Politicians Should Pay Attention to Special Needs
February 5, 2010
For too many years in this country and especially in Illinois, politicians have not paid attention to and have many times ignored the issue of funding and providing adequate services for an exploding population of special needs children and their families in Illinois. Being a father of a special needs boy, my wife and I have experienced first hand the lack of help and compassion from federal and state agencies and politicians in Illinois. Every year I update my son’s eligibility for benefits and have been told by state workers that my family would have a greater chance of winning the lottery, than receiving help from the state to deal with my son’s autism. Because of programs that are overflowing with people in need and lack of funding support from state and federal politicians, Illinois is 51st in the nation, behind every state including Washington DC . The condition of programs for special needs is pathetic to families like myself with a with a special needs child.
If President Obama is promoting the Race to the Top Program to improve education in this country, where are the plans to improve special education in every school district in Illinois and this country? Where are new plans for improving fu nding for Illinois special education programs from Democrats like Rep. Melissa Bean, Pat Quinn, Alexi Giannoulias, and Dick Durbin? Where are the new plans for special education funding from Senate hopeful Mark Kirk and other Illinois Republicans? I have contacted each one of these politicians and received no return phone call or information on any new plans. I have contacted this newspaper and WGN TV producers; to help make this issue known to the public and to force these politicians to finally answer these questions and come up with solutions for families with no luck.
Families with children with special needs, if I have a say will not be ignored by Illinois politicians and the media! Special needs kids and their families need support to educate, provide job training, and provide housing for them when they become adults. Instead of listening to our President give good speeches, his chief of staff use profanity, but deliver little in the form of results, I’m through with waiting for politicians to do the right thing! They need to be embarrassed about the help given to special needs kids and need to stop talking and get things accomplished. Talk is cheap and I’m sick off listening to both parties! The day of no action on this issue is over! I’m joining the Autism Society of Illinois and this is not the last these politicians and the media will hear from me! If you are a special needs parent and have the same frustrations as my family, join me. Special needs parents vote and politicians and the media should damn well pay attention to our needs and respond sooner than later. My patience and other special needs families’ patience for action have run out!