For Matthew Lange-Geise and Christina Hartman, the start of the school year is a reminder of the limited options available for their 10-year-old daughter, Charlotte. On her first day of fifth grade, Lange-Geise helped her onto the bus to Bethesda Elementary School in Maryland, hoping for a positive experience. While Charlotte, who cannot speak, appeared happy as a clam, her parents are acutely aware that the traditional school environment is not meeting her long-term needs. They have been searching for a specialized program that can provide the intensive support she requires, but they have been met with constant rejection.
Charlotte’s parents estimate that she has the mental capacity of a 12- to 18-month-old, a developmental stage she will likely remain at for the rest of her life. While she may never master reading or complex mathematics, her family believes she could thrive with specialized instruction in basic life skills like toilet training. Despite their efforts, they have been told by numerous facilities that there are no available spots. “There’s just no place for her,” Hartman said. “None of them have spots.”
This struggle is a reality for many of the 7.5 million special education students in the United States. While most attend regular schools, experts note that some children require dedicated residential or specialized day programs. However, these programs are often at capacity. Rita Gardner, president and CEO of Melmark, a human services organization, explains that the system is siloed and often fails to provide early intervention, which leads to more intense caretaking needs as children reach adulthood. At Melmark, some families have waited as long as seven years for an opening.
The experience of Michael Graglia and his wife, Ashley Evans, illustrates the severity of the crisis. Their 12-year-old son, Tony, who has SYNGAP1-Related Disorder—a condition involving epilepsy and profound autism—was out of school for months while his parents searched for a placement. As Tony grew older and stronger, his behavioral challenges became dangerous. “My wife could not take him. If he got mad at her, she would be on the ground screaming with him pulling her hair,” Graglia recalled, noting their concerns for the safety of their younger child.
After being rejected by numerous day programs, Graglia eventually found a school for Tony, only to be asked to leave shortly after. The family was forced to rely on a consultant to identify district-approved options. In April 2026, Tony was finally accepted into a psychiatric residential treatment facility and special education school in Kansas. While Graglia and his wife are relieved he has a placement, the separation is difficult. In August 2026, Graglia dropped Tony off for the new school year, a moment he described as heartbreaking as his son begged to come home. Graglia told him, “Not only do I not have people in place right now to bring you home, but I don’t have a school to send you to.”
For Charlotte, the search for a residential option continues, complicated by a severe shortage of qualified home health aides. Her parents have interviewed roughly 50 candidates, many of whom were unwilling to provide the necessary physical care for a 10-year-old. Hathaway Packard, a 23-year-old who began working with Charlotte in November 2025, provides evening care and notes that while the work is challenging, she understands the necessity of routine. Charlotte’s speech-language pathologist, Jasmin Pritchett, emphasizes that a residential placement would provide the consistency Charlotte needs to progress.
The shortage of personal care aides also impacts the ability of residential facilities to accept new students, as they cannot safely staff their programs. When Charlotte’s parents receive rejection letters, they are often told to try again in four months, a cycle Lange-Geise describes as typical. While some families choose to homeschool, this is not an ideal solution for Charlotte, who thrives on social interaction. Her parents fear she would become depressed if isolated at home with only caretakers.
As they continue their search, Hartman and Lange-Geise are hesitant to look for residential schools outside of the Northeast, fearing the distance would make family visits impossible. Meanwhile, they are already looking toward the future, worrying about what happens when Charlotte eventually ages out of school programs. For now, Graglia and his family are focused on keeping Tony in the Kansas facility through the 2026-27 school year, hoping that behavioral improvements will eventually allow them to revisit options closer to home. “It’s like an ongoing heartbreak and a perpetual problem that everyone in our community faces,” Graglia said. The report also notes that no behaviors that cause harm to herself or others and hopefully some positive interactions with her peers, a good day for Charlotte means no tantrums. The report also notes that a rare condition that can cause severe developmental delays, and pica, an eating disorder that prompts her to try to eat nearly everything in reach, including non-food items, charlotte has Ogden Syndrome. The report also notes that according to the National Center for Education Statistics, experts say some children can benefit from programs dedicated to students with disabilities, while the vast majority of the 7.5 million special education students in the United States stay enrolled in regular schools. The report also notes that others with more extreme behaviors are sent home with no educational pathway at all. The report also notes that unless the one male caregiver we had was there, i couldn’t leave the house. The report also notes that rita Gardner has worked in the industry for decades and knows how difficult this process can be for families.
