Special needs kids need your attention

During this election season, the issue of improving funding for special needs programs in Illinois should not be ignored.

Illinois is 51st in the nation (behind Washington D.C.) in funding to provide services for an exploding population of families with children with special needs and its an issue that is completely ignored by the media and state and local politicians.

It's a pathetic situation that families like mine, who have an 11-year-old son with autism, cannot get the attention of President Obama, Sen. Durbin, Alexi Giannoulias, Mark Kirk, Pat Quinn, Melissa Bean, state senators, state representatives and media outlets to bring this issue out in the open and come up with solutions to help special needs kids and their families.

Look no farther than the special needs program in Schaumburg School District 54 for clues on how money, effort, good ideas and compassion combined together, provide results in educating special needs kids to enter adulthood in the near future. It's time for these people to get off the sidelines and help special needs children, who have been ignored for years, stop making excuses and come up with plans to get our familes the funding and help we need to educate, provide therapy, job train. and provide a future for all the children of Illinois. Time is up. There are no more excuses and we are done being ignored.

Mike Baker

Schaumburg