BACB ste, Provisional? other stuff VERY LONG

[Guest guest]

Hi, I was not going to respond again, but I felt that in

light of your experience with poorly qualified, persons)

who misrepresented themselves, I made point to go

through the entire BACB site to see what

the " Provisional " thing was about. It is unclear to me

as to whether it is about course work or documentation

of work experience. In fact I was not able to find the

use of this word in any BACB site other than the

Certificant registry area. It occurred to me however

that after reading pretty much everything that NO

designated speciality areas (people who work

with " Verbal Behavior " as opposed to some other

philosophy " Positive Behavior Supports " ) are recognized.

In fact the general FAQ section states:

Board Certification indicates that the person has

met the eligibility standards and passed the

certification examination thus demonstrating that they

have at least minimal competence in behavior analysis.

As with any other credentialed profession, there is

variability between individuals in competence and areas

of expertise. Consumers should use the same selection

procedures as they would for other credentialed

professionals.

This is in response to : Does Board Certification

guarantee that the certificant is an expert practitioner

in all aspects of applying behavior analysis with all

kinds of clients?

The FAQ's also make a mention about whether all behavior

analyst will need to be Board Certified, The response:

No. The BACB was established to provide uniform

credentialing standards for practitioners. Many

behavior analytic academics, researchers, and

theoreticians or behavior analysts working in business

will choose not to become Board Certified however they

may be well-qualified behavior analysts in their own

areas. On the other hand, many of these individuals

have felt that it is important to become Board

Certified, and have done so.

So based on these statements and the other little thing

in the FAQ's Q: Is there a difference between

certification and licensure?

A: Yes. Certification is a voluntary non-

governmental process of regulation of a profession or

occupation, which is based on select eligibility

requirements and an examination. Licensure is a process

by which a government agency authorizes an individual to

engage in a profession or occupation. Often licensure

is mandatory and it is usually state-based. Licensure

programs for some professions require certification as a

prerequisite to licensure.

I frankly get the impression that this field (Behavior

Analyst) needs to evolve into licensure and specialty

certifications should exist within the scope of practice

much the way it does in the nursing profession. That way

those weak (incredibly weak) DISCIPLINARY STANDARDS AND

PROCEDURES FOR APPEALS could be more easily defined by

specific practice standards of those specialty areas and

intergraton of those truly fabulous GUIDELINES FOR

RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT For Behavior Analysts could become

the basis of a respectable self governing profession as

is seen in nursing and other licensed professions. What

essentially means is that people licensed would be

judged by a designated group of their peers.

One could hope that Behavior Analyst's don't end up

evolving as in the history or nursing into a bunch of

whores on the street before it is realized by civilized

man the value of properly trained professionals.

It also appears again by the statement made in the

International FAQ's that Behavior Analyst's are in a

state of evolmentment and having some extreme periods of

growing pains as is seen Question: Will the BACB ever

offer certification in my Country?

Answer: Perhaps. The BACB is currently expanding and

developing its existing US-based certification program.

The BACB will need to establish substantial funds and

resources before the BACB will be able to expand its

certification to offer the examination in other

Countries.

In order to meet the prevailing requirements for

psychometric soundness and legal defensibility, the BACB

must develop the eligibility standards and examination

based on the tasks identified in the Job Analysis

questionnaire and responses. The Job Analysis is a very

expensive psychometric tool essential to credentialing.

The BACB Job Analysis is currently based on practice in

the United States. However, if there appears to be

sufficient interest for practitioners in a particular

Country, region or province, the BACB may consider

conducting a Job Analysis for that location. Following

completion of a Job Analysis, the BACB could then modify

the current examination or develop a new examination to

identify areas of practice within the Country, region or

province. This is a very expensive and time-consuming

process. There would need to be significant interest

and commitment by practitioners in the Country, region

or province before the BACB could begin such a costly

endeavor.

Yes I realize all of this is extremely long winded but

it appears lttle exist at this time within this

profession to shield consumers from rammpant fraud.My

daughter has been very fortunate to have a

caring professional like Bob in her life to provide

interventions that have allowed her to make measurable

and meaningful progress. I also wanted to share a

newspaper article that pretty much tells everything that

we have been through attempting to get help for

. Best to You !! lyn Popp (see pasted in

below) Hope this helps!

