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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Angelina S., Parent from Queens on Preschool Special Education Services
11:08:51
ยท
172 sec
Angelina S., a parent from Queens, testified about the challenges in obtaining preschool special education services for her daughter who has autism. She highlighted the delays and difficulties in receiving mandated services from the Department of Education, emphasizing the negative impact on her child's development.
- Angelina requested $70 million be added to the city budget for preschool special education services
- She also asked to continue the $55 million that was added for this year only for preschool special education classes
- Angelina stressed that children have a legal right to these services and the city has an obligation to provide them
Angelina A.
11:08:51
So thank you for being so patient in this long meeting.
11:08:56
I'm
Cora Liu
11:08:57
here
Angelina A.
11:08:57
to testify on preschool special education services.
11:09:01
My name is Angelina Shar.
11:09:03
I live in Queens.
11:09:05
I'm the parent of Anais.
11:09:06
She's my four year old daughter, and she has autism.
11:09:09
I'm here today to talk about the need for new for the city to provide the preschool special education services that young children need.
11:09:18
My daughter Anais is a preschool student who is nonverbal and was diagnosed with autism.
11:09:24
In 2023, I had Anais evaluated for preschool special education program, and everyone agreed that she needed a small special education classroom where she will also receive speech, occupational, physical therapy, and psych services.
11:09:41
However, the Department of Education never provided Anais with her mandated related services for the twenty twenty three to twenty twenty four school year.
11:09:51
I contacted the the DOE in the summer of twenty twenty four to request that they provide the compensatory related services, but was informed that would not be possible.
11:10:03
They also failed to provide me with any information on when those services will begin.
11:10:09
It was very frustrating to see how the lack of supports and services negatively impacted my child.
11:10:16
It took a full year before Anais was provided with the compensatory related services she was all for the last school year.
11:10:24
Additionally, I briefly experienced the same challenges with getting Anais mandated related services for this school year and had to send multiple emails to the DOE before those services were put in place.
11:10:38
I'm still waiting for the DOE to provide additional supports for Anais for this school year.
11:10:45
It is upsetting to know that there are many children like my child who spend months or even years waiting for preschool special education services.
11:10:54
Children have a legal right to these services, and the city has an obligation to provide them.
11:11:00
That is why I'm joining advocates in asking the city to add $70,000,000 to the city budget for the preschool special education services and to continue the $55,000,000 that was added for this year only for preschool special education classes.
11:11:19
These funds are necessary to ensure that all preschoolers have the special education classrooms and services they need.
11:11:27
Thank you so much for listening to my testimony, and I really admire the children that stood up this this you know, throughout the day to testify and, the city council for really and genuinely listening to what the children had to say and everyone in this in
Natalie Greaves-Peters
11:11:43
this discussion.