Services for students with disabilities are full of gaps and navigating the systems to get them is burdensome to children and families, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
People with disabilities have to navigate a number of systems to receive support: the health-care system, the requirements and responsibilities of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act if they attend public school, and the vocational rehabilitation or Supplemental Security Income programs as adults. The report laid out detailed steps for the various systems to coordinate with each other and align with best research evidence to provide integrated support for people with disabilities across their lifetimes.