Autism and our schools

Amid growing numbers diagnosed with the neurological

disorder, families question how Duval County educates

their children

By Marcia Mattson

Times-Union staff writer

When 9-year-old Harley Sheffield began biting his lip

and smearing the blood on himself at his ville

school last spring, his pediatrician said the school

needed to provide the boy his own aide.

That seemed to work.

Harley, who has autism, stopped trying to harm himself.

He also came home with wet pants less often, which his

mother took as a sign he was being escorted to the

bathroom more regularly.

This school year, inexplicably, Harley has no aide. And

a recent evaluation at Nemours Children's Clinic found

the child regressing in some areas of development.

" Basically, he's warehoused in the classroom, and that's

that, " said his mother, Michele Sheffield.

--------------------------------------------------

AUTISM AND OUR SCHOOLS

What is autism?

Autism is a neurological disorder that typically appears

during the first three years of life. It affects as many

as 1 in 500 people, and is four times more prevalent in

boys than girls, according to the Autism Society of

America.

Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and

interact with others. In some cases, those with autism

can become overly aggressive or try to harm themselves.

Those with autism may exhibit: repeated body movements

(hand flapping, rocking); unusual responses to people;

attachments to objects; or resistance to changes in

routines.

--------------------------------------------------

" I'm not expecting him to be a brain surgeon or to go to

college. But if he could learn to go to the bathroom, to

use a fork and spoon, and communicate with me, I would

be happy. "

The Sheffields are among a handful of families who,

aware of a decade of research showing that autistic

students can improve with intensive early instruction,

are challenging how Duval County educates autistic

children. One family has filed a lawsuit.

Duval has 270 students who have autism as their primary

disability, an increase of about 55 percent in five

years. Statewide and nationally, the number of autistic

children is growing -- a trend attributed mainly to

improved diagnosis, according to experts.

Yet, critics say, the school system has no standards for

teaching autistic children.

The school system provides inadequate staff and

materials and doesn't require teachers or aides to get

training in methods to improve autistic children's

behavior, communication and learning skills, according

to Tad Delegal, the ville attorney who filed the

lawsuit.

" Who cares if you're giving somebody an aide if the aide

isn't trained to do anything? " asked Delegal, a parent

of an autistic child.

" They label the classroom 'autistic.' It could be

labeled the 'ice cream truck' classroom and it wouldn't

mean anything different. You could call it 'Harvard

University.' So what? It's not. "

Mark Cashen, Duval's director of exceptional student

education, said he is prohibited from speaking

specifically about any child. But he said he has asked

the Florida Department of Education to review how Duval

teaches autistic students. The state visit is expected

this spring.

" Really, it's because of what parents have been saying, "

Cashen said, citing the lawsuit over 6-year-old

Popp, one of Harley's classmates at Pinedale

Elementary School.

" It's led us to say, 'Let's take a look at this.' I

really think the state's going to be a big help to us in

determining whether we're on target or not, " Cashen said.

--------------------------------------------------

lynn Popp says she is happy with the services her

mildly autistic son, , has received in the Duval

schools. But daughter 's experience has

prompted the family to sue the school system. -- Bob

Mack/Staff-----------------------------------------------

---

lyn and Popp, who live on the Westside, filed

the federal lawsuit in January, claiming the school

system is violating the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act. Public schools are required under the act

to write and follow an individualized education plan for

every child with disabilities.

The Popps had worked out a plan for Pinedale Elementary

to give an aide and administer a program

similar to one she had received at a private school the

Popps said they could no longer afford.

The suit alleges the school system is not meeting its

agreement. The autism classroom's teacher never got

training in the program. And the Popps claim an aide

trained at their expense was not given the supervision

the program requires.

That aide and another have since left the classroom.

has had no aide since January. The family is

asking the school system to fund her education at a

private school in Arlington, called The Jericho School,

until Duval officials can provide a comparable program.

Cashen declined further comment on the Popp case.

Pinedale Principal Margaret Kring also declined comment.

Lack of training

According to the state Department of Education, public

schools must provide autistic students specially

designed instruction; train teachers to provide the

unique services identified for each student; and provide

reasonable class sizes and adequate funds for materials

and training.

