Why Districts Are Spending More Money Now to Ensure Students with Autism Spend Less Time on the Bus in the Next School Year

By Lisa J. Hudson

A growing numbers of school districts in the Westmoreland County, Pa., region are establishing classrooms within their schools designed specifically for students with autism. The Pittsburgh Tribune Review attributes the increase in the number of schools trying this strategy to, "changing interpretations of education law (that) are pushing public schools to educate every student closer to home."

A few of the school officials interviewed for the Aug. 2 article also specifically cite the fact that students with autism attending schools closer to home will spend less time on school buses, which they see as a benefit.

The initial costs to set up a new, autism-specific classroom for as few as three to four students can be expensive. For example, a new kindergarten and first grade classroom at the Southmoreland Primary Center will cost up to $90,000 in the initial year for salary, benefits and special equipment, notes the paper. However, John Molnar, administrative assistant in the Southmoreland School District, says that compared to the cost of sending those students outside the district, it will in the long run be more cost effective to have them stay local. Additionally, Molnar notes, "What we're trying to do is get our youngest kids off the buses."

"It's a benefit to the taxpayers to educate these students in the district," notes Margaret Zimmer, the director of pupil services for the Norwin School District in commenting on the decision to establish a new classroom for seven severely autistic elementary students in the district.

Zimmer also told the paper the new class will allow the students to spend less time on buses and give them more exposure to their non-autistic peers.

Inspiring Words for Special Needs Students and Some Uninspiring Actions

Tawana Williams, a woman born without arms, shared a message with special needs students in Richmond County (N.C.) during the first annual Transition Support Fair for students with disabilities, the Richmond County Journal reports. She told the students:

“Stop focusing on what you think you can’t do, or what you think you don’t have ... If I was able to overcome my challenges and trials, then no one in this room has any excuse.”

Jeanette Davis, director of exceptional children for RCS, called the message "inspirational" and empowering.

Less inspiring is this from Tremerton, Utah: Driver, Aide Leave Sleeping Autistic Five-Year-Old on Bus. Apparently, the child woke at the bus yard and walked nearly a mile before he was spotted. Both the driver and aide have been placed on leave.

Those with a print copy of the May issue will see an article ("It's Not Just About Driving..." page 26) about how our brains let us forget things like this and how we might stop it. For those who've read it, any thoughts?

Tips for First IEP Meeting

Today Special Needs Bliss offers its tips for parents attending their first IEP meeting. Nothing too shocking here. The list recommends parents make sure all parties are in attendance, write down any questions, know their rights and "not feel bad about having to stand up for your child's rights."

This will be an ongoing question for Special Needs Rides, but what do you see as the essential tips for transporters attending their first IEP meeting?

Also online this week:

• The Notebook argues Pennsylvania needs a new funding system for educating students with disabilities.
• Two takes on changes coming to special needs schools in New Jersey's Cumberland county.
  
• And a one-of-a-kind Autism program in Delaware draws praise, but faces challenges.
  

Inclusion, Resources and Canine Help

• In an essay, Quality Service for the Autism Community Looks at mainstreaming autistic students.
• McGraw-Hill, a company better known for school textbooks, has published special education and intervention materials for Tier 2 and Tier 3 at InterventionResouces.com, the company announced in a press release.
  
• A two-year old Labrador Retriever is helping some Virginia special needs students.
• $44 Billion in Stimulus, including $11 billion for Title I and IDEA programs, will drive educational reform and create jobs, the U.S. Department of Education explains in this press release.

Stimulus and Autism Awareness Month

• Tomorrow the U.S. Department of Educaiton is scheduled to release guidelines on how states can spend millions in education stimulus. As they wait, Georgia public schools ponder how they'll use their funds. State Superintendent Kathy Cox says: "We’re going after every dollar out there and we’re going to spend wisely everything that comes our way.”
• As National Autism Awareness Month starts this week, some schools are saying they're having trouble meeting the needs of a growing populations of autism-diagnosed students.
• Not only are there more special needs students, it's gotten to be more expensive to educate them over the last decade, a report to Pennsylvania school board found.

Stimulus, Solidarity and Site Update

Last week, we reported that the stimulus package provides $13.6 billion for special needs education. In the week ahead, we'll look at the package more closely and discuss how schools and pupil transporters may be able to get their piece of the pie.

Later this week, special needs experts gather in Indianapolis, Ind., for the National Conference on Transporting Students With Disabilities & Preschoolers. The group might take note, in Northern California, a group of parents of children with autism and other special needs have formed their own PTA. The group was founded to help parents work together to draw attention to special needs and the often under-funded mandated special education costs. The group's president and co-founder Susie Christensen stated the group's mission:

"Our mission is to disseminate information and support parents in their quest for educating their children, and let them know they're not alone."

For those looking for education online, we've recently updated the special needs section of our Web site. Inside disabilities definitions, resources, commentaries and more.