State bureaucracy can frustrate parents of kids with tremendous needs

My heart goes out to Tysheema Brown, the Georgia woman who felt her only option to help her son was to drive him to Nebraska. No one who has not walked in her shoes has the right to judge her actions. Until you have lived this nightmare day after day, you cannot judge her. The sad reality is that there are individuals who cannot be reached, let alone “fixed.”

We struggled to get desperately needed help for our two special needs children. We believed with enough love, professional guidance and the resources we could help our children become productive members of society. We were thwarted by local and state bureaucratic roadblocks and indifference.

When we requested in writing, on the first day of a new school year, the federally mandated testing necessary to judge eligibility for the special education class that her teachers recommended, we were told the money allotted for that school year had already been spent. Desperate to move forward, we personally paid for the services of a recommended professional for this testing. Upon providing the conclusive results of this testing to the school system, we were told it was invalid because it wasn’t done by the school psychologist.

This is one tiny example of the bureaucracy that blocked our efforts to get help in the face of escalating problems and eventual delinquency. As we continued to actively seek out solutions on our own, the situation went from bad to worse. The judicial systems of many surrounding counties were equally unwilling to take actions that could perhaps have provided programs aimed at rehabilitation.

Twice we have endeavored to have our second child qualify for disability insurance, and twice he has been turned down despite the recommendation of the state mandated psychiatrist.

We understand Brown’s heart-rending dilemma and support what she saw as her only option. Her love of her child is so strong that she was willing to make this choice. I am outraged that the state of Georgia has countermanded her legal right as a parent. When a parent or surrogate has advocated to the limit of his or her ability, Georgia offers nothing but a cold shoulder.

> Susan Haines lives in Atlanta.