$50M in cuts for disabled children opposed by lawmakers

[TexasTowelie]

AUSTIN >> The El Paso legislative delegation is calling on state health officials to scrap a plan that would cut $50 million a year in payments to professionals who help disabled, poor children.

To meet a mandate from the Legislature to cut spending, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission proposes cutting certain reimbursements to developmental therapists between 25 percent to 90 percent starting in September.

Critics say the proposal is penny-wise and pound- foolish. They say the cuts would mean the state would pass up $100 million a year in federal matching funds and deny critical services to children — thus dooming them to making more demands on the state in the future.

In a letter, state Sen. José Rodríguez and state Reps. Joe Pickett, Marisa Márquez, Joe Moody, Mary González and César Blanco — all Democrats — urged the commission to abandon the proposal to slash reimbursements under Medicaid, the health program for the poor.

Read more: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_28538201/50m-cuts-disabled-children-opposed-by-ep-lawmakers

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1. If the cuts do occur, the therapy should be moved to the El Paso ISD by way of

the Special Needs Program in the department of Special Education, El Paso ISD and/or any school district in Texas.

US Department of Education, Dallas Division: Legislators or parents or the school district, may ask for intake and then meet with the DoE. Then the legislators and a few parents may request that the DoE and OSERS, set up a grant writing, with El Paso ISD for IDEA and Section 504 Rehabilitation services, be set up for an Early Childhood education program that serves toddlers for therapy based on mild or medium difficulties and severe disabling conditions.

El Paso ISD may receive a rather large grant from IDEA-Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and The Rehabilitation Act of 1992-Section 504. This grant provides a separate therapist for each child either in the neighbor elementary school or in the home depending on how the grant is written.

Child Find: In the mean time and for quick help, even a community member may go to the any school district and say something like, I believe that Johnny or Mary is disabled and is in need of special education. Request a Special Education Handbook that the school district must give you by law. The school district, by law must provide special education for at least six weeks of school days and may in the summer (the Extended Program). At the end of the six weeks the school district must hold an ARD Committee Meeting for every child. Parents are a member of the committee and can invite any doctor, therapist, fellow parents of children receiving and needing to continue special needs and rehabilitative care.

OSERS is the Office of Special Education and Related Services under the US Dept. of Education.

Contact the Texas (State) Education Agency, Special Education Curriculum Division for addition help with the Special Education Booklet material for deeper understanding. There are 17 Regional (Intermediate) Education Offices spread over Texas that can help more specifically.

http://tea.texas.gov/

http://tea.texas.gov/regional_services/esc/

http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/child.find.mandate.htm