School Leaves Autistic Kids Out of Yearbook

Actually, I had something similar happen to Jimmy's classroom a few years ago. His class was left off the Mini Cougar Pride wall, as it wasn't considered a homeroom by the PTO.

School Leaves Autistic Kids Out Of Yearbook
Parents Say Act Done Intentionally, School Disagrees

POSTED: 4:08 am EDT June 18, 2008

ROSEVILLE, Calif. -- The parents of twin autistic boys left out of a yearbook are accusing the school of discrimination.
Darla Granger said her sons Holden and Hunter were purposely left out of their Roseville, Calif., school yearbook -- along with the rest of the school's special needs children.

"When your own school district and the people that are supposed to be there to support you and your kids and your situation sort of shun you, it is hurtful," Granger said.

Holden and Hunter Granger, who are in second grade, are students of the Placer County Board of Education, which assigns special-need students to various schools within the district.

The boys are in a collage photo in the yearbook, but the school's special needs class, including teachers, is missing.
"I got the book and was excited to look up their class and see their pictures with their names and their teachers, and they weren't in it," Granger said.

Darla and her husband, Blandon, have filed a complaint with the Placer County Board of Education, but said they aren't taking legal action and would just like to ensure that the class pictures of their children and other special-needs students are included in future yearbooks.

The Placer County superintendent who oversees the special needs program at Quail Glen Elementary said she thinks the incident was an oversight, not a malicious act.

"I do have a hard time understanding how they could have not noticed that every autistic child from their campus was missing," Darla Granger said.

The boys' father said he doesn't know if the act was intentional but doesn't think care was given to include the children with special needs in the yearbook.

"I just felt like I needed to speak out," Blandon Granger said. "I feel like we are owed an apology."