Rochester, NY: NY State denies hundreds of special needs students services

Sept 14, 2017, (VIDEO) Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle: Watchdog: Crisis in special ed services for preschoolers leaves families scrambling http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/investigations/2017/09/14/watchdog-crisis-special-ed-services-preschoolers-leaves-families-scrambling/620257001/ Leilani's story encapsulates a crisis in early education in New York that has been brewing for years, leaving young children foundering when simple interventions could prepare them for success. Hundreds of young children in Monroe County, and more across the state, are facing delays in receiving the early medical and educational interventions to which they're entitled, putting them at a developmental disadvantage and greatly increasing the chances they'll need more, costlier help later in life. In the 2016-17 school year alone, nearly 400 3- and 4-year-olds in Monroe County were not evaluated for developmental delays within 60 days of their referral as required by law, according to local school district records. That is more than a quarter of all children who were referred and that number is almost certainly underreported…. The simplest explanation is that there are not enough special education teachers, speech pathologists and physical therapists to meet the demand. OP ED, Contact NY legislators: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2017/09/14/you-listening-legislators-fix-special-ed-crisis/665647001/