Stereotyping Special-Education Students

In a Dec. 31 Metro article ["Waiting Too Late to Test? Parents Protest as Area Schools Delay Learning-Disability Screening in Hopes of Avoiding Costly Special Education"], William W. Knudsen, a deputy assistant secretary at the Education Department, offered this hypothesis for why many children need special education services: "Maybe their parents work two jobs and just don't have the time to read a book to them at night."

I have been a stay-at-home parent since our oldest child, now 10, was a year old. When he was diagnosed with social, emotional and academic disabilities at 3, we provided various private therapies, behavioral support, social skills training, neuropsychological testing, and reading and math tutoring.

We read to our son every night, and we supplemented private interventions with at-home practice. He attended private preschool for three years, and we provided an in-school aide for part of that time, at our expense, before our son enrolled in a public kindergarten.

Mr. Knudsen's hypothesis is based on blaming parents for their children's disabilities, a common and unfortunate stereotype that often leads to treatment being delayed. We do all we can to fulfill our responsibility for our son's care and education, as do just about all parents I know -- working or not -- regardless of their children's needs. When blame is replaced with understanding, we'll be better able to meet all children's needs in the most effective manner.

JOY LEVIN

Olney