troy.board@troy.k12.mi.us

Troy Board Members are:

• Carol Pochodylo President
• Wendy Underwood Vice President
• Ida Edmunds Trustee
• Paula Fleming Trustee
• Gary Hauff Trustee
• Nancy PhilippartTrustee

To the Board of Education and

Dr. Barbara Fowler, Superintendent of Schools

Troy School District

4400 Livernois Road

Troy, Michigan 48098

Dear Board Members and Dr. Fowler

Imagine –

“Troy School District recognized by the Autism Society of America in recognition of their commitment to the autism community. The District’s recognition was announced at ASA’s National Conference and Exposition on Autism Spectrum Disorders”

“Autism Speaks, recognizes Troy School District for its excellence in teaching children with Autism and the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)”

This would be an outstanding addition to the various accreditations, six national exemplary awards, and Blue Ribbon honors, 100 Best Communities for Music Education awards, exemplary athletic programs and Visionary Leadership Awards

This is how we started our letter to the Superintendent Fowler in 2007. Our vision still stands, but not much has changed in the five years that we have been advocating for change in how Troy teaches children with autism. Troy Schools are excellent in many areas of education. The excellence in education started with an aspiration. It was followed with leadership, a plan, resources and implementation.

Vision and Special Education and Autism

The Board’s Vision Statement says:

Vision Statements of the Troy School District

“The Troy School District will become an exemplary learning community that supports innovation and is committed to continuous improvement. The Troy School District will be a place where a collaborative community develops curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessment to ensure all students learn.”

Our question is whether “all students” mentioned above includes special education students and children with autism?

Troy’ Superintendent’s welcome letter on the Troy Schools Web Site states:

“Troy’s reputation as an outstanding school district is well established: We have six national Blue Ribbon schools and all of our schools are Michigan exemplary Blue Ribbon schools; both of our high schools are ranked among the top four percent of all schools in the United States by Newsweek Magazine; our student achievement levels are among the best in Michigan and the nation; and our graduates earn additional consideration from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan because of their Troy School District background.”

Troy can also establish itself as “an outstanding school district for children with autism”. That is not the reputation today!

This is a significant issue in our community. 9,000 people walked in the annual Autism Speaks (Co Founded by Bob Wright, General Electric Vice-Chair) fundraiser in Auburn Hills , Michigan last fall. Many of the walkers were from Troy , Michigan

Educating Children with Autism in Troy , Michigan Schools

Research now shows the importance of early identification and intervention for children with autism. With the research and an evidence based approach, a significant portion of children with autism can be put on a path to an independent and productive life. School Districts around the country are rapidly adopting best practices of teaching children with autism.

Behavior analysis is a scientific approach to understanding behavior and how it is affected by the environment. The science of behavior analysis focuses on principles about how behavior works, or how learning takes place.

Through decades of research, the field of behavior analysis has developed many techniques for increasing useful behaviors and reducing those that may be harmful or that interfere with learning, especially for children with autism. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) uses those techniques and principles to address socially important problems, and to bring about meaningful behavior change. Today, ABA is widely recognized as a safe and effective treatment for autism. It has been endorsed by a number of state and federal agencies, including the U. S. Surgeon General.

There is an abundance of research that demonstrates the efficacy of early ABA interventions to enable substantial numbers of children with autism to attain intellectual, academic, communication, social, and daily living skills within the normal range.

ABA is researched and evidenced based as required by IDEA.

Dr. Catherine Lord, Director of the University of Michigan Autism Center and a psychology professor, estimates that fewer than 10 percent of children with autism are getting the recommended level of therapy. “Almost everywhere, schools will say kids are getting services,” she said. “But what they’re getting varies enormously.”

We are requesting that Troy Schools establish District-wide Autism Integration (AI) Classrooms at the pre-school, elementary, middle and high school levels that comply with the spirit and the letter of the law as outlined in IDEA and NCLB.

