IT’S hard to imagine the difficult decision facing the Taylor family from Falls Creek.
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On the one hand they need to see their son Zeke gets the education to which he’s entitled but, on the other, they don’t want to keep sustaining injuries in the special needs school he attends.
Gracious enough to acknowledge the terrific job Havenlee School does in often extremely difficult circumstances, the Taylors are nonetheless very protective of their boy. Any parent would be.
Their situation offers a telling insight into the difficulties that confront parents of children living with disabilities. The only option offered to Kim Taylor that would enable her to keep Zeke in school would be for her to attend with him. With her own health problems, that simply isn’t feasible, so she finds herself between rock and a hard place.
The solution, as she sees it, is for Zeke to have an aide assigned to him who would be able to offer some protection against the types of injuries he has sustained. The Education Department, however, does not agree, saying the incidents have been minor and Zeke does not need that level of care and close supervision.
Looking after a child with disabilities would be difficult enough, requiring almost limitless reservoirs of strength and patience. Imagine on top of that having to do battle with a bureaucracy to try to get the best for your child.
Whether or not the Education Department is right or wrong in in its assessment of Zeke’s needs, the Taylors’ story opens a window on the tough world of caring for people with disabilities.
We hope that a satisfactory and workable solution to the problem is found – and found quickly.