Cashen said Duval schools offer teachers training in a

variety of autistic teaching methods, because no program

works for all children. Autism is a highly

individualized condition, and children's abilities vary

widely.

But teacher contracts prevent the school system from

requiring them to attend training sessions, he said. The

school system tries to entice teachers by offering extra

money.

Duval also has several support workers, including one

autism specialist, who are sent into schools to work

with children.

" So, there are resources for help, " Cashen said. " It's

not all the resources we would like to have, but it's

the resources we can afford to have. "

Budget director Bright also noted Duval doesn't

get as much money per student from the state as other

large school districts, though some of those school

districts also have a higher cost of living and higher

teacher salaries. Bright said both the state and federal

governments don't provide enough money to meet special

education needs.

Yet, the average student with autism brings in about

$10,300 per year in state funding -- compared with

$3,500 for the average non-disabled student.

In all, Duval receives about $16.4 million per year in

federal funding through the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act, as well as $258 million in

state funding to teach about 30,000 students with

disabilities.

Cashen acknowledged that the training of aides in

general is inadequate. There's a general shortage of

both teachers and aides, and the need is even greater in

classes for children with disabilities, he said.

" If they need an aide they should have an aide, " he

said. " A problem is finding teacher aides to fill

positions. "

Cashen said his staff decides whether a child gets an

aide, based on whether it's been demonstrated the child

can't function in a classroom without one. The school

system doesn't want autistic students to become

dependent on aides, he said.

" Can we make all parents happy? Can we do what parents

want us to do all the time? No, " Cashen said. " ...

We'll do what we find to be successful for the kids. "

Family dissatisfied

lyn Popp would take exception to that.

She's happy with the services her mildly autistic son,

, has received in the Duval schools.

But her daughter's experience is another matter.

--------------------------------------------------

Popp's parents are suing Duval County

schools, saying the autistic girl is not getting the

help she needs, help that she was getting at a private

school they say they can no longer afford. -- Bob

Mack/Staff-----------------------------------------------

---

Popp at first requested be in a class for

trainable mentally handicapped children because she had

concerns about autism classrooms. And , like

about 75 percent of autistic children, also has some

degree of mental retardation.

The school system still was required to make an

education plan for her needs, including autism.

But Popp had to ask Crystal Springs Elementary for 11

months to give speech and language therapy.

The school system denied the request until she got an

attorney.

At her mother's request, was provided with her

own aide in the 1998-99 school year. But her tantrums

increased. They are thought to spring from an autistic

child's inability to communicate needs or wants.

would whine, kick, hit and scratch herself.

She would also try to harm others.

During one tantrum on Christmas Eve, the child kicked

her speech therapist hard enough to put the therapist in

the hospital. Her aide for the 1999-2000 school year

also reported frequent tantrums and aggression.

By March 2000, an evaluation at Nemours found

had regressed in her overall age equivalency. The

psychologist, Bailet, wrote in her report that she

had major concerns about the child's lack of progress in

the previous two school years.

The following month, after a school progress report

found was still doing poorly and required

continual assistance in several areas, her parents sent

her to The Jericho School. The school videotaped

at the beginning, middle and end of her four-

month stay there.

When she arrived, her tantrums lasted up to an hour and

20 minutes. But by the second day, the staff at Jericho

figured out a way to keep her in her seat. They placed a

chair by the swing set and told her to sit, then

rewarded her by letting her swing.

By practicing that task again and again, and having her

sit for longer times between rewards, the staff moved

the chair into the classroom and held her attention

there.

Autistic children don't naturally develop relationships

with other people and don't pick up on social cues, such

as frowning or scolding. So Jericho staff members make

themselves the providers of things the child wants, like

a cookie or a swing, Jericho education director Bob

said. The child starts to interact with staff members

because they are seen as part of the pleasurable

activity.

When a tantrum would start, the staff placed

on a floor mat, held her arms to her sides, and counted

to 10. Soon, they were just saying, " No tantruming, lie

down, " and she would sit on the mat until she calmed

down.

Jericho's methods

The school uses a scientifically proven teaching method

called applied behavior analysis to assess a child's

strengths and weaknesses, and plan a series of

repetitions to teach those skills in increments.

became able to sit in groups, interact with

classmates, request things, label and talk about items.

