School board member seeks autism law

In response to the dramatic rise in autism among California children, Terilyn Finders of the Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education is championing legislation that would create a statewide clearinghouse to disseminate information to parents, school districts and other groups that assist children with autism.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, children with autism generally have poor communication and social skills. They may also have repetitive behaviors and unusual responses to sensory experiences.

Finders said the creation of a California Autism Information and Professional Development Center would allow parents, educators, doctors and others access to the latest research on autism from a centralized location. Parents of autistic children currently deal with doctors, teachers, administrators and others individually.

The proposed clearinghouse would gather the latest research on the early detection of autism and effective treatments. A centralized information hub also would assist school districts with professional training, setting a benchmark for the assessment of students exhibiting autistic tendencies.

“If you want people to do an excellent job in meeting the needs of children with autism, then you have to give them the tools and train them to meet your expectations,” Finders said. She said it was unrealistic and an inefficient use of time and money to think that each school district in the state could “do this on their own.”

Jeff Frost, executive director of the California Association of Suburban School Districts, said that he expects legislation on the autism clearinghouse to be introduced this month, but that the bill is still looking for an author.

“Our hope is that ultimately we can impact how autism and special education is done at the federal level in terms of this model,” Frost said.

Mary Schillinger, LVUSD director of pupil services, presented a report on autism to the school board last year which revealed some startling statistics. In California, students who received educational services for autism nearly doubled from Dec. 1998 to Dec. 2002.

“Diagnosis and program planning for students with autism is a rapidly evolving science,” Schillinger explained. “While current guidelines exist, new research on recommended practices is continuously being published by a variety of sources. It is nearly impossible for one district to stay abreast of the research and recommendations, including LVUSD.”

Schillinger added that if the legislation on the autism clearinghouse passes, the school district could serve as a demonstration district or model to other school districts in the state.

Finders said that she became aware of the inequities on how children with autism are being served between school districts when attended a workshop in Compton. She said that she became convinced that there are children being left behind—children who have yet to be diagnosed with the disorder, or have not been properly assessed, which prohibited them from receiving proper treatment.

“Early intervention is vital,” Finders said, adding that first generation, non-English speaking families may not understand the symptoms that their child is exhibiting, or the explanation from school personnel. A centralized program would address the issues in a culturally appropriate manner, Finders explained.

“This isn’t about money,” Finders said. “This is about the ultimate power—information. Everybody needs to have access.”