11-25-2005, 07:55 PM
School vouchers could aid autistic students
But critics say plan is just a way to expand vouchers at expense of public schools.
Associated Press
Fri, Nov. 25, 2005
INDIANAPOLIS — Republican lawmakers want to create vouchers that would give autistic children public money to transfer to private schools.
The proposal comes after a broader voucher bill failed during the 2005 session of the General Assembly.
Voucher supporters say some private schools, hospitals and therapists are better equipped to meet the special needs of children with autism, a developmental brain disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.
Indiana has at least three private schools for autistic children, but most of the state’s 5,500 children with the disorder attend public schools, The Indianapolis Star reported Thursday.
Susan Pieples, who heads the Autism Society of Indiana, said her 18-year-old autistic son struggled in public school.
“There are teachers who want to do a good job and simply don’t have the resources,” she said. “It makes so much more sense to do something like a voucher program where kids can go to special schools — the kids who need it. Some must be taught one on one.”
House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said there is a moral imperative to help families of autistic children. He and three other Republican lawmakers met this week with a legislator from Ohio, where school voucher programs have mushroomed.
“I’m certain if we do this, some schools will choose to concentrate in this, which will bring the cost to educate students down for the state,” Bosma said.
The plan’s financial details have not been worked out. Lawmakers estimate it costs up to $40,000 a year to teach one child with a severe form of autism.
But critics say the plan is just a tactic to gain momentum for broader voucher proposals.
During the last legislative session, Republicans backed a voucher bill that would have given parents tax money to transfer their children from failing public schools into private or public schools of their choice.
Some school administrators say the state should focus on adequately funding public schools before giving tax dollars to private academies.
“At a time when they can’t properly fund education ... now is not the time you start trying to figure out how to take money away from those institutions the state has the largest responsibility towards,” said John Ellis, director of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents.
Bosma acknowledged a voucher program could start with autistic children and expand later.
“We have to walk before we begin to run in the school choice arena,” he said. “I think this is the next step, to look at those who could be served better and more efficiently.”
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But critics say plan is just a way to expand vouchers at expense of public schools.
Associated Press
Fri, Nov. 25, 2005
INDIANAPOLIS — Republican lawmakers want to create vouchers that would give autistic children public money to transfer to private schools.
The proposal comes after a broader voucher bill failed during the 2005 session of the General Assembly.
Voucher supporters say some private schools, hospitals and therapists are better equipped to meet the special needs of children with autism, a developmental brain disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.
Indiana has at least three private schools for autistic children, but most of the state’s 5,500 children with the disorder attend public schools, The Indianapolis Star reported Thursday.
Susan Pieples, who heads the Autism Society of Indiana, said her 18-year-old autistic son struggled in public school.
“There are teachers who want to do a good job and simply don’t have the resources,” she said. “It makes so much more sense to do something like a voucher program where kids can go to special schools — the kids who need it. Some must be taught one on one.”
House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said there is a moral imperative to help families of autistic children. He and three other Republican lawmakers met this week with a legislator from Ohio, where school voucher programs have mushroomed.
“I’m certain if we do this, some schools will choose to concentrate in this, which will bring the cost to educate students down for the state,” Bosma said.
The plan’s financial details have not been worked out. Lawmakers estimate it costs up to $40,000 a year to teach one child with a severe form of autism.
But critics say the plan is just a tactic to gain momentum for broader voucher proposals.
During the last legislative session, Republicans backed a voucher bill that would have given parents tax money to transfer their children from failing public schools into private or public schools of their choice.
Some school administrators say the state should focus on adequately funding public schools before giving tax dollars to private academies.
“At a time when they can’t properly fund education ... now is not the time you start trying to figure out how to take money away from those institutions the state has the largest responsibility towards,” said John Ellis, director of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents.
Bosma acknowledged a voucher program could start with autistic children and expand later.
“We have to walk before we begin to run in the school choice arena,” he said. “I think this is the next step, to look at those who could be served better and more efficiently.”
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