In The Politics of Autism, I write that autism parents must be advocates for their children, who in turn must grow up to be advocates for themselves.
Very quickly, parents will learn that there is no one-stop shopping in the autism world. Various providers offer various services, with various levels of support from the government, which largely depends on where one lives. Wherever they turn, parents run into red tape. “Trying to obtain services for a special-needs child is a never-ending process,” one mother told a Tennessee journalist. “Taking care of the children is much simpler than taking care of the paperwork.” ThIn special educations, parents face unusual challenges and must be proactive. Those challenges get far more intense during disasters. And coronavirus is proving to be the biggest disaster of all. Providing education is proving to be very difficult.
From Bridget Fetsko at Education Week:
