Autism in Montana Public Schools: Where’s the funding?
October 2, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
It’s a too familiar story to too many of us: Growing numbers of children diagnosed on the autism spectrum and school districts straining, and groaning, under the need (the onus) to provide appropriate services and educational placements, aides and speech therapists who know how to teach an autistic child and not only run articulation drills, and to educate students with widely varying needs and levels of skills. Inadequate funding for special ed and all the more so as districts facing rising costs and no change in state funding, so that districts have to seek support locally from taxpayers.
Does this sound like something that happened in your school district, and is even happening now?
Yesterday’s Flathead Beacon (Montana) notes that
In Montana, statistics from the state’s Office of Public Instruction show the number of autistic students has swelled from 212 in the 2001-2002 school year to 442 last year – a 52 percent increase in just seven years. The number of autistic students jumped 9 percent between 2006 and 2007 alone.
“Our increase follows the national trend; it’s our fastest growing need,” OPI Superintendent Linda McCulloch said. “I’ve requested funding this year for five autism specialists – one specialist for each mental health region in the state – to assist with needs for the schools.”
The Montana Quality Education Coalition and other education groups have filed a lawsuit against the state and say that the state has failed to come up with a formula for adequate special ed funding.
And due to recent current events in the US, increases in funding for education seem unlikely—one suspects that the same stories will be heard numerous times over.
It’s tough. We are so lucky to be in a NYC public-school pilot program for HFA, which is costing about $1 mil a year per school. But what I struggle with as a parent is how difficult it is for the education team to systematize the educational plan for kids like mine – since each child is so unique, nothing is going to work for every one of them (read: more $$). It’s like kids with autism are the very antithesis of public education?!
“kids with autism are the very antithesis of public education”——I’m mulling over this one—-though they’ve managed to get a good classroom and program going for Charlie and his classmates (granted, they are a very small group).
I know that both of you went to know where the funding is in Montana. See what you think fo this Montana said that in 1992-1993 school year they had 20 childern age 6-21 served by IDEA so what if ws say that the state gave $1000 pre child for that school year then as as you said that in 2006 have 442 and the cost was $20,OOO and today that same cost $442,000 just a little more. But next year tha figure will be 10% more so you will need another $40,000 as the becaue of new amount of childern, witch is how long the you could keep that upbefore you run of money. This is not the only state is gong to have this trouble. So if I may say the youall might went to work on the other end of the stick and ask the CDC or FDA it see the report about putting MAN MADE FLUORIDE in the water supply.