Children with disabilities are entitled to a public education but when schools don't fulfill that obligation, it's often left to parents to fight for their rights under federal law.

Many experts say it is harmful to isolate children with disabilities. Nationally, however, public districts paid for about 166,000 students with disabilities to attend segregated schools.

State audits confirm a WFYI investigation that uncovered some schools do not accurately report how often they forcibly isolate and restrain students.

A WFYI investigation revealed some Indiana schools aren’t accurately reporting how often they forcibly isolate and restrain students. A lawmaker said the reporting showed "the state has failed families.”

Students in Indiana are secluded and restrained thousands of times each year, according to data provided by the Indiana Department of Education. But a lack of transparency — in both general education and special education environments — means parents aren’t aware of the extent to which these interventions are used in schools.

Indiana lawmakers approved legislation a decade ago that was intended to regulate and curb the use of restraint and seclusion in schools. But a lack of oversight from the Indiana Department of Education means it’s unclear whether the law has had its intended effect.

Students with significant cognitive disabilities can earn a new type of diploma this year intended to provide them with more opportunities after graduation.

Schools across the country struggle to hire enough special education teachers and paraprofessionals. The shortage is so severe at one Indiana school that parents and educators worry it’s unsafe. They blame the problem on years of low pay and a reliance on inexperienced and unqualified staff.

When schools don’t have enough special education teaching assistants, it’s a problem for the whole system.

El Programa de Cuentas para Becas de Educación de Indiana tiene por objeto ayudar a los padres de niños con discapacidades a que puedan pagar los tratamientos y tutorías. Pero hay un problema: solo está disponible para las familias que hayan abandonado el sistema de las escuelas públicas.