Why do parents ask schools to diagnose problems?

I have been thinking about this topic a lot recently. In my new business, I am frequently asked by parents who have contacted me if they can just have the schools do the testing. I realize that money is an issue, but when did parents expect the schools to do everything?

Many of my teacher friends have told me for years that they are playing baby sitter with children and handling behavior problems as well as educational problems. The original plan in Los Angeles for  the Belmont High School  (which was a debacle and reported on by media across the United States) was 5000 children and a community of shops and services on campus, including medical and dental personel. The entire idea went down only after millions had been spent on a building that not only sat directly on an earthquake fault but a gas pocket that could have gone BOOM at any time. The service issue was not the one that sank it, nor the overcosts to the taxpayer.

I strongly believe that our public schools are going way beyond their charter missions. They are there to provide an appropriate education to our children. NOT TO FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR CHILDREN. The parents have to accept that responsibility. Schools do not hire diagnosticians. They hire people to provide services once the diagnoses are made. Many of the professionals in the schools do not have the expertise to determine if a child is ADHD or autistic or visually handicapped. That is the job of a medical professional in the community who does this for a living and sees a lot of kids per month.

And I have been beseiged with parents who got diagnoses through the schools which were incorrect. They tell me that it has been a living hell for them to get the school system to remove this inappropriate diagnosis tag  from their child.

So parents please understand that it is your responsibility to care for your children and to determine if there is something wrong. Then present that information to the schools for action. The price tag cannot be the sole determining factor in your decision to obtain a diagnosis for your child.