My Son’s Disability Brought Out the Worst in Me

<p>When my son Diego was school age, he always qualified for what&rsquo;s known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.understood.org/en/articles/extended-school-year-services-what-you-need-to-know" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">extended school year</a>&nbsp;(ESY) -essentially, summer services for students with special education programs who regress measurably over school breaks or whose disabilities are profound. Diego, who&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://medium.com/special-needs-nation/what-the-heck-is-autism-anyway-4b9beffdce17" rel="noopener">autistic</a>&nbsp;and intellectually disabled, met both criteria.</p> <p>One time, I was in a school hallway at pickup waiting for Diego to be brought from wherever he was, and I began to make small talk with a staff who was watching a couple of kids.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/special-needs-nation/my-sons-disability-brought-out-the-worst-in-me-48c6a4c088c2"><strong>Learn More</strong></a></p>