Denied: How Texas keeps tens of thousands of kids out of special education

Heidi Walker kisses her son Roanin Walker, 7, during a pause from studying math at their home in Kingwood, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. Roanin has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, anxiety and sensory processing disorder. His parents decided to pull him out of school to homeschool him after he was denied special education help. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle ) less Heidi Walker kisses her son Roanin Walker, 7, during a pause from studying math at their home in Kingwood, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. Roanin has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, anxiety and sensory ... more Photo: Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle Photo: Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Denied: How Texas keeps tens of thousands of kids out of special education 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

Over a decade ago, Texas officials arbitrarily decided what percentage of students should get special education services — 8.5 percent — and since then they have forced school districts to comply by strictly auditing those serving too many kids, a Houston Chronicle investigation has found.

Their efforts, which started in 2004 but have never been publicly announced or explained, have saved the Texas Education Agency billions of dollars but denied vital supports to children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, epilepsy, mental illnesses, speech impediments, traumatic brain injuries, even blindness and deafness.

In the years since its implementation, the rate of Texas kids receiving special education has plummeted from near the national average of 13 percent to the lowest in the country — by far. Last year, for the first time it fell to exactly 8.5 percent.

If Texas provided services at the same rate as the rest of the U.S., 250,000 more kids would be getting critical services such as therapy, counseling and one-on-one tutoring.

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