Families of kids with disabilities are warning that changes to the Education Department’s approach to civil rights enforcement and special education could lead to more chaos and roadblocks for parents seeking help. The Department of Justice will take over civil rights enforcement in schools, and the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education.

Concerns Over New Approach

Advocates are concerned that special education doesn’t belong in a health department, which usually treats disabilities as conditions to manage, instead of differences in how children learn. The top Republican on the Senate education committee agrees, saying he’d pursue legislation to keep special education out of Health and Human Services.

Some families are already taking discrimination cases elsewhere, as the Education Department’s civil rights office had long been the last resort for parents who believe their child is facing discrimination at school. The office has a mandate to review all complaints, but under the Trump administration, the backlog of cases has ballooned, and resolutions have dwindled.

Impact on Families

Families spend an inordinate amount of time navigating systems that should be working together to serve children, but often aren’t. Rob Harris, an IEP advocate in Colorado, says that what matters to parents is whether they can get the services their children need. Harris has navigated those systems himself, as his 19-year-old daughter is blind.

States across the U.S. already investigate various special education complaints, including when parents allege schools aren’t following a child’s individualized education program. However, the new changes may lead to more confusion and chaos for families seeking help.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.