S-3826.1  _______________________________________________

                    SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8037

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington   57th Legislature        2002 Regular Session

By Senators West, Brown, Winsley, Sheahan and McAuliffe

Read first time 01/31/2002.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.

Requesting that Congress modify IDEA to allow parent choice for assessment and treatment.

    TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, Infants and toddlers from birth to the age of three with developmental delays and special needs are our most vulnerable population; and

    WHEREAS, Research shows that early intervention to assess their needs and initiate intensive, effective therapy can change and improve such a child's ability to function throughout his or her life; and

    WHEREAS, Washington State through research and demonstration at the University of Washington and the state's seventeen Neurodevelopmental Centers has been the leader in assessment and remediation for developmentally delayed infants and toddlers for more than forty years; and

    WHEREAS, Therapy before the age of three at one of Washington State's excellent Neurodevelopmental Centers results in a significant percentage of children who need no further intervention or special services provided at federal, state, local, and private expense; and

    WHEREAS, Basing early intervention services on an itinerant model will reduce the amount of specialized services for each child and family; and

    WHEREAS, Serving all developmentally delayed children outside of centers will more than double the cost to federal, state, local, and private sources; and

    WHEREAS, Inclusion for developmentally delayed children in their families, schools, and communities is now and has always been the goal of assessment and treatment for Washington State's seventeen Neurodevelopmental Centers; and

    WHEREAS, Support and education of parents, families, and caregivers has been a major component of treatment for children with developmental delays at Washington State's seventeen Neurodevelopmental Centers; and

    WHEREAS, Parent choice for the assessment and treatment of their children is an inalienable right; and

    WHEREAS, Wording for the original Education for All Act of 1975, now known as Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is taken directly from legislation enacted in Washington State in 1971 (HB 90); and

    WHEREAS, Wording in the amended IDEA takes away parent choice of assessment and treatment for their developmentally delayed children in Neurodevelopmental Centers such as the seventeen model Neurodevelopmental Centers in Washington State which have successfully served thousands of children for more than forty years with a constantly improving program;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress, through its process to reauthorize IDEA, modify the wording regarding "natural environments" to allow for parent choice for assessment and treatment of their developmentally delayed infants and toddlers at a Neurodevelopmental Center such as the seventeen outstanding Neurodevelopmental Centers serving children and families in Washington State.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the Secretary of the Department of Education, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

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