Activistas de SOS destacan crisis en educación especial de Puerto Rico

The Comisión de Educación Especial convened on May 14, 2021, to address critical issues affecting special education in Puerto Rico. The meeting featured testimonies from Ruth Concepción Rivera, an occupational therapist, and Keyla Pérez Lugo, a mother of a child with functional diversity, both representing the SOS movement for children in special education.

Rivera and Pérez Lugo highlighted the challenges faced by families and service providers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. They emphasized the importance of teletherapy, which had been an option prior to the pandemic but gained prominence as a necessary service during this time. Pérez Lugo expressed concern over the perception that most parents rejected teletherapy, sharing her positive experience with her son, who benefited significantly from these services.

A significant point of contention discussed was the unilateral changes made by the Department of Education regarding payment agreements for service providers. Rivera criticized these amendments, stating they undermined previously established contracts and questioned the ethics of the department's actions. She called for respect for the agreements in place and stressed the need for adequate compensation to maintain the quality of services provided to students with special needs.

The speakers painted a dire picture of the current state of special education in Puerto Rico, asserting that the rights of students with functional diversity to receive a free and appropriate public education are being compromised. They urged for immediate attention to the crisis, which they described as reaching unsustainable levels, and called for adherence to both state and federal laws governing special education.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to continue advocating for the rights and needs of children in special education, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these systemic issues.