EXCLUSIVE: Mother says twins with autism not allowed to attend special education classes in Massapequa

MASSAPEQUA, Long Island (WABC) -- Zoey and her twin sister, Quinn have spent the first five month of Kindergarten learning in the basement of their home in Massapequa.

The girls have autism, and their mother wanted them to attend a Kindergarten program for children with special needs in their public school district, but the district will not allow them in.

"The will allow them to attend classes in another district or at 'BOCES,' which have 8 children in those classes, which is the same ratio that Massapequa has," said Zoey and Quinn's mother, Alyson Crowley.

The school district has been providing the girls with nine hours a week of home instruction.

"They need more - they need a full school day," Crowley adds.

That is why Crowley has spent more than 10 thousand dollars paying private therapists. She wants the district to pay her that money back, and has hired an attorney to help with that, and to get the girls into the kindergarten program.

"I was told they can only be put into the district program if I file waivers and globally settle all of my disputes," Crowley adds. "It seems at this point it's almost as though you know, retaliatory because I've exercised my due process rights against the district."

Crowley signed off on the school district speaking with Eyewitness News on the girls' case, but the school district said it is constrained by the law from providing any detailed information.