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ENGROSSED HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4025
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Passed Legislature - 2002 Regular Session
State of Washington 57th Legislature 2002
Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/25/2002. Referred to
Committee on Children & Family Services.
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.
