into Republican households....Social Darwinism's 'survival of the fittest' doesn't sound so good when it happens to your child and family."

Read the full post, "Autism and the GOP."

Thank You, Ann Coulter!

With a few exceptions, the topic of disabilities has been largely absent from this year's presidential campaigns. If it were a top issue, I wouldn't take the time to write this blog. The decisions that will be made in the next four years will have a tremendous impact on people with disabilities and the people who care about them, yet the candidates have addressed these issues only in the context of health care reform and, to a lesser extent, education policy. Autism Speaks even launched a campaign called "1 in 88 can't wait" to try to get both candidates -- or even one of them -- to share their plans to address the needs of the 1 in 88 people who have autism.

With three tweets using the words "retarded" and "retard," you did what disability advocates could not have done without you. So thank you. Specifically:

Thank you for giving John Franklin Stephens a national platform to express the hopes and challenges of people with disabilities. The positive impact he's making will far outweigh the damage that your offensive and heartless attacks have caused.

Thank you for giving people like Amy Gravino a voice. In this powerful video from Autism Speaks, Amy (who has Asperger's Syndrome) asks both candidates to talk about autism and follow up on their words with action for people like her.


Thank you for inspiring people who care about people with disabilities to vote this year. Before your "retard" tweet this week, you had tweeted "I had no idea how crucial the retarded vote is in this election" on Sept. 26. Based on your insensitive remarks, I have to assume you have no friends or family members who are affected by disabilities, but most people do. And you've made our voices louder and our impact greater this election year.

See also:
"Coulter Tweet Should Be a Wake-Up Call for People with Disabilities to Vote," by Chris Lenois at American Training, Inc.
"Ann Coulter Slammed for Using 'R-Word,'" by Michelle Diament at Disability Scoop
"An Open Letter To Ann Coulter" by John Franklin Stephens

Will Romney Cut Funds for Autism Program He Supported in Massachusetts?

As explained in this article, "Would President Romney Cut Medicaid Funds for Program Governor Romeny Asked For?," in 2008 "Governor Romney signed a law directing the state to ask the federal government for more Medicaid money for home and community support services for autistic children who, without that support, would be classified as at risk of being placed in an institution....Today the program is helping 160 children and their families get services at home."

In three years, the state will need to ask the federal government to renew those funds. What would a President Romney do with that request? As President Clinton warned in his Democratic Convention speech, "They also want to block-grant Medicaid, and cut it by a third over the coming 10 years. And a lot of that [Medicaid] money is…spent to help people with disabilities, including a lot of middle-class families whose kids have Down syndrome or autism or other severe conditions. And honestly, let’s think about it, if that happens, I don’t know what those families are going to do."

The Republicans went after Senator Kerrey as a flip-flopper in 2004, and I realized at the time that any elected official with a record could be charged with the same thing. In that election, it seemed to stick, and it leaves me wondering why Romney's not being pinned with the same label.

As Governor, Romney passed one of the most progressive health care reform laws in the nation, which has increased the number of residents covered by health insurance from 90 percent to 98 percent. The program ended discrimination by insurance companies, mandated coverage, and provided government subsidies to make the mandate feasible. The program closely resembled President Obama's Affordable Care Act.

And that's what's so interesting. Romneycare was a model for Obamacare. MIT economist Jonathan Gruber advised both Romney and Obama on their plans. And now Romney's number 1 issue is repealing the Affordable Care Act, which he says he'll do on his first day in office.

With that in mind, it's hard to know who the real Romney is, and what he's likely to do as president. He hasn't laid out clear plans, so you have to read between the lines of his speeches, look at his running mate's record and plans, and look at his record as governor. And even then, you just don't know.

Which Candidate Has Autism Speaks Endorsed?

Autism Speaks is the largest and arguably the most influential autism advocacy group, so who are they endorsing in the 2012 election? Sorry, that's a trick question, because as a tax-exempt organization, they do not endorse candidates for federal office. But the organization has an online election center with this statement:

"On November 6, 2012, voters across the United States will go to the polls to elect our next President and a new Congress. Autism Speaks is asking all candidates seeking to serve our country after this election to advance a federal autism policy that will commit to these following principles:

• a national plan to address the autism crisis with urgency
• principled leadership to guide the federal response to autism
• accountability for results from the federal research investment"

In an earlier post, I shared the detailed analysis of the candidates' positions from The Arc, but Autism Speaks has a much briefer summary of its policy principles -- so short that I can show you the whole thing:

