Special needs child's rights to participate in school activities
Our son is special needs(mildly mentally retarded w/autism). He is 18yrs and is very high functioning. I have had to fight for my son a lot over the years with his school in different aspects of his learning. For example, the school didn't want to teach him how to write in cursive do to his messy handwriting. I had to explain, not having pretty handwritting had nothing to do with eventually being a full grown man who couldn't read other peoples handwritting because they write in cursive instead of basic print. Our son now knows not only how read in cursive but to write it.
So here is problem, our son is in his senior year and has bee water boy for the football team for 3 years. He loves it and has developed great maturity being able to interact with the other kids. Now when I say other kids, let me iterate, other classmates not just other speical needs students. He loves this, and yes does get distracted easliy by watching other kids and watching game. I have notice the actual players do too. But they are now saying that the coaches can't be re-directing him, that isn't their job. So they don't want him down there unless us as parents are down there too. We are use to having to be at all activities because nobody wants to take time, but I am really getting sick of this school making sure they get all the financial benefits for having special needs students, but making it almost impossible to actually be able to be in a organized sport, apparently even the stinking water boy position.
Is there anything that we can do as parents to maybe open this schools eyes to any legal rights these kids have. Anything we can do beside be on sidelines re-directling. Why can't one of these so calle assistannt coaches do something besides stand there and talk in microphone. They have forgotten to be teachers first, then coach. They all need to rent movie "RADIO" Any help will be appreciated.