Point out special needs

Question: I am an educational advocate who assists families of children with special needs in acquiring appropriate programming from the public schools.

I read with interest your recent column in which a teacher stated that she was not allowed to tell a parent that she suspected a student had ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) because if she did, the school district could be held "liable" for the cost of the testing. If a parent comes to the district with questions of that nature, they refer the parents to the child's pediatrician.

That teacher's comments confirm my long-held suspicion that school systems provide teachers with misleading and inaccurate information regarding children with disabilities and the law. The truth is that public schools are required under federal law to find all students with disabilities, regardless of the severity. By not "finding" these children, her school system is in violation of federal law.

Unfortunately, teachers are often intimidated by the administrators of their school systems. They do not speak up for fear of losing their jobs.

The last reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) strengthened the role of the classroom teacher in helping to develop appropriate programming for these students. Still, the fear of retaliation exists.

The issue of special education will shortly be taking center stage as the IDEA is scheduled to undergo reauthorization in the Congress. Last year, legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would greatly water down this law.

You correctly stated that this is a national crisis that we must all face together. It is vital that we inform our legislators to not water down this law. Rather, we should do everything we can to strengthen it for the sake of our children and our country. -- L.H.G., Sugar Land, Texas

Answer: What a wonderful letter! It revitalizes all of us to go back to work to get the funds and authorization we need to back up families of children who have special needs.

In the early 1980s, I worked in Washington to help get the first national authorization for funds for early intervention and special needs. What we have learned since then about the development of an infant's brain and the opportunities for recovery from even devastating insults has more than repaid any investment we have made.

Of course, a school should be involved as a major player in the team that helps identify, evaluate, treat and provide remediation for these special children. Their families need to feel the respect and support of a team around them as they learn to handle their absolutely natural grief and their challenging job of caring for their special children.

The children themselves deserve the understanding and investment that their schoolmates and teachers can offer them. They are bound to give back far more than they are offered.

I think the teacher who wrote to us felt guilty and apologetic for her inability to step in and help as much as she would have liked to. Teachers today are likely to be pretty overwhelmed by all the responsibilities they have: They often must act as social workers, diagnosticians and therapists as well as teachers.

I was impressed with this teacher's wish to have been of more value to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Such children can be pretty overwhelming in a busy, overloaded class.

We need to back up teachers and schools by providing them with referral sources and the support they need after they identify such a child. Let's all fight for better funding and more sophisticated planning for these children and their families. If we, as a society, truly believe that no child should be left behind, then support for teachers who identify children with special needs-- and funding for special-educational services -- must become a national priority.

Questions or comments should be addressed to Dr. T. Berry Brazelton and Dr. Joshua Sparrow, care of The New York Times Syndication Sales Corp., 122 E. 42nd St., New York, NY 10168. Questions may also be sent by e-mail to: nytsyn- families@nytimes.com. Questions of general interest will be answered in this column. Drs. Brazelton and Sparrow regret that unpublished letters cannot be answered individually.

Responses to questions are not intended to constitute or to take the place of medical or psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis or treatment. If you have a question about your child's health or well- being, consult your child's health-care provider.

Dr. Brazelton heads the Brazelton Foundation, which encourages and supports education and training programs that implement preventive health-care practices for children and families. For more information, write to: Brazelton Foundation, 4031 University Drive, Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Dr. Joshua Sparrow, a child psychiatrist, is co-author of "Touchpoints Three to Six," and associate director of the Brazelton Touchpoints Center. Learn more about the Center at www.touchpoints.org.

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