ArcaMax

In the search for waste, fraud and abuse, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency have set their sights on Medicaid and the Department of Education. On paper, these potential cuts don't affect local curriculum, or educational services for special needs families, because laws are in place to protect them. But what does this really mean in practice?

It got me thinking about my own experience with in-school services. I've had hearing loss since I was a kid as a result of painful infections due to underdeveloped eustachian tubes. I had tubes surgically placed in my ears several times by the time I was 7 years old. I also had a speech impediment. Speech therapists would pull me from class during the school day to help correct my lisp. I eventually got a hearing aid. I don't necessarily consider myself disabled. But my circumstances meet the criteria for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975, which mandated "free appropriate public education" for all students with disabilities. The Act covers more children than you might think.

This is why I wanted to talk to Myrna R. Mandlawitz. She taught school for 14 years and has a law degree. She is now the policy/legislative consultant for the Council of Administrators of Special Education. When people hear the word disability, they often think of medically fragile children or children with intense behavioral needs. However, Mandlawitz told me on the phone, "When we say children with disabilities, we're really talking about the full gamut of kids." Under IDEA, in-school services touch nearly every child.

Once our children are school-aged, they spend more time with caregivers, coaches and educators than they do with their parents. School is not only where interventions such as speech therapy can happen, but it's also where developmental delays, intellectual disabilities and cognitive delays can first be recognized and assessed. Learning disabilities is the largest category covered under this umbrella, which can involve reading, math, writing or the ability to focus and retain what's being taught.

With IDEA, Congress not only guaranteed education but also pledged to cover 40% of the average cost to educate a child with disabilities. But actual funding doesn't even come close to that. The Special Needs Alliance reported that in 2024, "federal funding covers approximately 14.7% of the costs." So you'll have to excuse me if I'm a bit skeptical that additional cuts and reframing of the Department of Education will not also chip away at services protected for children under IDEA.

As for Medicaid funds, families must also realize what this means for their children attending public school. Mandlawitz said, "A lot of people have no idea that Medicaid is used for school-based services." The salaries of school staff members called "specialized instructional support personnel" are funded by Medicaid. These people are your speech language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists and your mental health professionals.

Yes, these services are mandated by law. However, if federal funding is cut, your state budget has to figure out how to support services in a system where public schools and their staff are already severely underfunded and underpaid. "If that money goes away," Mandlawitz said, "it could be devastating for kids who need these services to be successful in school."

Instead of cutting federal funding under the guise of "waste, fraud, and abuse," Congress should be figuring out how to allocate additional funding to meet the 40% funding originally promised to our children in public schools. We trust schools every single day to care for and educate our children. When we cut funding that supports their success, we undermine the future of this country, and we say loud and clear that we think our children are not worth it.

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