| As in other states, Michigan schools are
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| | educational services. There were only 77
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| seeing more and more parents of disabled
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| | such complaints just nine years ago.
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| children pulling them out of public
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| | Though most cases are resolved before
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| schools, providing alternative private
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| | ever going to a hearing, the Michigan
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| education, and then suing the Michigan
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| | schools are seeing more and more parents
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| Schools to foot the bill. It has become a
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| | pulling their special needs children out
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| problem and growing expense for public
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| | of the public schools first, providing
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| schools across the nation, ever since the
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| | alternative education, and then suing the
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| passing of the federal Individuals with
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| | Michigan schools' districts for
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| Disabilities Education Act, which states
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| | compensation.
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| that public schools are required to
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| | Some cases do not even involve services
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| provide special education students with a
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| | that the Michigan schools are obligated
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| free, appropriate public education.
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| | to provide. One family with an autistic
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| Disputes arise when parents and school
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| | 12-year-old, for instance, was told by
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| administrators are in conflict over what
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| | their doctor that their son needed
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| is appropriate.
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| | several hours each week of speech
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| The Michigan Schools recently had its
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| | therapy. They wanted the Michigan schools
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| Birmingham school district sued by
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| | to provide this, but they offered 40
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| parents of a 17-year-old son with
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| | minutes each week, though they were not
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| bipolar, obsessive compulsive and
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| | obligated by law to provide any such
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| Asperger's disorders, as well as other
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| | services. The parents then went to their
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| impairments. Andrew's condition has
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| | insurance company, which paid for some of
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| become more serious in recent years,
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| | the therapy, as well.
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| though Andrew's daily regimen of pills
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| | The Lipsitt case was recently settled by
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| control his otherwise violent and
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| | a state administrative law judge, who
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| uncontrollable episodes.
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| | ruled in favor of the Lipsitt family.
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| His parents believed he would be better
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| | Judge Lauren Harkness ordered the
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| educated at home with one-on-one
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| | Michigan schools Birmingham district to
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| instruction, where there would be few
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| | pay for more than two years of homebound
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| distractions. Andrew had attended Groves
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| | special education, stating that the
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| High School in Franklin; however, his
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| | district denied Andrew a free and
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| parents took it upon themselves to pull
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| | appropriate public education. The
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| him out and provide his education at home
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| | district may appeal the ruling.
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| through private teachers.
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| | It is not that these children do not
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| Michigan schools officials in the
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| | deserve these services - they do;
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| Birmingham district believe that Andrew
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| | however, the Michigan schools have a
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| would do better being educated at the
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| | limited budget to cover such services for
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| high school with other students, where he
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| | all of the 242,000 special needs
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| could improve his social skills. The
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| | children. As the number of such children
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| dispute between parents and Michigan
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| | rises, so does the state and federal
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| schools administrators became a legal
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| | contributions to each school; however,
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| battle, with the parents seeking
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| | the current $723 million is not enough to
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| compensation of $113,000 to pay for the
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| | cover the in-school costs of special
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| at-home private teachers and therapists
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| | education, as well as the expenses
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| for the past three years, as well as to
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| | incurred by parents who make alternative
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| cover these same expenses for one
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| | educational arrangements (usually private
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| additional year.
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| | and expensive).
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| The Michigan schools district in
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| | There is no doubt that, as a society, we
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| Birmingham charged that they had provided
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| | need to provide an appropriate education
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| the Lipsitt boy with appropriate
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| | for special needs children. To do so,
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| educational opportunities by shortening
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| | without hurting other children (including
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| his school week and providing classes
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| | those with special needs who attend
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| with opportunities for him to learn to
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| | public school), the Michigan schools and
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| socialize (some in regular classroom
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| | other public school systems across the
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| settings). They made numerous attempts to
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| | nation must develop a better method of
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| create a special educational program for
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| | communicating and working with the
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| Andrew, all of which were rejected by his
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| | parents of special needs children, the
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| parents, who wanted him home schooled.
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| | community and government. Better funding
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| This is not the first such case for the
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| | and guidelines must exist for the
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| Michigan schools that currently have
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| | schools, as well as other funding
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| 242,000 students, who receive special
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| | opportunities for such parents to provide
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| educational services, and the number is
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| | non-educational services needed for their
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| growing each year. In the 2005-2006
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| | children. Otherwise, the public schools
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| school year, the Michigan schools saw 110
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| | will be bankrupt paying for expensive
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| formal complaints over special
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| | educations and services for only a few.
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