An Autism Integration (AI) program that meets the requirements of IDEA would look like this:

1. AI Teacher trained in teaching children with autism including full use of ABA

2. Class room of six children to one teacher

3. Each child’s day is tailored, based on the capabilities of the child. Children are mainstreamed as much as possible.

Mainstreamed class activity is modified to the grade level capability and speech/language level of student by teacher or aide

4. Mainstream general education Teachers have training in autism and ABA methods

5. When not in general education, students are in AI Class. Here academic work is tailored to complement general education with a focus on reading, math and life skills

6. Speech/language, social and other skills taught in AI classroom

7. AI class room is “safe space” if general education doesn’t work

8. Aide or para-pro works with student on all general education material

If you read the Troy School District Vision 2012 document there are aspirations and specifics goals and targets regarding English, Math, International programs, Science and Social Studies. The document has almost no information about Special Education and no information on Autism.

We request the following be part adopted as part of Vision 2012 with specific milestones and deadlines:

1. That children with autism attend their home school, not be shipped to neighboring communities

2. Children with autism be taught by highly qualified teachers who have received research based instruction and have the content knowledge and skills to teach children with high functioning autism. The teacher should also be trained in Applied Behavioral Analysis with positive behavior reinforcement appropriate for children with autism.

3. That a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) for children with autism include strategies, including positive behavioral interventions, supports, and other strategies to address that behavior using ABA that is used consistently by all professionals

4. That children with autism receive speech therapy by professionals that are trained in teaching children with high functioning autism and use of ABA .

5. That children with autism be mainstreamed as much as possible with the proper support

6. That education on autism be provided by the school district and the ISD to the instructional aide as well as all regular instructors who teach children with autism

7. The District adopt a positive ABA/behavior methodology that is research based for District wide application (not just in special education) and trains all personnel.

It is our assessment that the special education teachers and aides, while sincere and working hard, don’t have the background or training required to teach an AI student. You owe your employees more than is currently provided.

Communications of the Districts Plans and Aspirations

The Troy School District web site offers little information or insights on Special Education and autism

• The Vision 2012 Document offers little to no information on Special Education or autism
• The Vision and Mission of the District does not mention children with special needs or autism
• Your “Points of Pride” list does not include special education accomplishments and none on autism
• Your definition of “Our exemplary learning community” doesn’t appear to include Special Education or children with autism
• Troy Perspective almost rarely mentions Special Education, although progress has been made including the recent edition
• The Special Education parents have asked for a change in this matter - aspirations, communications, recognition of excellence and achievements and equal footing in Vision Statements, Resource Panning and Communications. The time is now to make these changes.

Requested next steps

• Form a special sub-committee of the Board of Education to perform an independent assessment of Troy ’s Special Education programs, the vision, and mission and set specific and detailed goals for 2008 through 2013.
• Benchmarking leading edge districts to understand their aspirations, goals and resources as it applies to teaching children with autism and high functioning autism or aspergers.
• Establish a definition of exemplary for Special Education for Troy School District . This would include a definition of exemplary as it applies to autism.
• Dedicate a portion of a periodic Board meeting to assess progress against the goals.
• Communicate the progress regularly to parents.
• Modify the Troy School District Website to speak to Special Education and autism similar to schools like Grosse Pointe
• Adjust the Troy School District Vision, Mission and Points of Pride for Special Education and Autism
• Have a regular feature in Troy School District Perspective on Special Education and autism.

We are happy to meet with you face to face on these requests.

Sincerely,

Peggy and Dave Meador

Dr. Barbara Fowler
Superintendent of Schools
Troy School District
4400 Livernois Road
Troy, Michigan 48098

Dear Ms Fowler,

Imagine –

“Troy School District recognized by the Autism Society of America (ASA) in recognition of their commitment to the autism community. The District’s recognition was announced at ASA’s National Conference and Exposition on Autism Spectrum Disorders”

This would be an outstanding addition to the various accreditations, six national exemplary awards, and Blue Ribbon honors, 100 Best Communities for Music Education awards, exemplary athletic programs and Visionary Leadership Awards

As you know, autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person’s lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Today, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta estimates that one in 166 children in America have autism. That’s 10 times the number that studies counted during the late 1980s and early ’90s, although the figures, like so much of the public discourse on autism, are tinged with controversy making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person’s ability to communicate and relate to others.

We have an 11-year-old daughter, who has autism. She has been at Bemis Elementary School and will hopefully start middle school in Troy next fall..

Being a long time resident of Troy and having three children graduate and move on to college, we have been pleased with the District’s philosophy and services in the past. After it became clear that our daughter had high functioning autism we found ourselves thrown into the world of special education. When you have a child with a disability, it may seem that you’ve been dropped in the middle of a whirlwind of information and buzzwords. Things such as inclusion, behavior modification, functional analysis, IDEA, IEP, due process, evaluation and sensory integration. It is difficult to get answers and help.

