Imagine being told that your child can no longer attend school because their behaviors are too difficult to manage.

Imagine being told that your child needs to receive instruction at home because the school does not have the resources or trained professionals to meet their needs.

Now imagine having to quit your job because your child no longer has a safe, appropriate educational environment to attend.

For far too many families raising children with autism in southeastern Kentucky, these are not hypothetical situations. They are realities families are facing.

And it needs to change.

My name is Kaitlen Dyche. I am a mother of a son diagnosed with autism, and I hold a master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. I am starting this petition because I believe our children deserve educational opportunities that recognize their abilities instead of defining them by their challenges.

Throughout Laurel County and surrounding communities, children with autism are facing significant barriers to receiving appropriate education and support. Some families report their children being removed from traditional educational settings, placed on homebound or home-hospital instruction, or denied continued access to therapy services because of their behaviors.

But here’s what I wish more people understood:

Behavior is communication.

A child who struggles to communicate, regulate emotions, process sensory information, or navigate expectations is not a child who has stopped being capable of learning.

They are a child who needs someone willing and qualified to understand them.

Instead of removing these children from educational environments, we should be developing environments equipped to support them.

What Are We Asking For?

We are calling for the development of a regional autism-focused school or specialized educational center located in Laurel County, Kentucky, with the ability to serve children from surrounding counties throughout southeastern Kentucky.

We envision a facility that brings together special education teachers, Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Registered Behavior Technicians, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and other qualified professionals.

A place where children can receive individualized academic instruction, communication support, behavioral interventions, social development opportunities, and functional life skills instruction.

A place where children are not turned away simply because their needs require additional support.

A place where families have access to resources, and where schools and professionals work collaboratively to help children succeed.

This facility would expand educational options while respecting children’s rights to an appropriate public education and inclusive learning opportunities.

We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for meaningful access to education.

This Is Also About Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

When a child is removed from school because appropriate supports are unavailable, the consequences do not end with that child.

Parents may have to reduce their working hours or leave their jobs entirely. Families may lose income, financial stability, and opportunities to move forward.

In communities already facing economic challenges, this can create additional barriers for families trying to build a better future.

How can we expect families to break the cycle of poverty when they are forced out of the workforce because appropriate educational opportunities do not exist for their children?

Creating a specialized educational resource in our region could help children develop important skills, support family stability, allow more parents to remain employed, and create opportunities for qualified professionals in our communities.

This is more than an educational investment. It is an investment in Kentucky families and their futures.

Support Should Not Begin With Waiver Approval

We appreciate Governor Andy Beshear’s efforts to protect funding for essential disability services, including support for Kentucky’s Michelle P. Waiver program.

Those services are incredibly important, and families throughout Kentucky depend on them.

But we must go further.

Children should not have to wait until they are approved for a waiver, reach a crisis point, or are removed from school before they have access to the help they need.

Children deserve appropriate educational services regardless of their waiver status.

We need to invest in early support, individualized education, and resources that give children the opportunity to build skills long before their needs become a crisis.

We Are Ready to Help Make This Happen

This petition is not about one mother or one child.

There are mothers, fathers, caregivers, clinicians, educators, and professionals throughout our region who recognize this need and are willing to be part of the solution.

We are not lacking people who care. We are lacking the resources, structure, and opportunity to bring those people together to create meaningful change.

We recognize that developing a school or specialized educational center would require planning, funding, collaboration, and commitment.

We are willing to work with local school districts, state agencies, lawmakers, universities, disability advocates, community organizations, and anyone else willing to help make this vision a reality.

We are asking Kentucky’s leaders to work with families and professionals to assess the need, explore funding opportunities, and establish a realistic plan for creating a regional autism-focused educational center in Laurel County.

Sign This Petition for Our Children

Larger cities and communities in other states have developed specialized educational opportunities for children with autism. Families in rural Kentucky deserve access to appropriate educational support, too.

Our children’s futures should not be determined by their ZIP codes.

They should not lose opportunities because their behaviors are misunderstood.

They should not be made to feel that they are too difficult to educate.

And their parents should not have to choose between providing for their families and ensuring their children are safe and supported.

We are asking Governor Beshear and Kentucky’s educational leaders to hear our concerns, meet with willing families and professionals, and take meaningful steps toward establishing a regional autism-focused educational center in Laurel County.

Please sign this petition and share it with your family, friends, educators, therapists, community leaders, and anyone who believes that children with autism deserve the opportunity to succeed.

This is bigger than one child. This is about changing the future for generations of Kentucky families.

Our children are capable of so much more than the limitations being placed upon them.

Behavior is communication. It’s time we build a place that is willing to listen.