My son, a vibrant 5-year-old with ADHD, is being forced into kindergarten before he is socially or emotionally ready. This situation arose because his current school refuses to allow him to return, for a gap year before kindergarten. He doesn't qualify for public or developmental preschool. Private preschools have declined his admission due to his unique needs and accommodations required for his condition. As parents who need to work for financial stability and insurance, we are left with no other option but to send him into a setting that may not be best suited for him.

This story isn't unique to us; it's the reality of many families across Arkansas who have neurodiverse children. The system forces parents into difficult decisions - quitting their jobs or sending their children into environments that may not be ideal for them - simply because private preschools do not want to accept kids that require different needs or accommodations.

This is not setting children up for success, it's telling them they aren't good enough or too much to handle, which is a recipe for children being left behind. It is difficult for children who are on the higher functioning end of the spectrum to gain appropriate support due to late, mislabeled, or non-educational recognized diagnoses. They are often mislabeled as troubled or students with behavioral issues. This makes early intervention and support critical to their success. 

In the United States, approximately 6.4 million children aged 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). These children deserve equal access to education as much as any other child does.

We call on Our House Representatives, the Arkansas Department of Education, and local school districts across the state: Improve access to Pre-K education, especially designed for neurodiverse children, like my son. If a child has been discriminated by private preschools and does not meet title one qualification of public preschool they should be allowed acceptance without any discrimination.

Let's ensure every child in Arkansas gets an equal chance at quality early childhood education irrespective of their neurological diversity. Please sign this petition today!