One area of surprise for us is what appears to be the lack of focus and dedication in the Troy School District to address.

Did you know…
• 1 in 166 children is diagnosed with autism
• 1 in 94 boys is on the autism spectrum
• 67 children are diagnosed per day
• A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
• Autism costs the nation over $90 billion per year, a figure expected to double in the next decade
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
However as we learn more about autism, what other State’s school districts are doing and what the law indicates we find ourselves asking, “where is the Troy School District?” “Why hasn’t this become and area of focus and leadership for the District?”

Some parents in other states have moved aggressively. For example, in Manhattan there is a new Charter School to serve autistic students. Tuition will be free, compared with as much as $70,000 a year at a comparable private school. The charter school will receive more than $60,000 per pupil in public money for special educational needs, rather than the $8,586 given for normally developing children at charter schools.

We understand the financial challenges of special education mandated by the Federal Government and the issues on funding. We also understand the current situation in the State of Michigan budget crisis and proposed reductions to schools deepens the issue.
That being said, there still appears to be a gap that needs to be desperately addressed. Congress found that implementation of the IDEA “has been impeded by low expectations and an insufficient focus on applying replicable research and proven methods of teaching and learning for children with disabilities”. Furthermore, it is our understanding that a lack of resources is not a sufficient reason not to provide the services required.

An example of a local District that appears to have resourced this area properly is Grosse Pointe Schools. It is our understanding in Grosse Point that they have classrooms for their AI kids at every level - elementary, middle and High School. Each classroom has 5-6 students, with 1 teacher and 1-2 assistants depending on the needs of the students. The students are somewhat grouped according to ability and mainstreamed according to their IEP recommendations. They have 4 classrooms at the High School level and are opening a 5th. We understand they have 5 classrooms at the middle school level. In addition to the academics, they offer a wonderful Quest program at the middle school level, which covers Social Skills, training, communications skills, and job skills. In addition they offer Work site based education, Vocational opportunities and a Transition to College and Life program. For additional information please go to http://www.gpschools.org/sp_se_overview.htm

From what we understand, Troy has one classroom at the elementary level and one autism specialist. It is not clear what level of training and skills are provided.

Given the above, we still would like to meet with you to discuss why is it that Troy doesn’t have an exemplary program on autism? A funded resource room for children with high functioning autism? Adequate training and support for teachers and staff who provide services to children with autism.

We look forward to talking with you. We will contact your office to set up a time to discuss this matter

Thank you,

As a background note – we have three boys who are now through or in college attend Troy, Schools. Our experience then, as with most children in Troy was that the school district was what it advertised to be – excellent. This is why we moved to Troy 20 years ago. We had no idea the other side of the Troy School District – living in the District with a child with Special Needs.

In a future post, we will outline our request that we have previously made to the Troy School Board, however, first we would like to share some important Autism background information.

• Autism is becoming an epidemic. With 1 in 150 children (some States now report 1 in 90 occurrence) this is becoming a significant issue. In Michigan the number of children with Autism has doubled since 2000 and is now over 11,000 children.
• At a cost of $90 billion a year to society – this is a significant economic issue in addition to the human issue. The cost to society to support a person with Autism is over $3.2 million according to Harvard. The cost is climbing rapidly - 10-14% per year.
• While Autism was discovered in the 1940s, the therapies now used were refined in the 1980s and 1990s. But perceptions, as with other medical conditions have lagged reality. It wasn’t long ago that these children were part of society that was deemed untreatable.
• While no cure is known, research has now shown over and over – that with early intervention you can produce significant positive results with many of these children and enable them to live independent and productive lives.
• There is a broad range of symptoms with Autism. That is why it is referred to as the “spectrum” or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Children with ASD also have multiple concurrent disorders. Co-morbid conditions exist in 90% of the children with ASD.
• In addition to the crushing financial burden for families – the time, energy and stress of parenting children with Autism can impact employment, health and marriage. Divorce rates for parents are as high as 90%
• Myths and misunderstandings regarding Autism abound.

The U.S. Congress has passed several laws regarding children with special needs, including Autism. The primary law is The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). For more information see www.idea.ed.gov or www.wrightslaw.com.

