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I have a master's degree in education of the deaf from Gallaudet University, and retired in 2011 after 25 years of teaching at the RI School for the Deaf. I worked in the baby program, and also taught middle school and high school students there. I read with dismay and alarm the following comments reported here from Michele Simpson, Executive Director for Pupil Personnel Services. She is quoted as saying:

"Her philosophy of a special education is that 'we give it to you, and then we take it away. We give you the support you need, and take it away when you no longer need it. Eventually, you will be going out into the world as an adult, and they’re not the same [?]. You’re not going to go to a separate market, church or anything else. The world is not separate,' she said. ...

and

"'The whole idea is for us to provide you with the support so you can lose the services,' Simpson said."

Actually, the idea of special education is to provide the supports that the individual needs for as long as those supports are necessary. The purpose of special education is not to "cure" the disability and abandon services that people need and deserve. Deafness is not something that people grow out of through specialized teaching. Many disabilities are life-long and require accommodations for life. That is a major reason for the Americans with Disabilities Act. Of course all people, regardless of disability, should be accommodated so that they can take full advantage of our society. This does not translate into blame for teachers, other service providers, students, and families because students cannot be weaned off supports. Students present with a complicated array of neurological, physical, sensory, and behavioral challenges. They are entitled to quality services meeting their individual needs, and should not be subjected to a mindset that is anticipating the day when their required services can be abandoned.