Hi

>> Fairfax county has 19,000 special needs kids
>fairfax county virginia?  they inflate those numbers. as to amber, can you
>afford to take her to a private ot?  you should talk to jill jacobs another
>FC mom with two kids with CP.

        I doubt very seriously they have inflated numbers - they are the
12th largest school system in the US according to enrollment, have 13% of
Virginia school children - with a total popluation of 152,000 and 234
schools. And lets remember this is only the public schools - there are tons
of private schools - but I would be willing to bet real money - they have
few Special Needs kids in privwte schools . Fairfax County has 943,000
people in it according to county figures.

According to their WEBsite - they Define Special Ed to cover -
Programs are offered for children who have the following
disabilities:autism, developmental delay (preschool), emotional disability,
hearing impairment, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic
impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or
language impairment, severe disability, traumatic brain injury, and visual
impairment.

The Special ED web site is
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/DSSSE/spedhome.htm

        No, I can afford nothing at this point. I am slugging away each
month just to get out of the red and back to ground zero. I could take on a
part-time job again but then Amber looses out. I had Amber's ex-step sister
living with us but she split rather abruptly and she was contributing to the
household. My child support arrives at the whim of his most undependable
unexcellency - just in time or just enough that I can't go to court. He is
leaving for Bosnia - today, and I have no contacts or anything. I am looking
into piano lessons for her (I have a 1910 upright grand in the livingroom) -
the Dr. who does the music at the Church ( yes, some Witches go to church -
the Unitarian Universalist kind that is) offers lessons - I just need to see
how much they are and how much I can swipe from the grocery money and still
have us eat. Maybe, I can strike a deal with him. As to school - I think the
solution is - a better way to type/write, more time on assignments or
shortened  assignments. I am going to compose a letter to the team of
teachers - and make suggestions. Life lately has been a bit like trying to
keep up with a wildfire in a high wind.

                                       Brightest Blessings
                                                Trisha