Study of the Mount Diablo Unified School District - Mt. Diablo Unified ...

Service Delivery Options and Continuum of ServicesReview of placement of autism specific classrooms in MSUSD revealed that tiered programoptions (intensive, strategic, benchmark, and magnet benchmark) and grade levels arelocated throughout the district). Schools serving these students may not have classes for allgrades or levels within the tier.As a result, elementary‐age students with autism spectrum disorders are often required tochange schools when their grade or support needs (e.g., move from intensive to strategic)change. Interviews with teachers, as well as knowledge of best practices for students withautism, indicate that this type of change can be detrimental in a number of ways, including:• Current research suggests that change is difficult for students with autismspectrum disorders and they benefit from routine, consistency, and familiarity.The need to change schools is contrary to best practice as it interferes with theimplementation of these strategies.• Students with autism benefit socially and academically by being included withtypically developing peers who have some level of understanding of their needs.This is difficult to achieve when students with autism spectrum disorders aremoved frequently.• Families lose the sense of being part of a school community when they cannotexpect that their child will remain at a particular school.• Administrators, other teachers, and peers do not have the opportunity to get toknow the students with autism spectrum disorders as they move through thegrades. Interviews with teachers indicate that this has had a negative impact onthe development of inclusive opportunities.• IDEA requires that all students receive education within the least restrictiveenvironment (LRE). It mandates that school districts make available a range ofplacement options so that individual student needs can be met within the LRE.While free appropriate public education (FAPE) is the primary consideration,students with autism should receive special education services in the leastrestrictive environment, to the greatest extent possible.The district provides limited program options for middle and high school students withautism spectrum disorders. Review of records and interviews with staff indicate that thesestudents are moved to classrooms for students with moderate to severe disabilities, areserved out of district, or are served by a nonpublic school. The MSUSD recognizes this issueand has opened a strategic and a magnet benchmark program at the middle school levelwith the intent to expand into high school next year.During interviews, teachers indicated that their ability to provide inclusion experiencesvaried significantly from school to school. This variation was perceived to be the result of avariety of factors including:MGT of America, Inc. Page 3‐11