California Educator

NOVEMBER 2010

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LEFT: Tristain at Hayes Elementary School in San Jose. Commission on Autism, created in 2005, also issued a dire warning: “The dramatic growth in the number of children affected by autism spectrum disorders now constitutes a public health crisis.” In 2008 it cost $36,000 annually to teach each student with autism, compared with $8,558 for regular education students, accord- ing to the San Francisco Chronicle, which not- ed that the number of children with autism in public schools is increasing by 19 percent a year. The newspaper also reported that schools in California transferred more than 30 percent of regular education dollars to special educa- tion in 2008, compared to 4 percent in 2000, and that “regular education is a virtual ATM card for special education.” The most expen- sive component for schools is providing one- on-one aides for students with autism. “The fiscal impact can be especially hard There is silence, so MacFarland rephrases the question. “Is a broken pencil a big problem so you can’t do work for the rest of the year? Or is it a small problem that you can use strategies to solve?” “It’s a small problem,” a student named Hunter replies after some consideration. “You could sharpen it or get a new one.” MacFarland is conducting a lesson on be- havioral skills and acceptable ways of inter- acting with peers. It doesn’t come naturally; children with autism typically have trouble communicating and socializing. She asks her students to demonstrate “expected” behavior that will have positive results (calmly answer- ing questions), and “unexpected” behavior (yelling or name-calling) that is upsetting to others, so they understand the difference be- tween the two. Students also practice recog- nizing facial expressions and connecting them with emotions. MacFarland’s students are part of a grow- ing population. In 2009, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that one in 100 children has autism — a 50 10 California Educator | NOVEMBER 2010 percent increase from 2007, when the govern- ment estimated the rate to be one in 150. A study from the National Survey of Children’s Health also concluded that one in 100 children has autism. That is more than triple the 14,000 youngsters with autism at the beginning of the decade, making autism the fastest-rising disability. It’s believed to be one of the most expensive and most challenging disabilities facing public schools today. Even before the economic crisis hit, the Cali- fornia Department of Education’s Autism Advi- sory Committee reported that California schools lack a cohesive plan to meet the challenge. The committee’s 2008 report, the most current issued by the state, cites a lack of teachers who are trained to work with children who have autism, funding problems, and “a lack of coherent, uni- versally accepted, effective educational practices” for educating children with autism. The panel concluded that so many “in- tensive services” are needed for students that autism threatens to “overwhelm local educational systems.” The California Legislative Blue Ribbon on rural schools,” says Sue Allen, a member of the Middletown Teachers Association who teaches full-inclusion kindergarten at Coyote Valley Elementary School. “It ends up taking a lot of our general funds.” While numerous bills have been introduced in the Legislature in recent years to deal with the crisis, all have been vetoed by the governor, says Fred Balcom, director of special education for the California Department of Education. “These bills would have supplied funds to get mainstream in Going Nate doesn’t like loud noises, Mondays or summer school. The fifth-grader often comments “I don’t like Mondays” in the middle of discussing other subjects. When asked what he does like, he enthusiastically describes the bubble gum-scented deodorizer that’s used inside porta- potties. “Smells like bubble gum,” he says repeatedly. Nate, 12, has intelligence, good looks and good grades. He also has autism. He and other students on the autism spectrum have been mainstreamed since kindergarten at Pacific Rim Elementary School — and various other school sites in Carlsbad. It’s a challenge for teachers, but mainstreaming seems to work because Carlsbad Unified Teachers Association members are determined to make it work. High-functioning students with autism attend regular classrooms throughout most of the day, and also receive services with special education teachers and speech-

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