03-28-2005, 03:54 PM
http://www.theacorn .com/News/2005/0323/Schools/058.html
Quote:
Autism on rise in California, LVUSD
Condition called public health problem
By Stephanie Bertholdo
bertholdo@ theacorn.com
Autism is on the rise in California and even more so in the Las Virgenes Unified School District, according to recent school administration figures.
Mary Schillenger, district director of pupil services, recently presented a report on autism to the school board, which revealed some startling statistics.
Schillenger said that state and federal agencies are declaring autism a public health problem.
In California it was reported that the number of students who received educational services for autism nearly doubled from Dec. 1998 to Dec. 2002.
California, in particular, has an inordinately high population of children who have been diagnosed with autism—approximately one in 323 children will be identified as autistic.
The cost for educating autistic children ranges from $10,360 to $20,377 per year, Zimring said.
Autism is a spectrum disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Autistic children generally have poor social skills and may lose the ability to communicate.
Another indicator of autism is repetitive behaviors and unusual responses to sensory experiences. According to information on the institute’s website (http://www.nimh), symptoms run the gamut from mild to severe.
Donald Zimring, the district’s interim superintendent, said that children identified as autistic are the fastest growing population of special education students.
In the Las Virgenes Unified School District, 12.2 percent of all special education students have been diagnosed with autism. In comparison, only four district students were diagnosed with autism in 1996, versus 156 students in Jan. 2005.
"This is not a rare disorder, it’s a pressing public health problem," said Schillenger quoting Dr. Marie Bristol Power from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
While special education experts don’t understand why there is a higher incidence of autism in California and the school district, Schillenger said that comprehensive educational programs for autistic children have been implemented districtwide over the last three years.
She added that the programs "follow recommendations of research-based best practices for students with autism."
The "best practices" in the district are based on Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), or behavioral intervention.
The district has contracted with Autism Partnership to teach the teachers about delivering ABA services.
According to the Autism Partnership website (http://www.autism partnership.com), the use of ABA has helped reduce disruptive behaviors of autistic children, as well as boosting communication and social skills.
Zimring added that since ABA programs have been introduced, lawsuits against the district to have autistic children placed in private, specialized schools have decreased. The district will reduce its reliance on Autism Partnership once all teachers within the district are fully trained.
An Autism Partnership trainer said "I’ve never been so happy to work myself out of a job."
Schillenger’s report stressed that teachers and aids have been highly trained to work with autistic children. Special education classrooms have a high teacher-to-student ratio, ranging from one-on-one training to a 1:5 ratio.
The report also emphasized the importance of early intervention for children diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder.
While early identification and schooling is crucial to the success of these students, the government does not fund preschool classes.
District Boardmember Cindy Iser said that she didn’t understand why schools receive average daily attendance money for special education students age 21 or younger, but no money was available to children in preschool.
"This doesn’t make any sense to me," Iser said.
Schillenger ended the report with several recommendations.
Statewide training to standardize assessment procedures is necessary for consistent identification and diagnosis of autism, she said.
To accomplish this goal, however, California must provide funding. Schillenger hopes that additional funding will be available for school districts that are on the vanguard of educating autistic youngsters.
She added that state certification for such districts (including the Las Virgenes Unified School District) would be beneficial.
Recommendations also include collaboration with other special education groups, exploring grant money opportunities from private industry, universities and other groups, and efforts to meet with key legislators.
Condition called public health problem
By Stephanie Bertholdo
bertholdo@ theacorn.com
Autism is on the rise in California and even more so in the Las Virgenes Unified School District, according to recent school administration figures.
Mary Schillenger, district director of pupil services, recently presented a report on autism to the school board, which revealed some startling statistics.
Schillenger said that state and federal agencies are declaring autism a public health problem.
In California it was reported that the number of students who received educational services for autism nearly doubled from Dec. 1998 to Dec. 2002.
California, in particular, has an inordinately high population of children who have been diagnosed with autism—approximately one in 323 children will be identified as autistic.
The cost for educating autistic children ranges from $10,360 to $20,377 per year, Zimring said.
Autism is a spectrum disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Autistic children generally have poor social skills and may lose the ability to communicate.
Another indicator of autism is repetitive behaviors and unusual responses to sensory experiences. According to information on the institute’s website (http://www.nimh), symptoms run the gamut from mild to severe.
Donald Zimring, the district’s interim superintendent, said that children identified as autistic are the fastest growing population of special education students.
In the Las Virgenes Unified School District, 12.2 percent of all special education students have been diagnosed with autism. In comparison, only four district students were diagnosed with autism in 1996, versus 156 students in Jan. 2005.
"This is not a rare disorder, it’s a pressing public health problem," said Schillenger quoting Dr. Marie Bristol Power from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
While special education experts don’t understand why there is a higher incidence of autism in California and the school district, Schillenger said that comprehensive educational programs for autistic children have been implemented districtwide over the last three years.
She added that the programs "follow recommendations of research-based best practices for students with autism."
The "best practices" in the district are based on Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), or behavioral intervention.
The district has contracted with Autism Partnership to teach the teachers about delivering ABA services.
According to the Autism Partnership website (http://www.autism partnership.com), the use of ABA has helped reduce disruptive behaviors of autistic children, as well as boosting communication and social skills.
Zimring added that since ABA programs have been introduced, lawsuits against the district to have autistic children placed in private, specialized schools have decreased. The district will reduce its reliance on Autism Partnership once all teachers within the district are fully trained.
An Autism Partnership trainer said "I’ve never been so happy to work myself out of a job."
Schillenger’s report stressed that teachers and aids have been highly trained to work with autistic children. Special education classrooms have a high teacher-to-student ratio, ranging from one-on-one training to a 1:5 ratio.
The report also emphasized the importance of early intervention for children diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder.
While early identification and schooling is crucial to the success of these students, the government does not fund preschool classes.
District Boardmember Cindy Iser said that she didn’t understand why schools receive average daily attendance money for special education students age 21 or younger, but no money was available to children in preschool.
"This doesn’t make any sense to me," Iser said.
Schillenger ended the report with several recommendations.
Statewide training to standardize assessment procedures is necessary for consistent identification and diagnosis of autism, she said.
To accomplish this goal, however, California must provide funding. Schillenger hopes that additional funding will be available for school districts that are on the vanguard of educating autistic youngsters.
She added that state certification for such districts (including the Las Virgenes Unified School District) would be beneficial.
Recommendations also include collaboration with other special education groups, exploring grant money opportunities from private industry, universities and other groups, and efforts to meet with key legislators.