America leads the way on support for disabled children

Alexa Posny Obama adviser disabled young people, gives his verdict on the changes in the UK for the provision of special needs

As a child, Alexa Posny often plays with a child in your neighborhood. They had, remember, many things in common: ".. We were more alike than different, we had fun together, he liked playing in the sand, as much as I did "

The only contrast between them, which became evident when the school started in Wisconsin Posny in west-central United States, was that his friend had Down syndrome. In the 1950s, the provision of special needs in ordinary schools was unheard of: Posny started school, she never joined his playmate

Over 50 years later, the memory can boost your job as assistant secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS), a role that was appointed by President Barack Obama 2009. It is, in essence, an expert in the young Obama's disabled. His office under the Ministry of Education, must ensure that children and youth with disabilities have the same opportunities as their peers at school today and beyond. Competition

Posny has a resonance in the United Kingdom after the Queen's speech, described a review of the provision of special needs, including an extension in the style of educational support to 25 years for people with disabilities.

Today, many young people with autism and other learning disabilities do not have appropriate educational support after school. This black hole after 16 highlighted at the end of the school, a campaign last year by the charity Autism ambitious, who heads the TreeHouse School in London and specialist Posny inviting them to discuss your work in its recent annual conference.

controversial reforms in England and Wales will include proposals for new systems of education, health and care of children with special needs, and the opportunity for parents, rather than guidance, control budgets children with special educational needs.

Aa Posny

work is governed by the people of the United States in 1990 with Disabilities Education Act, providing early intervention, special education and related services to over 6.5 million disabled young people up 'at the age of 21 years. So, making changes?

after school plan

It refers to the inability of American rights law, describing the reforms as "going in the same direction as [the U.S.] have worked on over 40 years." It compares the budget staff UK to Individualized Education Program of the United States (IEP), "where parents are an important part of decision making." An IEP determines the support of the school, with a transition plan for post-school employment or education. While American parents are not given budgetary control, "which are a factor in the needs of the child - parental involvement is very important"

A striking contrast is that in the United States, responsibility for young people and learning problems found in a department with a comprehensive, integrated and a single digit, the authority responsible for: Posny. OSERS cover special education and employment through research, respectively, the Office of Special Education Programs, Rehabilitation Services Administration and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation .

In the UK, disability issues are divided among several ministries. The Office of Disability "provides support and advice to public officials in the government," but lacks the size and profile Posny department. Parents seeking a diagnosis and support their children must travel agencies disparate health to education and social services.

Speech Queen reflects the piecemeal approach that offers progress in special education, but nothing on issues related to comprehensive reforms of social protection. Reductions in public sector finance, in turn, erode support for the most vulnerable in society.

Posny offer any criticism, but says the way the United States given responsibility for a department from the 1980s can "focus on results" as "people who have good life, which means "to return to paid work. "

However, he admits that the U.S. feels the same postcode lottery in the UK. The Kansas State may have only 10 annual calls of parents who question what the state considers "free appropriate education" for children with learning disabilities; Pennsylvania may have hundreds. I would not have that in common, "she said." Some parents would like us to offer more services. We provide free appropriate education - it does not mean that we must provide as much "

Posny thoughts of "appropriate education" are very interesting look at how to meet the needs of your child. His soft speech difficulties were evident by age three - "He spoke as if he had marbles in his mouth. "Reject the offer of its special primary education Posny developed its own" behavioral intervention plan ", including rewards for good behavior. The decision is based on the belief in inclusion Posny:" .. I thought I could do it myself I also wanted to remain in the general education classroom "

Posny son was never diagnosed with a condition, if she said it was probably a hyperactivity disorder attention deficit disorder. She explains: "It is the label that makes the difference is what the child needs to make a difference." Now 28, is an engineer.

Posny also oversees the administration of rehabilitation services, which administers grant programs to support people with disabilities in the workplace. Compare that to England, where, as noted in a recent National Autistic Society (NAS) of the survey, 35% of adults with autism say they are victims of harassment or discrimination at work, and 43% say left or lost a job because of his condition.

Belief Posny in school integration extends to the workplace: "The key is self-sufficiency, often in sheltered people do not earn enough money to live on their own. "He adds:

" In a sheltered workshop, is never exposed to the world and I'm not sure how to fulfill the task. " It suggests a chain of pharmacies in the U.S. as an example of a retailer that employs people with disabilities. Is not that a risk of tokenism, people being relegated to the length of the stacking and collecting shopping carts? She does not agree: "We're not only do the bagging." The key, he says, is to help businesses support employment of people with disabilities, which could be as simple as provide a different kind of president a person with a disability.

• This emphasis on self-sufficiency and employment, he adds, in part a response to the challenge of an aging population, "because we can not rely on caregivers who care parents, "Once I went, what will happen?"
• economic crisis

According to figures from 2011, more than 2 million disabled people in the U.S. have found employment through the vocational rehabilitation program in the last decade. It is his job threatened by the economic crisis and spending cuts? Posny said that while some discretionary grant programs were affected, the formula grants (linked to legislation) for children and youth with disabilities are not affected, and there is even some increase in funding. The U.S. government estimates that 2013 budget includes $ 463 million (£ 293m) for early intervention services, an increase of $ 20 million last year.

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