Re: Notice of Public Hearings on Proposed Amendments and Repeal to 19 TAC Chapter 89, Subchapter AA

[Guest guest]

These are the new Commissioner's Rules which include the Autism

Supplement that the Autism Rules Study Group worked on. Eleven items

replace the seven, rather vague items currently in place.

It would be a smart idea to go to the public meetings and give

constructive feedback; you can bet anyone who's opposed to these

proposals will be there.

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Here's the new, proposed Autism Supplement:

Under §89.1055, subsection e:

(e) For students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), the

strategies described in paragraphs (1)-(11) of this subsection shall

be considered, based on peer-reviewed and/or research-based

educational programming practices, and addressed in the IEP:

(1) extended educational programming, including extended day and/or

extended school year services, that considers the duration of

programs/settings based on assessment of behavior, social skills,

communication, academics, and self-help skills;

(2) daily schedules reflecting minimal unstructured time and active

engagement in learning activities, including lunch, snack, and

recess, and providing flexibility within routines that are adaptable

to individual skill levels and assist with schedule changes, such as

field trips, substitute teachers, and pep rallies;

(3) in-home and community-based training or viable alternatives that

assist the student with acquisition of social/behavioral skills,

including strategies that facilitate maintenance and generalization

of such skills from home to school, school to home, home to

community, and school to community;

(4) positive behavior support strategies based on information, such

as:

(A) antecedent manipulation, replacement behaviors,

reinforcement strategies, and data-based decisions; and

( a Behavior Intervention Plan developed from a Functional

Behavioral Assessment that uses current data related to target

behaviors and addresses behavioral programming across home, school,

and community-based settings;

(5) beginning at any age, futures planning for integrated living,

work, community, and educational environments that considers skills

necessary to function in current and post-secondary environments;

(6) parent/family training and support, provided by qualified

personnel with experience in ASD, that:

(A) provides a family with skills necessary for a child to

succeed in the home/community setting;

( includes information regarding resources such as parent

support groups, workshops, videos, conferences, and materials

designed to increase parent knowledge of specific teaching/management

techniques related to the child's curriculum; and

© facilitates parental carryover of in-home training and

includes strategies for behavior management and developing structured

home environments and/or communication training so that parents are

active participants in promoting the continuity of interventions

across all settings;

(7) suitable staff-to-student ratio appropriate to identified

activities and as needed to achieve social/behavioral progress based

on the child's developmental and learning level (acquisition,

fluency, maintenance, generalization) that encourages work towards

individual independence as determined by:

(A) adaptive behavior evaluation results;

( behavioral accommodation needs across settings; and

© transitions within the school day;

(8) communication interventions, including language forms and

functions that enhance effective communication across settings, such

as augmentative, incidental, and naturalistic teaching;

(9) social skills supports and strategies based on social skills

assessment/curriculum and provided across settings, such as trained

peer facilitators (e.g., circle of friends), video modeling, social

stories, and role playing;

(10) professional educator/staff support, such as training provided

to personnel who work with the student to assure the correct

implementation of techniques and strategies described in the IEP; and

(11) teaching strategies based on peer reviewed and/or research-

based practices for students with ASD, such as those associated with

discrete-trial training, visual supports, applied behavior analysis,

structured learning, augmentative communication, or social skills

training.

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HERE's the OLD (still current) Autism Supplement:

[(e) For students with autism/pervasive developmental disorders,

information about the following shall be considered and, when needed,

addressed in the IEP:]

[(1) extended educational programming;]

[(2) daily schedules reflecting minimal unstructured time;]

[(3) in-home training or viable alternatives;]

[(4) prioritized behavioral objectives;]

[(5) prevocational and vocational needs of students 12 years of age

or older;]

[(6) parent training; and]

[(7) suitable staff-to-students ratio.]

===============================

So you can see there's quite a few changes from the original 7 to the

proposed 11.

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http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/commissioner/proposed/0407/89-1011-

one.html

or http://www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/rules/proprule.html

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> The Texas Education Agency will hold public hearings at each of the

20 regional education service centers to solicit testimony and input

from the public on proposed amendments and repeal to 19 TAC Chapter

89, Adaptations for Special Populations, Subchapter AA,

Commissioner's Rules Concerning Special Education Services. To view

the proposed amendments and repeal, go to

>

> http://tinyurl.com/2nnu2s

>

> http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/commissioner/proposed/0407/89-1011-

ltrprop.html

>

>

> The hearings are scheduled as follows:

>

>

> May 18, 2007, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. -

Regions 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 11, 18, and 20;

>

>

>

> May 23, 2007, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. -

Regions 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, and 19; and

>

>

>

> May 24, 2007, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. -

Regions 7, 13, 16, and 17.

>

>

> To view the hearing notices online, including registration

information for the hearings, go to

>

> http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/pubomquery$.startup and type

Texas

>

> Education Agency in the Agency Name search box. For questions,

please contact the Division of IDEA Coordination at .

Thank you.

>

>

>

> Division of Policy Coordination

>

> Texas Education Agency

>

>

>

> Amy A. Sosa

>

> amy.sosa@...

> Coppell, Texas

>

> Home/Office -

>

> Fax -

>

> Cell -

>