Jul 27, 2007

Special education = costly education

A recent article in Forbes perpetuates the stereotypical view of special education as a benefit program for wealthy parents who sue school districts for costly and unnecessary programs.

"... the explosion in autism diagnoses has been a boon to lawyers who represent parents dissatisfied with the level of education their autistic kids are getting. Usually well-off, these parents don't hesitate to hire a lawyer to seek extra services or private school tuition."

The author recounts stories of million-dollar legal judgments, and suggests that autism diagnoses are booming because savvy parents and lawyers are seeking to profit by working the system. The article, by Mary Ellen Egan, can be purchased here.

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