CHaines: My school is excluding all Autism classes from having access to the computer lab. The Special Education teachers are trying to fight but don’t have a clue on where to begin. Are there particular laws or cases that protect the ASD classes? We have had access to the lab for the past few months—but gen ed teachers want to go weekly instead of biweekly. What rights do we have? Please help!
This could be considered discriminatory behavior toward this group of students. The Office of Civil Rights deals with discrimination. The state education agency might also get involved if a complaint is filed.
In addition to Chuck’s suggestion — perhaps you could also focus on the assistive technology aspect. But in a blatant discrimination situation like this, you may be able to get quick relief by playing to the court of public opinion. You could try for a newspaper article; you could organize a petition; you could gather a group of parents to speak at a Board of Education meeting; you could write a letter to the editor or a guest editorial. Find some compelling research showing how helpful technology can be for students with disabilities.