"Autism Speaks urges all candidates running for President and Congress in 2012 to commit to these principles in establishing federal autism policy:

• The autism crisis demands a focused, coordinated, and accountable response by our public health agencies. We support the creation of a meaningful interagency structure and process to address the autism epidemic more aggressively and with a focus on results. That process should produce an effective attack on the medical condition and lay out an action plan to achieve those steps. Such a plan must address autism through research, prevention and treatment.
• Insufficient prioritization of federal research dollars for autism is evident not just from the social and economic burden of autism, but from the growing consensus within the scientific community that a broader initiative to unlock the secrets of the human brain would produce dramatic results. This new knowledge would not only improve the quality of life for millions of Americans (including those with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and a variety of mental health conditions, including autism), but could significantly reduce the projected future national debt of the United States.
• Progress in science should be coupled with ending insurance marketplace discrimination against people with autism and their families. Any health care reform and health insurance reform effort should include affordable access to effective, evidence-based autism treatments, including applied behavior analysis. This is especially true for the children of those who have served our country in the armed forces."

With these principles in mind, which candidate do you think will be most likely to advance an effective autism policy at the federal level?

Autism-Related Risk of Divorce Exaggerated?

While no one would question the fact that raising a child with a disability presents additional challenges to parents, allegations that parents with a child with autism are much more likely to get divorced may not be accurate. Studies have claimed that raising a child with autism significantly increases the rate of divorce, but a new study reported on WebMD says 75 percent of parents of children with autism remain married.

If you consider that about half of all marriages end in divorce, could it be that parents actually stay together at a higher rate when dealing with autism? Interestingly, as many as 66 percent of divorces involve couples who do not have children at all. You could speculate that not having children leads to loneliness (as one study claimed) or that the lack of responsibility makes it easier to break up.

Instead of examining statistics, I think more work should be put into helping couples improve their relationships -- both for the good of their marriage and their child. Dr. Robert Naseef of alternativechoices.com gave a presentation just last week on "Living with Autism in the Family: Taking Care of Everyone's Needs." Dr. Naseef debunked the myth of the high divorce rate, saying, "Citing autism as the reason for a marriage failing can be seen as yet another reasons for saying why autism is awful. Exaggerating the negative does not help us." And he offered the following tips:

For men:

- Learn to listen without trying to fix.

- Tell her what she is doing well.

- Do something to give her a break.

- Find romance in everyday life.

For women:

- Tell him to just listen -- that's all you need.

- Tell him what he is doing well.

- Tell him what he can do for you.

- Find romance in everyday life.

Do you have other tips, or sources of useful information?

Puppy "Not a Pet, but a Friend" to Twins with Autism

As Autism Awareness Month begins, take a look at this touching story about how a dog is helping twins with autism.

Light It Up Blue for Autism!

Autism Speaks is asking people to be creative by deciding how to "Light It Up Blue" during Autism Awareness Month in April. They're asking bloggers to post in blue during the month, and when they contacted me they recognized that my blog is already blue (just a coincidence). So the best thing I can do is challenge you to Light It Up Blue and let me and our readers know how you're doing it. Some ideas from the Light It Up Blue website:

- Wear your Autism Speaks puzzle piece pin every day throughout the month of April, and tell people about autism if they ask about it.
- Change your Facebook profile picture to the Light It Up Blue logo and tag at least 10 of your friends.
- Post on your blog about how you are “lighting it up blue” to raise autism awareness.
- Add the Light It Up Blue logo to your e-mail signature … and type your e-mails in blue!
- On April 2, wear blue clothing and ask your co-workers, schools and friends to wear blue too. Take pictures and add them to our Flickr gallery.
- Bake puzzle piece shaped cookies and frost them with blue icing, then bring them to your school, work, or place of worship to raise autism awareness.

In honor of the third annual United Nations World Awareness Day on April 2, the Empire State Building will have a special lighting on the evening of April 1. If the Empire State Building can "go blue," the sky is literally the limit.

In Education Vote, Politics Wins; Kids Lose.

If you've followed my blog over the past few months, you've read about the proposed budget in Montgomery County, Md., that would eliminate a proven program for preschoolers with disabilities, replacing it with a flawed, experimental program that was created without the involvement of parents or the county's partners who have successfully provided these services for 35 years.

Parents vocally expressed their opposition to this plan. Many pointed out that Superintendent Jerry Weast blatantly violated a Board of Education policy that new programs must be presented in time to be reviewed -- before showing up in a budget.

