1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

I’m a Pennsylvania parent of children with disabilities, including a bright child with autism and ADHD who was restrained by untrained staff. Our district admitted it, then backpedaled — and now controls every aspect of his education while shutting us out. With the U.S. Dept. of Education laying off most of its special ed and civil rights staff, families like mine have lost the only federal oversight protecting our kids under IDEA. Please act now. Strengthen state oversight, require trauma-informed training for aides, publish restraint data, and guarantee families access to advocates. Our children deserve safety, dignity, and a system that believes in their potential — not abandonment.