08.20.2018 | New York Daily News | Jacelyn is just one of hundreds of city preschool kids with disabilities who are shut out of the special education classes promised by state law, simply because there aren’t enough seats to accommodate them. Figures published by the state Education Department on Aug. 3 indicate that the city is short by 744 seats for kids aged 3 to 5. The funding for the classes is there — but the classes themselves aren’t. So hundreds of the city’s toddlers with the toughest disabilities, including severe autism, developmental delays, blindness and difficulty hearing, are left out each year. Advocates say it’s a critical problem. “Every day that preschoolers with disabilities sit on waitlists, is a missed opportunity,” said Randi Levine, policy director for Advocates for Children of New York. “When children don’t get the services they need, they fall behind.” Read article