Amsterdam News | With the 2025–2026 school year having arrived, families and school members are preparing their children. Community members and officials are signing and reworking legislation tailored to helping all children thrive, especially those with disabilities.

New York is home to numerous school districts, labeled by borough and then detailed specifically to the schools in those cities and neighborhoods. According to the city’s Department of Education, about 200,000 children in the public school system have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that help support coping with a disability that hinders their learning.

Students with emotional, behavioral, or attention disabilities are more likely to be subjected to harsher punishments and disciplinary actions, rather than positive reinforcement and second chances. According to a informe by Advocates for Children staff, specific subsections of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) prohibit schools from segregating special education students from class due to their disabilities, as well as hold schools accountable for only providing students with “necessary behavioral support.”