Chicago Public Schools coping with a staggering rise in special ed needs, costs

Tiffany’s only baby was turning 2 when she decided that she couldn’t ignore a giant red flag: Her son had yet to utter a word, while other toddlers were putting together short sentences. At her pediatrician’s urging, she was ready to have him evaluated to figure out what was going on. What happened next gave her an early indication of what she would be up against as she tried to get her son support. Every clinic she called in the city had a long waiting list. It took a month to get an…