A July evaluation by Bailet found the girl had made 10

to 12 months' progress on skills, particularly with

language.

But the Popps pulled their daughter from Jericho because

they couldn't afford the $30,000 a year tuition. They

placed her in Pinedale, and have been unhappy with the

results.

A judge in December denied the Popps' request for a

state administrative hearing. The judge said there

wasn't enough evidence the child had regressed.

But she called " imperfections " in Pinedale Elementary's

implementation " troubling. "

During testimony, the teacher said he was placing

students for up to an hour in a time-out room --

inappropriate for autistic children who might see it as

a reward if they shun people. And though autistic

children understand visual information better than

verbal information, the teacher and support staff were

inconsistent in whether the class used visual items to

help children know what is expected of them.

And though is nearsighted, the child's aide

testified the class was dealing with her habit of

breaking her glasses by simply removing them -- a

practice her mother said is continuing. The Jericho

School had managed to control that habit.

Broward a model

The Broward County School District is seen statewide as

a model for teaching children with autism.

In 1995, it adopted the TEACCH program, which stands for

Treatment and Education of Autistic and related

Communication Handicapped Children. The program was

developed about 20 years ago at the University of North

Carolina specifically to work in public schools. TEACCH

is one of the workshops Duval offers.

TEACCH relies heavily on visual items like picture or

work schedules that direct children through a task, said

Sally Creswell, Broward's curriculum supervisor for

emotionally handicapped and autism programs.

The child is taught the sequence of doing something like

brushing his teeth by learning to follow items on a

schedule. The trick is in figuring out how to break

tasks into a sequence the child can practice and learn.

Eventually, children work alone on tasks using only

visual cues to guide them, and can learn to communicate

through the method.

--------------------------------------------------

Harley Sheffield walks in circles around a tree in his

family's front yard. His mother says she is unhappy with

the loss of an aide for Harley at Pindeale Elementary

School. -- Stuart Tannehill/Staff------------------------

--------------------------

" It's very efficient if we can teach children to get

around in their environment and not rely on an aide, "

Creswell said.

Broward has 19 autism " coaches, " each assigned to a

cluster of two to four classrooms. Broward set up a

method to give all autistic classrooms equitable

staffing, adult-to-student ratios and supplies.

Elementary classrooms range from four to eight children,

whereas Cashen said most of Duval's have 10.

Communication and behavioral management at a young age

are allowing more Broward children to move into regular

classrooms, Creswell said.

Harley Sheffield's mother fears he will never make that

kind of progress.

Like many children with severe autism, Harley rarely

speaks a word, other than to parrot phrases he's heard

at odd times. He spends nearly all his time doing

activities like bouncing on his backyard trampoline

oblivious to other people, or screaming and hitting when

he does interact. He's getting more aggressive.

" I put my faith in the school system ... that they were

going to help my child, " Michele Sheffield said. " They

failed my child. "

This story can be found on ville.com at

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-

online/stories/031201/met_5619044.html.

[Guest guest]

If you suspect fraud take the matter to the BCBA ethics board or straight

to the courts. It is up to the consumer to let people know when a person

is misrepresenting themselves.

Joe

On Fri, 26 Jul 2002 lpopp1@... wrote:

> Hi, I was not going to respond again, but I felt that in

> light of your experience with poorly qualified, persons)

> who misrepresented themselves, I made point to go

> through the entire BACB site to see what

> the " Provisional " thing was about. It is unclear to me

> as to whether it is about course work or documentation

> of work experience. In fact I was not able to find the

> use of this word in any BACB site other than the

> Certificant registry area. It occurred to me however

> that after reading pretty much everything that NO

> designated speciality areas (people who work

> with " Verbal Behavior " as opposed to some other

> philosophy " Positive Behavior Supports " ) are recognized.

> In fact the general FAQ section states:

> Board Certification indicates that the person has

> met the eligibility standards and passed the

> certification examination thus demonstrating that they

> have at least minimal competence in behavior analysis.

> As with any other credentialed profession, there is

> variability between individuals in competence and areas

> of expertise. Consumers should use the same selection

> procedures as they would for other credentialed

> professionals.

>

> This is in response to : Does Board Certification

> guarantee that the certificant is an expert practitioner

> in all aspects of applying behavior analysis with all

> kinds of clients?

