re: Autistic Kids Booted From Yearbook

Victoria — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:11:26 GMT

I live in Placer County as well but I am in a different school district then Darla. My son is enrolled at rock creek elementary school in Rocklin CA. He too was left out of his yearbook and is a 9 year old child with autism.

The explanation that is posted on the Placer county education website, that it is believed to have been a parent/volunteer has me upset. I might have believed that explanation to be truthful however inexcusable, had my child not experienced exclusion from his yearbook in a different school in the same county.

I can assure you that a parent volunteer did not oversee pictures of special education children making it into the yearbook at my sons school.

Being my son is assigned to a general education class, his portrait should have been automatically included with the rest of his class. As if this exclusion was not bad enough, they did not even assign his portrait to go to a class picture of his special education class, missing two oppurtunities to include his school picture in the yearbook.

The idea that the superintendent would even attempt to pass off blame on a volunteer, or even announce they they suspected it was a parent/volunteer is appalling. Why not just take responsibility because ultimately isn't it up to the districts to make certain that all students are included? The fact that they would pass it off without really investigating it has me seriously questioning if my son or other Special education children may experience being overlooked again in the future.

I believe I paid 29 dollars for his yearbook. I did speak up immediately, before we had even arrived home that day. I had hoped to be given an explanation to help calm my son, but none were given. I was told recently by the district that I can re-address the issue in the fall because it is not as if we can all go back and reprint the yearbooks.

Personally, I don't see why not. I could respect a sincere effort being made to right this situation. Maybe even an offer to refund my money? Apologies and true responsibility for ones actions can go a long way with me.

I considered not sharing my story because I do not want to "embarrass" the district, but then I remind myself that the district is adults. What about the embarressment my young son faced?

Victoria

re: Autistic Kids Booted From Yearbook

Sheri — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:35:14 GMT

I've seen stupid and thoughtless things schools do. This is way up there. I'm wondering what they think they are accomplishing by doing this???

re: Autistic Kids Booted From Yearbook

BBBGMOM — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:48:45 GMT

sad, thoughtless, idiotic. I just don't get it. Imagine how isolating it must already be to be labeled as "special needs" - it is very weird that the school overlooked an entire group of kids.