A School for Elias

Elias is a sweet, curious and intelligent child who tries his very best to make everyone proud! He is a kind friend, an animated storyteller and a rescuer of animals!

Elias has a complex learning profile and that means that schools and classrooms 
have been places of stress, shame and withdrawal. In school, his difficulty keeping up has left him several years behind his classmates and he knows that.

As we all know, special education teachers are trained to help children like Elias
learn and grow and thrive. There are small classrooms where children with
disabilities get the attention and specialized instruction that they need. 

Elias's school will not assign him a special education teacher. Even though Elias
was diagnosed with a complex and pervasive developmental disability when he
was 2 years old.  Even though he has not acquired grade level academic and socialskills for several years running.

Elias's school will not assign him to a smaller class even though he spends over an hour everyday in the hallways of the school, pacing anxiously or sitting sadly by
himself.  He misses lessons and social opportunities because the demands are too stressful and confusing for him and he can't bring himself to go inside.

Some of Elias's classmates have begun to ostracize and taunt him. Elias has been making statements such as "I'm not one of the important people at school," which could not be further from the truth. Elias IS important!

If I am able to raise funds, I will use it all in one of two ways:

1. I will hire a special education or disability attorney who can
defend Elias's right to an appropriate education.  Elias needs and emotionally safe environment with a special education teacher and an individualized learning plan. An attorney may be able to help him get that!

2. I will pay the tuition at a specialized school for children with complex learning   profiles and developmental disabilities. Elias may feel more included in a group of kids who understand him. He may be able to build friendships and see himself as one of the "important" people at school- a feeling every child should have!

As a single mother and sole provider to Elias, I would be immensely grateful for
any support received. I have worked relentlessly with the schools to get Elias the support he needs to grow and thrive but I am against a brick wall now. 

I do believe that what I need are funds to access legal representation or a specialized educational experience for Elias. Thank you so much and may fortune always be with you! Love, Melinda, Elias's Mom