Group slams Education Dept. changes it says hurt special needs students.

By THE STAR STAFF

Ruth Concepción, the president of the Association of Providers of Services Under Provisional Remedies, warned Tuesday that recent actions by the Puerto Rico Department of Education (DE) could sharply restrict access to therapy services for students in special education, raising alarm among parents who rely on the court‑ordered mechanism.

Concepción said the provisional remedy system was created precisely because the DE lacked the capacity to provide essential therapy services to the special education community. Private providers stepped in under court supervision to fill that gap. Now, she said, the agency is attempting to take control of the process while limiting who can participate.

“Education has taken control of the resources that the court established for parents to ensure justice after the state failed to comply,” Concepción said in a radio interview.

She argued that the department -- which was ordered by the court to pay for services it was not providing -- is now imposing new restrictions that undermine the purpose of the remedy.

“The Department of Education currently does not have an open door for new providers who want to enter the provisional remedy mechanism,” she added. “They have created restrictive conditions that prevent additional professionals from offering services.”

The association contends that decisions affecting the program are being made without the participation of the families and providers who depend on it, creating what they describe as barriers to therapy access for children with special education needs.

The Department of Education had not publicly responded to the allegations as of press time Tuesday.