In NY, a push to educate kids with autism near home
December 9th, 2008From Newsday:
Two Long Island area lawmakers say they support efforts to educate children with disabilities near their homes, and will call for an easing on New York regulations that cap the number of such students who can be served at special sites on Long Island.
More than 1,000 children with autism and other disabilities are sent off Long Island for education and sometimes housing, at a cost of millions of dollars, according to Long Island’s Autism United. Advocates have called for an investigation to determine why the children are sent so far from home.
“We need to get to the bottom of this and put into place policies that save taxpayer dollars, as well as make sense,” said Sen. Craig M. Johnson (D-Port Washington). He and Assemb. Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long-Beach) are backing the group’s efforts.

