Inclusion in Florida

Chris Kahn wrote a great article on inclusion in Florida for the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The star of her story is a young man named Tyler Lelie, who has autism and is "mainstreamed".

Kahn discusses the pressure for inclusion, the pressure from NCLB, and the pressure for reduced funding.

The nearly 100,000 kids in South Florida with learning disorders do worse than any other group on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Their poor performance puts pressure on classmates and teachers, triggering school and countywide penalties under the No Child Left Behind Act.
 
Yet the Florida Legislature has cut millions of dollars earmarked for students with severe learning disorders. School districts also expect to lose millions more from spending cuts in Congress, and the federal government has scaled back "transition" programs that prepare students with disabilities for an independent life.
 
If students like Tyler are going to make it, advocates for the handicapped say parents must learn how to shepherd them through the school system. They need to know when to compromise with teachers and when to fight.