An audit of Champaign Unit 4's Special Education Department revealed that multiple large changes must be made so that students with disabilities can have access to necessary resources and specialized curriculum.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — An audit of the Unit 4 Special Education Department revealed that multiple large changes must be made so that students with disabilities can have access to necessary resources and specialized curriculum. 

The 90-page audit, led by former school psychologist Dr. Daniel Cates, includes over 100 different recommendations. The most immediate recommendations include hiring more special education staff, improving training and allocating special administrators. 

Cates met with dozens of administrators, staff, teachers and parents throughout the audit. He said they all shared the same sentiment: "Here's what we want: we want what you do to lead to improvements."

The audit also addresses severe gaps in training for educators.

Dianne Gordon, a mother to 13-year-old Rory, said that Unit 4 teachers want to help, but without the proper training, they are unsure how to. 

"We just want to get them the support, the training to make them feel confident about why they're at school. And that they're going to get administrative support to make them excel at their job and be better advocates for our kids," she said. 

Gordon said the audit is just the first step towards progress, not just for Rory, but for all disabled children moving through Unit 4. 

"It's like the stake in the ground to start building on, and we need to be vigilant about how it's getting implemented and make sure that things continue forward," Gordon said. 

The full Special Board Meeting can be watched here. 

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