Moms Talk Q&A: Special Education in Benicia

For parents who have a child with special needs in the Benicia school district, you are familiar with the term Special Education. Thirty years ago, kids in Special Ed were segregated from the rest of the school so the term had a negative connotation.

Today many more students are in the Special Education programs. It's no longer just for children with severe disabilities like Downs Syndrome or Autism. Many have common challenges like Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and assorted learning disabilities like Sensory Integration Disorder.

Special services include classes like speech therapy, occupational therapy, resource teachers, behavioral therapy and even classes in socializing. Although these students have special teachers, they are integrated into the rest of the school which benefits everyone. It allows students without special needs to get to know those students with special needs. It creates empathy and tolerance in kids.

If you have a student with an Individualized Education Program, then you are familiar with the program. Getting an IEP is not easy. It requires a diagnosis which can be difficult to obtain. So once your child gets an IEP, how well does the system work?

Do you feel that the Benicia School District has adequate Special Education services? Are some schools better than others for children with special needs?