Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Autistic boys now thriving in private school

"Parents of special needs students say they're appalled that several school districts are deciding not to comply with a new state law," Chris Wright reports ('Parents: Tulsa County Schools Turned Their Backs On Us').
Many parents have already enrolled their kids in private school, assuming they would receive the scholarship money. Now, they feel these districts have turned their backs on them.

11-year-old Jackson and 12-year-old Miles are doing something their moms say they rarely ever did before, they're enjoying school and they're learning.

"He comes home every day and talks about his day," said Kimberly Tylycki, Jackson's mom. "He actually does his homework every day. He never did his homework in the public school system."

"It's changed our whole dynamic as a family because he's now a happy student who feels comfortable in his own skin," said Miles' mom Michelle Eagle.

Both boys have high-functioning autism. They are two of 135 students at the Town and Country School. All have autism, Asbergers Syndrome, or other learning disabilities.

Seventeen, including Jackson and Miles, were enrolled after House Bill 3393 passed.

But in the past week, districts like Jenks, Broken Arrow, Union and Bixby have decided not to comply with the law. That means none of the students will receive any scholarship money. ...

Scholarship money or not, Jackson and Miles will be staying at Town and Country. Their parents say they've made too many strides to put them back in public schools.

"Just the short time we've been here and our child's been here, it's worth it. If I have to work another job, my husband has to work another job, we'll do it. We'll make it work," said Tylycki.

Parents get it. Too bad the bureaucrats just don't get it.

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