For Kids with Disabilities, Schools Offer Hope & Hurdles

(10/10/05) Thousands of families in the North Country have school-age kids who live with disabilities, everything from dyslexia to muscular dystrophy to attention deficit. Public schools are a front-line resource, providing a remarkable range of services, therapies, and specialized education. Good programs can make all the difference, helping a child to reach a productive, engaged life. But navigating the bureaucracy and finding the best strategies for each child can be a daily struggle. Kathy Hannon is a special education teacher who lives in Saranac Lake and works in Lake Placid. Her daughter Michaela lives with spastic cerebral palsy. Michaela, who is twelve years old, uses a wheelchair and a voice machine that helps her to communicate. In this morning's installment of the Hannon's audio diary, they offer a glimpse of the ups and downs of the education system as seen from the inside.