In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the issue's role in campaign politics. In the 2016 campaign, a number of posts discussed Trump's bad record on disability issues more generally. As his words and actions have shown, he despises Americans with disabilities.
A week ago, Kalyn Belsha and Erica Meltzer reported at Chalkbeat: "It’s unclear what part of HHS would oversee special education. Some disability rights advocates say it could be the Administration for Community Living, which supports adults with disabilities..."
Meredith Kolodner and Marina Villeneuve at the Hechinger Report:
Trump wants to shift responsibility for federal special education programs from the Education Department to the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, but has not provided any specifics about what that transition would look like. Trump told reporters in March that HHS “will be handling special needs.”
Parents might not see an immediate difference in their children’s education, but experts warn Trump’s planned move could mean big changes in the classroom. Advocates are worried that oversight and support for schools would suffer because HHS does not have education expertise, and the needs of many children with disabilities are educational, not medical.
Denise Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, said the move would “take us back 50 years.”
“We wouldn’t take our kids to the doctor to learn reading and math, and we don’t want a primarily medical model overseeing education,” she said.
While Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on March 21 that his agency is “fully prepared to take on the responsibility of supporting individuals with special needs,” he hasn’t provided details. He also said he plans to downsize HHS, shedding 20,000 staffers in total — about a quarter of the workforce, raising questions about its capacity to provide he support and protection to students with disabilities as required by law.