Congress found with the formation of IDEA:

• That 30 years of research and experience has demonstrated that with high expectations, education can be more effective and lead these children toward a productive and independent life to the maximum extent possible.
• Congress also established high standards in IDEA providing for the concept of a free appropriate education (FAPE) and least restrictive environments (LRE).
• It is within LRE that the law specifies that the child must be educated in “the school they would attend if not disabled”. For our daughter – that would be the school ten houses away, not the next city or 20 miles away.
• Why did Congress pass IDEA? Before 2004 it was difficult for parents to get the education their children deserved in their home school. In many cases, schools provide what special education parents refer to as “a one size fits all” education. This means a self contained special education classroom with one approach to teach a variety of special needs children, including those with Autism. This is still the case in many districts even though the law says the education program should be “designed to meet the unique needs of the child”.
• IDEA also used specific language specifying “research based instruction”. For children with Autism this has specific meaning since the researched based instruction methods have been more recently developed and taught at the universities. A teacher who graduated more than 10-15 years ago might have not received any training in these newer methods of teaching. The law further specifies the “access to general education” which speaks to the critical need to mainstream children with Autism and “high quality professional development using research based instruction practices”

This seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?

• No Child Left Behind was another piece of Federal Legislation. It uses similar language to IDEA and speaks to the need to close the achievement gap with effective, scientific based instruction.
• Congress found that progress has been impeded in many cases by the low expectations and an insufficient focus on replicable research and proven methods of teaching and learning for children with special needs.
• This finding is similar to other research studies – if the teacher assumes the child can’t learn the results are predictable. The opposite is true also.
• We have experienced this. While children on the spectrum are all different, we have followed a principle of an author on Autism, William Stillman – “Always assume intellect”. It is so easy for people to fall into a trap and think because these children see the world differently, have language processing issues and other challenges that they don’t have intellect. This would include speaking to these children with the belief that they understand what is being said
• Unfortunately, there is a large population of educators, school psychologists and social workers – including those in my daughter’s former elementary school that didn’t believe that she could learn. She has proven them wrong over and over
• The good news is that Congress recognized this in both IDEA and NCLB
• Research has now shown that with early intervention – using behavior, speech, language and occupational therapies that you can shift a significant majority of these children’s lives and put them on a path towards independence and productive lives
• “Early Intervention” is key. Hard to do if the school’s staff doesn’t have the research based, scientific training and commitment to intellect.

So you might ask – “If research shows — using proven techniques — that you can teach children with Autism and that early intervention is critical — and if schools are doing this in an excellent manner in districts all around the country — and if Congress has mandated the teaching methods and services in IDEA and NCLB;

1. Why doesn’t the Troy, Michigan School District, one who prides itself on excellence, excel in the area of providing education to children with high functioning Autism?
2. Why have they chosen a path of not training staff or developing high standards in this area? What is different about children with Autism than children in math, reading, and science classes on a fast track to college? Why have high standards for one group and not another?
3. Why put the teaching staff and aides in such a position. Would a math teacher not be trained in math? A music teacher in music? Why not train teachers of children with Autism?
4. For those children with Autism that have passed through Troy’s schools and missed the interventions and therapies their lives might never be the same. It is very difficult to intervene much beyond the teen years.
5. The School District might suggest that it hasn’t had the requests from parents, there isn’t enough demand for services, and there aren’t enough children with Autism and high functioning Autism to support the services. But is it more than that? Why doesn’t the District pursue excellence here?

We don’t know why it is. William Stillman writes in his second book on Autism that parents with special needs children sometimes make the mistake of assuming an outstanding school district will translate into outstanding services for special education.

Some people speculate that it is about money. It costs more to educate a child with Autism than the State and taxes provide. Congress has been criticized for mandating services in IDEA and NCLB, but without providing funding. However, I am not aware of other areas of the law where people can choose not comply because they don’t have the budget!

Some of the funding issue might change with President Obama and his commitment to Autism. President Obama is a strong supporter of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and supports full federal funding of the law to truly ensure that no child is left behind. The current underfunding of IDEA causes school districts throughout the country to deny necessary services to students with ASD and other special needs. Barack Obama has also committed to change IDEA’s definition of “autism” to Autism Spectrum Disorders to ensure that all children diagnosed with ASD disorders receive the support they need.

