I disagree with your anonymous opinion that Ms.Patkotak "seems to have very little knowledge about kids with special needs."  Readers of her previous columns or her first book already know of HER professional experience.  But readers cannot confirm an anonymous poster's expertise. 
.
 
   
Next, given your specific claim, it would have been useful to cite ANY study confirming that "it's more often than not that the [special needs] child's mom was not on drugs or drinking or that [his/her] home life caused the child's behavior or disability." 
.
 
  
 
However, Ms. Patkotak did NOT say that "more often than not" a special-needs kid's behavior or disability IS caused by her mother's drug/alcohol use or her crappy home.  No, she rightly noted that SOME kids' special needs result from genetic chance or other unavoidable bad luck BUT there are ALSO kids whose disabilities HAVE been caused by their mothers' behavior during pregnancy and/or by their parents' violence (or extreme neglect)..