Educational alternatives hindered for Atlanta students

Photo by Lentheus Chaney/The Atlanta Voice Michelle Thompson Hall and her son travel 40 miles daily to a specialized school. Their commute continues since the Atlanta School Board rejected an application in September for a proposed charter school. Hall, a supporter of the public charter school called Tapestry, said she moved her son from the Atlanta Public School District to his current school because APS was unable to meet his specialized education needs. “Getting the attention of the administrators and initiating an IEP (Individualized Education Program) was a frustrating process and took a long time,” Hall said. “Advocating for all the accommodations and support he needed was (also) interrupted and suspended by the pandemic. “The special education support he did receive was not adequate,” Hall said. Additionally, Hall noticed a change in her son’s behavior, and his mental well-being declined while attending APS. She said she had to find an alternative for his neurodiverse needs. “My child, who loved school, was brought to tears on a daily basis. My joyful and naturally extroverted child turned inward and depressed,” Hall said. “Thus, we made the decision to find an educational alternative.” The term neurodivergent, neurodiverse or neurodiversity, according to the Cleveland...