Does Troy have to wait for President Obama? I am frequently asked by parents, neighbors, corporate executives, State Legislators, teachers and others, “If you can’t get the right services for children with autism in Troy, Michigan Schools, where can you??”

Stay tuned for future posts where we will outline our request to the Troy, Michigan School District School Board.

Life is confusing enough for a child with autism. These children have trouble seeing, hearing and understanding the world around them. Routines are important. Relationships are important. Trust is important.

We had to tell our daughter that we can’t let her go to the school in our neighborhood, the school that is ten houses away, the school her older brothers attended, her few friends attend, the middle school that the familiar faces from elementary school attend.

She would now have to take the bus to another School District. I imagine the feelings:

“I don’t understand”, “What did I do wrong?”, “I am afraid, lonely”, “I knew I was different, now I am really different”, “I don’t know anybody”

What I couldn’t explain or wouldn’t even want to try to explain is what was really happening, I can’t explain it to my neighbors, friends, other taxpayers, State Legislators - so how could I explain it to a child with autism.

That Troy School District - a District that prides itself on Excellence - has chosen not to be excellent in the support of children with autism. Actually the situation is pretty far from excellent.

Why would a District that promotes excellence in so many areas, that posts its Points of Pride on it’s website and one that has a Mission that says “ensure learning for all members of the Community” -not pursue excellence in the area of Autism?  Is it Philosophy? Money? Training? Priorities?

My daughter, a seventh grader recently asked, “Mom, can I go to Troy High when I grow up”. Unfortunately, we had to tell her no. While Troy might put resources into creating an Autistically Impaired (AI) program, we have no indication that the District plans to do that. So — unfortunately —— we have to tell her, “No you can’t go to your High School”

We will explore this area more deeply in future posts.

It is time to end insurance discrimination for children with autism and provide them with the medically necessary health coverage they need, dramatically reducing the long-term cost of care to society.

In 2000, 4,706 children in Michigan were known to have autism. In 2007, that number more than doubled to almost 11,000 children! (Easter Seals).
 
Research has shown that the earlier the treatments, the greater the lifetime impact to the child. If autism is not treated, in many cases the child will likely require full time care for the rest of his or her life. The cost for non treatment is incurred by Michigan companies (disabled children get lifetime medical insurance) and the State of Michigan.
 
Healthcare plans in Michigan systematically excluded many of the prescribed, medically proven treatments for autism. 

In addition to the crushing financial burden, the time, energy and stress of parenting children with autism can impact employment, health and marriage. Divorce rates for parents of children with autism are extremely high.

- February 27, 2009 LANSING – House Majority Floor Leader Kathy Angerer (D-Dundee) introduced a package of bills Thursday to support the growing number of families struggling to cope with the costs of autism care by requiring health insurance companies to provide coverage for the treatment of the disease. “While there is no cure for autism, early diagnosis and treatment is vital to increasing the chance that children with autism will reach their full potential,” Angerer said. “Unfortunately since most health insurance companies do not cover treatments, children with the disorder either are going without care or it comes with a high price – which can place an unbearable financial burden and immeasurable stress on families. It’s time for health insurance companies to step up to the plate and provide coverage for a disorder that affects so many of our children.”

Autism, which refers to the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders, is characterized by difficulties with verbal and nonverbal communication, social interaction and repetitive behaviors. The impact ranges from mild to disabling. Autism affects one in 150 children, and the Autism Society of America estimates that the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade. Between 2001 and 2006, the number of children in Michigan public schools diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder increased by more than 100 percent, according to the Autism Society of Michigan.

Currently, most health insurance companies cover only screening for the disorder, leaving families with autistic children to bear the high costs of treatment on their own. Treating autism can cost a single family $50,000 or more annually.

“Autism is a serious disease and it’s unconscionable that health care companies continue to refuse to cover treatments for children suffering from this debilitating disorder,” Angerer said. “Health care companies need to provide care for our children with autism, just as they do for conditions like cancer and diabetes. This plan is about providing equal coverage for our working families and helping our children live healthy, full and meaningful lives.”

In addition to requiring health care companies to cover autism treatments, Angerer’s package also will create the Autism Research Fund to research the causes and treatments to the disorder, as well as establish a new income tax checkoff box to allow Michigan residents to voluntarily designate a portion of their tax return to the fund.