MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Parents of children with special needs at Coral Park Elementary are sounding the alarm over new restrictions on their access to essential therapeutic services.
At a recent meeting attended by concerned parents, community leaders, and State Senator Ileana Garcia, the parents shared their frustrations with the school’s administration, particularly Principal Susana Suarez, whose recent policy changes have allegedly limited the involvement of private Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) in the classroom.
Jorge Del Rio, a parent of a fifth grader in the gifted program, translated for many of the Spanish-speaking parents present, helping them articulate their grievances to the media.
“She claims that they can only come in for one or two hours, while previous administrations and principals had allowed the RBTs to come in and treat these children,” Del Rio said. “There are children going home with urination on themselves because this principal is not allowing these RBTs to come in.”
One parent, who spoke through Del Rio, shared her concern: “In my daughter class, who is six years old, she cannot have my RBTs come in.”
Another parent stated, “There is now no flexibility with the school; I tried to meet with the assistant principal, the principal and no one is listening.”
State Senator Ileana Garcia, representing District 36, visited the school to meet with concerned parents. She mentioned that she is learning firsthand that the current principal may offer less flexibility compared to her predecessor. The principal has stated that the school needed to restrict RBT hours to minimize disruptions to school operations.
While House Bill 795, which passed last year, allows private RBTs to be present in schools, it does not mandate specific hours. Garcia is considering drafting new legislation to address the concerns raised by the parents. She indicated that if additional funding or a pilot program is needed, it should be explored due to the significant number of children on the spectrum at this school.
“There really isn’t a specific proviso that mandates hours they can or can’t be with the children in school,” she said.
Parents also expressed that the current system does not adequately support their children, suggesting that the school could serve as a pilot program to improve support for children with special needs, particularly with the recent influx of immigrant students in Miami-Dade County who may not have received proper diagnoses in their home countries.
“I am learning firsthand now that they had more perhaps flexibility with the past principal than this one. Maybe she is on a learning curve?” Garcia added.
Del Rio countered this reasoning, stating, “As far as I know, this principal does not have a doctorate in medicine to make that decision on what medical treatment these kids can receive. I don’t know how much more negligent this principal can be. This principal has now interfered with the medical condition of these children during school hours.”
Garcia suggested the possibility of allocating additional funds and creating a pilot program to better accommodate the needs of students at Coral Park Elementary, particularly given the influx of immigrant children in Miami-Dade County who may not have received proper diagnoses in their home countries.
This ongoing situation at Coral Park Elementary is just one of the many challenges parents face. They also reported concerns about a staff member allegedly verbally abusing students during lunch.
In response to these concerns, Miami-Dade County Public Schools issued a statement clarifying the role of private RBTs.
According to the district, RBTs are private providers hired by parents and are not employed by M-DCPS.
Parents continue to seek data and compare how many daily or weekly hours RBTs were allowed in the past versus this year, asking if the new principal plans to restore previous access.
In response to inquiries, M-DCPS told Local 10 News that RBTs are private providers hired by parents, with hours determined based on medical insurance allocations. Under Florida Statute, schools work with families and providers to establish how many hours are necessary for on-site support. This determination is based on individual student data, which considers the specific behaviors needing modification, their timing, and frequency.
The district notes that RBT services can occur in a variety of settings, including the home. Even though an insurance provider may approve 30-40 hours of RBT services per week, those hours can be divided between home, school, or other locations. They also clarified that the decision on how many hours RBTs can be on-site is reviewed regularly and adjusted based on the student’s needs.
Parents, however, continue to press for clarity on whether the school’s new restrictions will remain in place or if a return to prior practices will be considered, emphasizing the need for transparent data on how many hours students have received in the past compared to this year.
Additional Resources for Behavior Analysis Services in Florida
- The Florida Association for Behavior Analysis - https://www.fabaworld.org
- The Behavior Analyst Certification Board - https://www.bacb.com/flcba/
- The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Behavior Analysis Services information page
- The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) is the primary agency that regulates Behavior Analysis Services in Florida. AHCA requires all Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) provider groups to be licensed as a Health Care Clinic1. They oversee the licensure and ensure that providers meet the necessary standards to offer these services.