A local story from New Jersey purported to be about supporting autistic students in school, but there were critical gaps.
May 6, 2024, Cherry Hill, NJ, Sun Papers: Meeting the educational needs of children with autism
A recent event at a Voorhees school to promote support for autism education featured music from a local DJ.
Nothing unusual there, except the guy choosing the tunes was diagnosed with autism at 3 years old. The April 18 gathering of families and other guests – a day of ice cream and water ice called a Super Scooper event – raised more than $2,000 for special needs classrooms at Kresson Elementary.
Its planners envisioned a family-friendly gathering for children and adults to learn about and better understand autism. . . .
The school event coincided with April as Autism Awareness Month and highlighted the need for autism understanding and educational support of those on the spectrum.
The incredible statistic on nonverbal autism was casually noted.
Autism is a complex brain disorder that often strikes before the age of 3 and inhibits a child’s ability to communicate, respond to surroundings and form relationships. About 40% of children with autism do not speak or stop speaking after 12 to 18 months, according to the World Health Organization.
The current national rate of one in every 36 eight year olds wasn’t mentioned.
Last year it was announced that in Newark, NJ one in every 20 students was on the autism spectrum. That wasn’t included.
About one in 270 people around the world are on the autism spectrum, which includes Asperger’s syndrome and other developmental disabilities. As for their educational support, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 ensures that all children with disabilities are guaranteed a free and appropriate public education to meet their needs and prepare them for living independently.
We were told that 13 percent of special needs students in the U.S. have ASD (2022-2023) with no mention of the fact that in 2001, it was 1.5 percent.
Before the Disabilities Education Act came about, disabled children were often placed in segregated classrooms, without any specific measures to respond to their special needs. As of the 2022-’23 school year, approximately 12.81% of students with disabilities are identified as having autism, with state-by-state percentages ranging from 5.76% to 17.28%, according to the federal Department of Education.
Measures to improve those numbers, according to the National Education Association, include collaborating with families and caregivers, as well as educational support personnel, in an IEP (Individualized Education Program); understanding student learning styles and needs; and adapting lessons and units. .
Maybe when autistic children make up 50 percent of special needs students, we’ll ask where they’re all coming from.
Looks as if they plan to improve those numbers with special teaching methods and understanding. Are they saying they're going to lower the numbers with those methods?