Today, the members of the Board of Education unanimously approved that budget.

Unanimously, they voted against a proven program that parents have relied on to give their children a chance to succeed.

Unanimously, they told parents of special-needs children that they do not value their opinions and experiences when making major changes to the services the county offers.

Unanimously, they told Dr. Weast that he can unilaterally create, change, or shut down any program he chooses -- and they will rubber stamp his decisions.

Unanimously, they threatened the future well-being of our county's youngest and most at-risk children.

UPDATE: I've created a Facebook group to encourage people to ask Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett to overturn this decision and preserve MPAC's services for children who need them. Before March 1, email him at ocemail@montgomerycountymd.gov or call his office at 240-777-2500 and urge him to overturn the realignment of preschool services and to preserve MPAC.

Parent: Dr. Weast Violated Board Policy. Will They Let Him Get Away With It?

On Tuesday, the Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the FY11 budget, which includes a proposal to dramatically change the way the county serves preschoolers with special needs. As the vote nears, more questions are being raised about the program and the way Superintendent Weast is trying to push it through, despite the objections of parents and special ed advocates. Here is a letter that a parent wrote to Patricia O'Neill, president of the board.

Dear Mrs. O’Neill:

Please fulfill your responsibility to establish effective board policies by rejecting the Superintendant’s transparent attempt to circumvent Policy AEB by mischaracterizing his plan to establish a new program as a “realignment” of funds. Policy AEB, entitled “Strategic Planning for Continuous Improvement,” clearly states:

The superintendant shall present to the Board any significant changes to the strategies and initiatives in the strategic plan, including establishing new programs, eliminating existing programs, or making major changes to programs in a manner that provides the Board an opportunity to offer suggestions on the proposed changes before the superintendant finalizes his/her recommended budget.

The superintendant has clearly violated Policy AEB by including his proposal to start a new special education preschool program in his recommended FY2011 Operating Budget once again denying the Board, parents and other stakeholders the opportunity to offer meaningful input before the budget is finalized. Even more egregious he has hired the first teacher for this program which is opening this month even before his budget recommendation has been approved.

The Board amended Policy AEB in May “to reflect the Board’s strong commitment to include staff members, students, parents, and other community members on the School Improvement Team for each school; reflect the alignment of the strategic planning process with budget preparation procedures; and to outline the opportunities for community input into the budget preparation process.” When the Board considered the revised policy, members noted that the proposal to eliminate the learning centers was introduced to the Board through the operating budget and stated that there needed to be discussion about programmatic decisions prior to the Superintendant’s delivery of the budget. The Board approved the amendments over the Superintendant’s objections. What was the point if he is going to ignore the policy and you refuse to enforce it?

At the budget working session on January 28, Mr. Durso asked how MCPS and the Board can overcome some credibility issues. Following and enforcing your own policies and procedures would be a good start.

With Budget Vote 2 Weeks Away, County Starts Staffing Unapproved, Undefined Program

Here's an interesting (and disappointing) development with the Montgomery County scheme to shift preschoolers with special needs to a new experimental program in public elementary schools. I call it a "scheme" because emerging details suggest that the public hearings, meetings with board members, and letters and phone calls from parents may not have really mattered -- because the county is moving forward with the implementation of this program BEFORE IT HAS BEEN APPROVED.

Yes, as we await the Board of Education's Feb. 9 vote on the FY2011 budget, which includes this proposed plan, the county has hired the first teacher for the program. She started working on Tuesday. That's according to a parent who talked directly to Felicia Piacente, the director of the Division of Prekindergarten Special Programs and Related Services.

Specifically, a parent spoke with Ms. Piacente about her child, who is scheduled to transition from Infants & Toddlers to special education preschool in March. As part of the transition process, the parents and the service coordinator from Infants & Toddlers visited several programs and determined that the Montgomery Primary Achievement Center (MPAC) was the appropriate placement. But before the IEP meeting, the parents learned of Superintendent Jerry Weast's plan to eliminate funding for MPAC. The parents are struggling to find any information they can about the new preschool program, but Ms. Piacente informed them that the program does not yet have a name, schedule, or classroom they can visit.

In addition, Ms. Piacente told this parent that the teacher for the new preschool class at Cashell Elementary School started on Tuesday. No paraprofessionals have been hired, and they won't be until the program has students. The teachers and pareprofessionals will receive no program-specific training.

