SEPAC again asks, “Where’s the Transparency?”

Tonight SEPAC will address the School Committee regarding the proposed move of the AIMS program for students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder.  Once again, SEPAC fights for transparency, and the option for parents to have a well-informed voice regarding changes and decisions made within the special education program.

Talking about the proposed move only to the individuals directly connected is insufficient, because many parents are unaware of their options or rights.  Administration has an obligation to do what is best for students, but administration cannot cleave itself from its other obligation:  the bottom line.  Therefore, discussing the AIMS move solely with those parents directly involved not only eliminates the voice of parents whose students may be in AIMS in the future, it also leaves the current parents in a situation where their chief information is coming from someone with multiple, potentially conflicting obligations.

Maybe SEPAC would agree with administration’s decisions, maybe not; this is not the point.  What SEPAC wants once again is transparency.  Constituents of SEPAC are the parents of all special education students, and just like regular education students, we want to be heard, and to support each other in any decisions regarding the education of our children.

The following letter was co-drafted by multiple SEPAC families, some of whom have children in the Aims program.  It will be read to the School Committee tonight.  We welcome your responses.

May 8, 2012

Good Evening and thank you for this opportunity to speak tonight on behalf of SEPAC,

 I am Melissa Paciulli, Co-President of the Special Education Parent Advisory Council for the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District. I am before you tonight to address recent concerns brought to me from several parents of Special Education Students currently in the AIMS program housed at Wildwood.

Some of you may be knowledgeable about this program, currently housed at the Wildwood Elementary School; but for those of you who are not I will read the description of this program from the Amherst School site: 

 The Academic Individualized Mainstream Support (AIMS) Program – is specialized programming for students who have a high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder or other neurological conditions with pragmatic language, executive functioning, socialization and sensory regulation difficulties. These programs offer individualized, comprehensive, and intensive intervention to address these areas.

 The District currently has an AIMS program at Wildwood Elementary, Amherst Regional Middle School, and the Amherst Regional High School.

 These students are our vulnerable population and should be treated with equal respect as other students in the District. An April notification was issued to the parents of these students that the Program will be moved to Fort River. This decision was made without consultation with the children’s families, SEPAC or to the best of knowledge the School Committee.

 Without the opportunity to discuss this, the District has provided a solution to the overcrowded schools resulting from the re-districting, by moving the autism support program, out of their present environment school and into another.

 Children in this program with an autism spectrum disorder, struggle in social relationships, transitions, and often, academic performance. Children on the higher range of the autism spectrum, currently served by the AIMS program at Wildwood school, are much more likely than their peers to be socially isolated, socially ostracized and find it difficult making new friends. For our children on the spectrum, served in Amherst by AIMS, the risks are much greater. As a result, they face a greater incidence of depression and attempted suicide than their peers. A mid-elementary school move is challenging for all children and reduces academic, social and mental health outcomes.

 Children in the AIMS program at Wildwood have struggled hard to find a sense of security and community at Wildwood. They are now being told for now clear reason, aside from their difference, that they must move. For the children whose disability is subtle, the move, taken in a year no one else is moving, discloses their disability without their consent. It is disconcerting that a program based on inclusion would do clearly segment these children from their community.

In addition, Fort River is home to the Building Blocks program for children with mental health challenges. This has raised another set of concerns. Some parents of children with these needs are worried that their classroom teachers will be overwhelmed by two included, yet often behaviorally challenged groups of students.

 As recent School Committee decisions have led to the overcrowding at Wildwood, we would ask that you please look very closely at this decision and reconsider this move that has the immense potential to impact our vulnerable student population.

Thank you for your time – 

College Degree Designed for ASD

Three Cheers for Sage Colleges in New York!  In January, students within the autism spectrum can take online courses specifically designed for students with autism, and earn a bachelor’s degree.  Online degrees are nothing new to learners with ASD, but these degrees have been cookie-cutter designs for the neuraltypical student.  Sage has responded to market demands, creating courses that are more flexible in format and are year round, adapting to the needs of individuals with autism. The degree requirements are just as stringent as any other degree; the exception lays in the courses being individualized for the specific needs of the students.  The downside, however, is that online courses don’t afford students the social learning experiences they’ll eventually need in the workplace (unless, of course, they work from home).  For those students within the spectrum who want the face-to-face experience, colleges that sponsor an on-campus support system like AHEADD are recommended.  The AHEADD program or specialized online courses are not presently offered at Umass, but we are hopeful that as more awareness is made to the need for such instruction, these programs will be more readily offered at many universities and colleges.