Demand on special ed is growing
Schools grapple with degree to which they're responsible for social, as well as academic, skills.
She was a bright 9-year-old with a high IQ and a flair for creative writing.
When she grew anxious and refused to do homework, her parents and school were at a loss. No one considered it a learning disability, until sixth grade when she tried to commit suicide. She was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a neurological disorder that can interfere with basic social skills.
Still, looking at her academic record, officials in her Maine school district said that while she needed extra support, they saw no reason to place the girl - known as L.I. in court documents - in special education. After all, she'd been able to learn despite her difficulties.
But her parents disagreed with the decision, and have filed a civil rights suit in federal court in Maine.
In an era when special education is one of the fastest-growing areas in school budgets nationwide, this case symbolizes new questions about the responsibilities of classroom teachers: To what extent should schools take steps to help children with social and emotional disabilities, particularly when children demonstrate strong academic capacities? Which of these kids belong in special ed and which just need extra help - from counseling to greater supervision on the playground?
These have become important questions as budgets tighten in schools across the country and the diagnosis of learning disabilities soars in both number and variety. "Special education is making us rethink what education is," says Perry Zirkel, an education law specialist at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Many educators agree that education expands beyond books, he says, but opinions differ across districts on where the line should be drawn. "Is it just reading, writing, and arithmetic? Or [should education be] interpreted more broadly to include interaction with others and social skills?"
One thing is clear: The number of children in the United States who qualify for special education is up nearly 40 percent in the past decade: Some 6.5 million children between ages 3 and 21 have been diagnosed with special needs - and cost at least twice as much as other kids to educate. Of some $50 billion (and rising) spent on special ed annually, the federal government contributes only about 18 percent.
Although national numbers haven't been tallied, special education spending is the fastest growing expenditure for schools, says Bruce Hunter of the American Association of School Administrators. When special education laws were created in the 1970s, "we had no idea what we were getting into," he says.
Some experts, indeed, worry about "mission creep," with an ever-expanding list of mental impairments. There's controversy, for example, over whether the prescription of antidepressant drugs to children is going too far. But many mental-health specialists see progress in addressing problems such as autism, dyslexia, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Legally, the federal law mandating special ed - the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, applies to any student whose education is "adversely affected" by a disability to the point of needing special education. But "adversely" is subjective across districts, say advocates. Disabilities marked by high IQs but a broad range of social or emotional needs are generally referred to as "hidden disabilities."
And with or without help from the school district, such challenges can burden families with a financial and emotional toll just as other disabilities do.
"Children who have hidden disabilities have a harder time getting services ... especially children who are passing [easily] from grade to grade," says Johanne Pino, an education specialist for Massachusetts Advocates for Children.
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