The city teachers union says staffing shortages are leaving thousands of children in special education classes without vital services like speech or occupational therapy, or the help of paraprofessionals. 

The teacher's union surveyed traditional public schools and those in District 75 — which serves special education students with the most complicated needs — and found nearly 9,000 students going without services. So far, 81% of schools have replied to the survey.

“The frustration here is that we've been in constant contact with the Department of Education over these services. Their response has been incompetent, to say the least,” United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrew said.

The survey found 2,264 special education vacancies across 474 schools. That includes shortages of:

• 1,558 paraprofessionals
• 445 special education teachers 
• 139 occupational and physical therapists
• 84 speech therapists 
• And 39 counselors and social workers 

“I currently have eight students in my class, and I am legally mandated to have eight paraprofessionals. I have three. Five of my students have legally mandated occupational therapy. Only one of them is receiving this,” Jeffrey Andrusin, a special education teacher at M169 in Manhattan, said.

Andrusin says his school is short at least 48 paraprofessionals and eight teachers, in addition to three each of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and a social worker.

“At what point is this considered unsafe or unhealthy for our students and our staff?” he asked.

Phillipa Bowden, the PTA president at M169, said this week, another parent came to her crying because her daughter, who has autism, has had no speech therapy yet this year.

“This poor parent was so upset that I felt so badly for her that I was thinking, 'Well, maybe my son could give up one of his speech sessions so the little girl could at least get one session, for a week.' How crazy is that?” she asked.

In a statement, Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said she would prioritize the needs of students with disabilities.

“I look forward to collaborating with President Mulgrew and his team at UFT to fill these critical school needs, and I am grateful for his support as we help our students with disabilities access the resources needed for them to thrive. Together with UFT, we have hired an additional compliance liaison, creating an easier pathway to escalate and resolve concerns. Additionally, we have clarified guidance to schools to ensure consistent classroom support, mandated special education rules and regulations training for all staff members, and have steadily improved the provision of special education programs,” she said.

But Mulgrew says the city needs to do more recruitment and hiring.

“And when the Department of Ed responds with paperwork compliance versus what actually a child is getting inside of the schools, that should be shame on them,” he said.