In the News

In Case You Missed Them: Notable Reads (Feb 22–March 2, 2025)

In case you missed them, here are a few notable reads from February 22–March 2, 2025:

My brother is minimally verbal. He taught me that language is far more than mere words

By Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, Guardian

Language is more than words. Though published in January, I ran across this piece last week, and it deserves attention. Consider reading it and then learning more about Hello Halo and listening to the single.

Midland teens hear variety of stories, perspectives at Breaking Bias Building Bridges event

By Isabelle Pasciolla, Midland Daily News

Midland teens gathered for an event fostering understanding through storytelling. Students rotated between tables, listening to peers share personal experiences—including perspectives on autism and cognitive disabilities—before engaging in discussion. A small but powerful reminder that learning about each other matters. According to Midland Daily News’ Isabelle Pasciolla:

“Students especially appreciated storytellers that discussed autism and other cognitive disabilities as they enjoyed learning about them and being able to talk about them in an open setting.”

In a world of differences, learning about each other is a good thing.

Texas schools are required to improve accommodations for dyslexic students by this summer

By Sarah Asch, Texas Standard

This one is difficult to read. Texas has long struggled to support students with disabilities. In 2016, Houston Chronicle published the story “How Texas keeps out tens of thousands of children out of special education”. In 2021, United States Department of Education’s (USDOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) issued two Differentiated Monitoring Support (DMS) letters to the Texas Education Agency (TEA), addressing the state’s noncompliance. Nearly a decade later, schools are still falling short.

After monthlong pause, Trump admin resumes investigating disability complaints at schools

By Zachary Schermele, USA Today

U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is back to resolving complaints focused on disability discrimination. This follows an almost month-long pause in resolutions—including cancellations of mediations between school districts and parents of students who have disabilities—OCR hitting a record low for resolutions released in January, and OCR issuing a revised case processing manual.