Houston Chronicle.. School Vouchers for Autism: Front Page.

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Dec. 18, 2006, 1:31AM

Autism fuels call for school vouchers

State lawmaker and families push for legislation to open the doors of private

programs

By GARY SCHARRER

Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

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AUSTIN — School voucher plans repeatedly have died in the Texas Legislature, but

the Senate Education Committee chairwoman is eying a whittled-down school-choice

option that might be harder for lawmakers to resist. Sen. Florence Shapiro,

R-Plano, plans to push legislation that would allow parents of autistic children

to choose the best schools for their children.

" They have a very difficult time in a regular setting in a classroom, " said

Shapiro, who long has supported vouchers. " I would like to see a choice program.

.... It's what I think we should do for children with autism. "

The number of Texas children diagnosed with various degrees of autism has

nearly doubled over the past five years, increasing from 8,972 students to

17,282 in the 2005-06 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that affects the functioning of

the brain and development in the areas of social interaction and communication

skills.

A voucher program would allow eligible parents to spend a certain amount of

tax dollars allocated for a child's public school education at any school —

public or private. The public school could be in a different district from the

child's home district.

Even some lawmakers who have opposed vouchers say they are willing to consider

Shapiro's proposal. And while some parents hail the voucher idea, education

groups will oppose it.

Demand and opposition

Kendra Imbus embraces Shapiro's proposal.

Her 4-year-old, , has severe autism and attends an early childhood

autism program in the Katy Independent School District. Many others are on a

waiting list.

also attends Shape of Behavior Inc., a private school that

specializes in teaching autistic children.

If given a choice, Imbus said, parents could get help to cover the cost for

intensive and specialized education.

" Maybe you could get them to a point where they could be mainstreamed, and

then, maybe, you wouldn't have to spend that money later, " Imbus said. " That's

what I think the general public doesn't realize. If we could help them now,

maybe they wouldn't have to be institutionalized when they are older. "

But she is not optimistic that lawmakers will support Shapiro's plan.

" It will be a hard sell. I don't think the public cares, " Imbus said. " I don't

think they understand the issue. I don't think they realize how many of these

children are out there. This is going to become an economic disaster in our

country. "

There is no known cure for autism. Early intervention is imperative.

Holli De Clemente also has enrolled her 3-year-old son, Justice, in Shape of

Behavior. The school, with six locations, enrolls 40 children and has 45 staff

members.

De Clemente said her Magnolia Independent School District has beautiful public

schools but, from her perspective, was unable to provide adequate support for

Justice.

She said her son made " a mind-boggling transformation " nearly immediately

after being placed in the private school: He began speaking.

Shape of Behavior charges $2,000 a month for part-time students and $4,000 a

month for full-time students.

" What typical family in America can do that? My parents are helping us with

part of it, because it's impossible, " De Clemente said.

Education groups vigorously oppose voucher programs in Texas. Such proposals

typically involve vouchers for low-income parents to move children from low

performing, inner-city schools to private schools or better public schools.

Voucher supporters and opponents agree any move to allow vouchers for one

disability or disease could open the door to other subsets of students.

" Public tax dollars should go to fund public schools, not private schools, "

said Kouri, a spokesman for the Texas State Teachers Association. " Our

belief is that once you start moving public tax dollars to private schools,

whatever the initial reason, future arguments become arguments around expanding

that existing program. "

State Sen. Van de Putte, D-San , said she opposes school

vouchers but agonizes with parents of autistic children.

Van de Putte, a member of the Senate Education Committee, said parents don't

want to open the floodgates for a full-blown voucher system but that they are

lobbying for a limited-purpose voucher program in special cases in which the

school district agrees that it can't provide needed services.

Van de Putte, emphasizing that she opposes " diverting money and passion away

from our public school system, " said she is open-minded.

Ongoing vouchers battleLawmakers have fought over school vouchers during

most of the past decade.

San physician-turned-businessman Leininger spent nearly $5

million this year tying to elect voucher-friendly candidates. But his effort

largely failed, and now Leininger is pushing a compromise idea that would allow

school districts to keep a portion of the tax money when students take a voucher

to enroll in another school.

" Leaving a percentage of the funds devoted to the student with the public

school creates a win-win situation, " Leininger's spokesman, Ken Hoagland, said.

But Van de Putte said there simply is no appetite in the Legislature for a

full-blown voucher program allowing tax dollars for low-income parents to send

children to private schools.

Leininger also supports a voucher program for autistic children, his spokesman

said.

Special needsAccording to Domonique Randall, founder of the Shape of

Behavior schools, it takes about two years of intensive interaction at a young

age before an autistic child can transition to a general education classroom.

" Our goal is to teach them to learn within a group and to teach them to

participate in a group setting, " Randall said.

The most effective approach involves " applied behavior analysis, " which

emphasizes positive reinforcement, Randall said. Many public school teachers are

not trained in applied behavior analysis, she said.

" These children going into public schools are either secluded and put into

classrooms with children all having disabilities, and so they don't get the

opportunity to learn from their typically developing peers, or their behavior

(keeps) them from that opportunity, " Randall said. " But the behavior is the

result of teachers not being trained. "

gscharrer@...

M. Guppy

Contact me to order the 2007 Autism Awareness Calendar for Texas!

Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

" There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to

compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one should live

in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive education. Everyone

should. We cannot determine who does and who does not get the right to make

their own choices and forge their own futures. All must. "