Is anyone else outraged? Email BOE@mcpsmd.org if you value parent involvement, support appropriate education for all student, and expect transparency and honesty from your elected officials.

Politics vs. Progress: Will Board Rubber-Stamp Plan Threatening Special-Needs Preschoolers?

On Feb. 9, the Board of Education in Montgomery County, Md., will either 1) support proven educational programs for preschoolers with special needs or 2) give in to political pressure at these children's expense. One parent has submitted this compelling case to the Board. Will they listen?

Why You Should Vote NO on the Proposal to Realign Non-Public Preschool Tuition (P. 20 of budget proposal)

It will not improve LRE. The children currently placed at MPAC already have interaction with typically developing same age peers. Three of the newly-proposed Pre-K community-based classrooms do not have access to same age peers at all. The other three have access to same age peers who are at risk and may not be able to model age level skills.

It will undermine FAPE. In determining the least restrictive environment for an individual child, you must consider FAPE, which means children must receive services that are both developmentally sound and based on the individual needs of each child. Most young children with significant cognitive disabilities require intense, holistic, early-intervention in order to improve their outcomes. Placing these children in an unproven, public, pre-K program in an elementary school is not developmentally sound. Moreover, the proposed program is less intense and less holistic than the services MPAC currently provides. Unless MPAC is preserved as an option, the proposed initiative fails to consider the individual needs of each child.

Existing programs can address the needs. If the goal is to serve children with significant cognitive disabilities closer to home, MCPS should use work to make the existing PEP classes appropriate for more of these children. Any child for whom PEP is not appropriate should still have the opportunity to go to MPAC.

It will eliminate MPAC. The practical reality is that if MCPS realigns funding to create new, public, pre-K special education programs and stops funding placements at MPAC, MPAC will not be able to remain in operation. It will cease to exist – thus eliminating for certain children with severe cognitive disabilities an existing and proven educational option that meets their individual needs.

MPAC’s closure is not a “what if” scenario. Last year, MCPS unilaterally terminated its Collaborative Autism Pre-school Program (“CAPP”) with MPAC. Instead, it placed all eligible pre-K children with autism in MCPS’ public CAPP programs – many of which opened with instructors who had no prior experience teaching children with autism. Without students, MPAC had to shut down its CAPP program. There currently is no option available for children with autism ages 3-5 whose severity of needs requires the intensity of the CAPP program MPAC previously provided. If MCPS’ goal was to serve more pre-K children with autism by steering all eligible children into the public CAPP program, that goal was met. Sadly, however, it was achieved at the expense of certain autistic children who, because of severity of their needs, should have been placed in a CAPP program at MPAC.

Federal special education law requires MPAC to provide a continuum of alternative placements. When MCPS eliminates programs like MPAC, CAPP at MPAC, and the learning centers, it eliminates settings that some of its children need to make educational progress. Vote NO on the proposal to Realign Non-Public Preschool Tuition.

There's still time to express your opinion -- email BOE@mcpsmd.org and urge them to oppose this risky proposal.

Kentucky Schools: Pay No Attention to that Man Behind the Curtain

As reported by the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County last week, Superintendent Jerry Weast was the keynote speaker this Saturday at the annual conference of the Kentucky School Boards Association. The meeting's website said Dr. Weast would discuss his "ambitious comprehensive reform effort" to meet the needs of all students. When I heard that, I was compelled to write a letter to the editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal. Since the paper didn't publish it, here it is. If you have friends in Kentucky, pass it along to them too.

To the Editor:

I found it interesting that the Kentucky School Boards Association invited Dr. Jerry Weast, superintendent of schools in Montgomery County, Md., to speak at its annual meeting in Louisville Jan. 22-24 about his efforts to "invest in preschool education for both public and private providers." At the same time he is preparing his remarks on this important topic, parents like me who are raising a child with special needs are actively opposing a plan by Dr. Weast that would effectively close down a proven preschool for children with severe disabilities who need early intervention.

Before Kentucky educators decide to follow Dr. Weast's lead in the area of special education, you should know that parents whose children would be affected oppose his plan nearly unanimously. At a recent hearing, all 23 parents who testified on this topic adamantly urged the Board of Education to overturn his proposal to abandon this successful program and move children to an experimental public program with no known education model, curriculum, or parent involvement. If parents and educators in Kentucky support the right of all children to receive an appropriate education, think twice before holding up Dr. Weast as a role model.

-Mark Miller