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Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - 3:25 am ET
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$15 million in state grants for autism programs in NJ

By: Kristina Chew, PhD | 2 Comments
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“The initiative is that, whenever possible, students should be educated in their home district alongside typical peers. That’s always the first option but its not always possible.”

So Kris Deni, director of Special Services in Lawrence Township, NJ, is quoted in an article in the February 21st Trenton Times. Lawrence Township is one of 55 school districts that has been awarded a new state grant (from a total of $15 million) to establish or expand autism programs in school districts. A February 21st article in the Star-Ledger notes that 40% of autistic students in New Jersey are currently in out-of-district placements.

My son Charlie attends an in-district autism program and likes it so much that, though he is on vacation this week, he has been constantly calling out his teachers’ names. Though he is not mainstreamed, Charlie goes to school in our town and regularly sees the other students and staff, and is regularly seen by them.

I urge the 55 school districts in New Jersey to use their grant money wisely, while always keeping in mind the individual educational needs of each autistic child.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - 3:25 am ET
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2 Comments

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  1. Kristina Chew, PhD
    1116 days ago

    More on the costs and benefits of funding in-district programs vs. sending districts out of district from the Bergen Record:

    New Jersey has traditionally relied on separate, out-of-district schools for the disabled to serve high-needs students, even though federal special education law requires students be served in the most mainstream environment possible. About one in 10 special education students attends separate schools — by far the highest rate in the nation, and triple the national average of 3 percent. Separate schools for the disabled can cost more than $100,000 per student each year.

    Even in public school settings, services tend to be costly for autistic students. These students benefit from one-on-one interaction, tailor-made instruction and rigorous therapies. Statewide, services for 2,755 students during the past school year — the neediest students, whose bills exceeded $40,000 each — cost taxpayers $170 million. The state doesn’t track overall spending on autism services.

    Education Department officials have described out-of-district programs as expensive options that can cost twice as much as a regular class, while cautioning that they are the most appropriate schools for some students. However, building classrooms for autistic students as part of regular public schools has a major benefit, officials say: It allows children to interact with one another and gives special-education students role models for typical behavior.

  2. mcewen
    1116 days ago

    gotta love the ‘INDIVIDUAL’ in the IEP.
    Cheers

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