Katy ISD's special education department is growing along with the district. The campus staffing plan, which included the hiring of 68 additional special education teachers, was approved on March 30, according to Yolanda Edmond, the district's assistant superintendent of human resources. Meanwhile, "The Katy ISD special education population represents 8.4 percent of the district population, which mirrors the state at 8.6 percent of the entire state population of students," said Dr. Brian Malechuk, KISD executive director of special education services. "The Katy ISD Special Education growth mirrors the fast growth the district is experiencing with all students." Three hundred twenty five special education teachers are currently assigned to campuses, and 31 special education certified teachers are also assigned to the special education department, Edmond said. "This [number] includes itinerant teachers who travel from campus to campus to provide specialized services as well as people who work in central office roles but may be on a teacher contract," she said.

Autism in Katy

Cynthia Reece, the co-president of nonprofit Katy Autism Support, is a member of the special education parent advocate group that meets with KISD in September, June and May each year. The group meets to present concerns and communicate with the district on issues pertaining to students of all backgrounds in the special education program. "We have representatives from autism, Down syndrome, [Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder] and other organizations," Reece said. "Since Dr. Malechuk came on board a few years ago we've seen some improvements [in communication regarding programs]." Reece said Katy Autism Support has roughly 750 members consisting of parents, educators and people who provide services to families living with autism. The group estimates 1 in 55 children in Katy has an autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, diagnosis. The national rate is 1 in 68 children, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. ASD advocacy is one of the organization's main missions. Every other year eight to 10 parents travel to Austin during the legislative session to speak with representatives about pending bills that affect the autism community. As April is national Autism Awareness Month, Reece said she and other parents of autistic children often schedule meetings with legislators in April. "[April] is when things will start heating up," Reece said.

Legislation

Two bills in particular are on the group's radar in the 84th session. "Senate Bill 507 would put video cameras in the classroom, which would help parents and educators get a better sense of what's going on in classrooms," Reece said. The bill specifically addresses special education classrooms. It was also sponsored last session and went to committee, but it was killed before it got to a vote, Reece said. The parents are headed to Austin again to speak with any legislators who will meet with them, she said. Regarding camera use in special education classrooms, one of the purposes is to evaluate classroom practices in rooms where children have severe cognitive problems or are nonverbal, said Rona Statman, the director of family support services for autism awareness group The Arc of Texas. "We felt we needed something proactive that touches everyone, not a 'gotcha' sort of thing," Statman said. "[The bill is] making sure there's good training and resources and expertise to help [teachers] understand what students are trying to tell them [if they're nonverbal]." Statman was involved in developing SB 1584, sponsored by state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, which would require all public school districts to use positive behavioral interventions and supports, or PBIS, in special education classrooms. PBIS is a method of behavioral assessment that is used to develop an individualized strategy and behavior plan that gives teachers guidelines on how to address behavioral issues in the classroom. The goal is to eliminate the use of restraints and isolation and use alternate, positive behavior modification techniques instead, Reece said. Older behavioral interventions, such as the use of restraints and time-out isolations to control behavior, are not used in PBIS systems and would not be allowed if SB 1584 is passed, unless there is imminent danger or threat to life, said Chris LeSuer, a representative from Lucio's office. "For a number of years we've been turning to the Legislature to try making [PBIS] the standard. There's a push to make it a schoolwide best practice," Statman said. Use of PBIS is voluntary in Texas, and varies from school to school within districts. Reece said several KISD schools have implemented PBIS programs. "[In KISD's special education department], an Admission Review and Dismissal, or ARD, Committee composed of campus administration officials, teachers, related service providers and parents meet annually to review student progress and make decisions for the following school year, including academic programming, accommodations and modifications the individual student may need to be successful in school," Malechuk said.

Multiple diagnoses

One reason plans must be completely individualized is because ASD encompasses multiple behavioral disorders, according to Dr. Robin Kochel, associate director for research at The Autism Center at Texas Children's Hospital. "With the move to a single label for ASD now, incidence and prevalence figures will no longer categorize children as autism, Asperger's [syndrome], or PDD-NOS; rather, they will all be captured as ASD," Kochel said. The Autism Center at Texas Children's Hospital, located in the Texas Medical Center, is involved in multiple studies evaluating the link between genes, the brain and behavior, Kochel said. The center received $450,000 from the William Stamps Farish Foundation to track children who fail screenings at 18- and 24-months in order to improve early identification and get children into appropriate treatments earlier. "At this time, Texas Children's Hospital West Campus [in Katy] does not offer any specific autism services or programs, but neurologists perform new patient evaluations on children who could potentially be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder," Kochel said. Autism screening questionnaires are given at regular pediatrician visits for all children starting at 18 months, Kochel said.