>

> The FAQ's also make a mention about whether all behavior

> analyst will need to be Board Certified, The response:

> No. The BACB was established to provide uniform

> credentialing standards for practitioners. Many

> behavior analytic academics, researchers, and

> theoreticians or behavior analysts working in business

> will choose not to become Board Certified however they

> may be well-qualified behavior analysts in their own

> areas. On the other hand, many of these individuals

> have felt that it is important to become Board

> Certified, and have done so.

>

> So based on these statements and the other little thing

> in the FAQ's Q: Is there a difference between

> certification and licensure?

>

> A: Yes. Certification is a voluntary non-

> governmental process of regulation of a profession or

> occupation, which is based on select eligibility

> requirements and an examination. Licensure is a process

> by which a government agency authorizes an individual to

> engage in a profession or occupation. Often licensure

> is mandatory and it is usually state-based. Licensure

> programs for some professions require certification as a

> prerequisite to licensure.

>

> I frankly get the impression that this field (Behavior

> Analyst) needs to evolve into licensure and specialty

> certifications should exist within the scope of practice

> much the way it does in the nursing profession. That way

> those weak (incredibly weak) DISCIPLINARY STANDARDS AND

> PROCEDURES FOR APPEALS could be more easily defined by

> specific practice standards of those specialty areas and

> intergraton of those truly fabulous GUIDELINES FOR

> RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT For Behavior Analysts could become

> the basis of a respectable self governing profession as

> is seen in nursing and other licensed professions. What

> essentially means is that people licensed would be

> judged by a designated group of their peers.

>

> One could hope that Behavior Analyst's don't end up

> evolving as in the history or nursing into a bunch of

> whores on the street before it is realized by civilized

> man the value of properly trained professionals.

>

> It also appears again by the statement made in the

> International FAQ's that Behavior Analyst's are in a

> state of evolmentment and having some extreme periods of

> growing pains as is seen Question: Will the BACB ever

> offer certification in my Country?

>

> Answer: Perhaps. The BACB is currently expanding and

> developing its existing US-based certification program.

> The BACB will need to establish substantial funds and

> resources before the BACB will be able to expand its

> certification to offer the examination in other

> Countries.

>

> In order to meet the prevailing requirements for

> psychometric soundness and legal defensibility, the BACB

> must develop the eligibility standards and examination

> based on the tasks identified in the Job Analysis

> questionnaire and responses. The Job Analysis is a very

> expensive psychometric tool essential to credentialing.

> The BACB Job Analysis is currently based on practice in

> the United States. However, if there appears to be

> sufficient interest for practitioners in a particular

> Country, region or province, the BACB may consider

> conducting a Job Analysis for that location. Following

> completion of a Job Analysis, the BACB could then modify

> the current examination or develop a new examination to

> identify areas of practice within the Country, region or

> province. This is a very expensive and time-consuming

> process. There would need to be significant interest

> and commitment by practitioners in the Country, region

> or province before the BACB could begin such a costly

> endeavor.

>

> Yes I realize all of this is extremely long winded but

> it appears lttle exist at this time within this

> profession to shield consumers from rammpant fraud.My

> daughter has been very fortunate to have a

> caring professional like Bob in her life to provide

> interventions that have allowed her to make measurable

> and meaningful progress. I also wanted to share a

> newspaper article that pretty much tells everything that

> we have been through attempting to get help for

> . Best to You !! lyn Popp (see pasted in

> below) Hope this helps!

>

> Autism and our schools

> Amid growing numbers diagnosed with the neurological

> disorder, families question how Duval County educates

> their children

>

>

>

> By Marcia Mattson

> Times-Union staff writer

>

> When 9-year-old Harley Sheffield began biting his lip

> and smearing the blood on himself at his ville

> school last spring, his pediatrician said the school

> needed to provide the boy his own aide.

>

> That seemed to work.

>

> Harley, who has autism, stopped trying to harm himself.

> He also came home with wet pants less often, which his

> mother took as a sign he was being escorted to the

> bathroom more regularly.

>

> This school year, inexplicably, Harley has no aide. And

> a recent evaluation at Nemours Children's Clinic found

> the child regressing in some areas of development.

>

> " Basically, he's warehoused in the classroom, and that's

> that, " said his mother, Michele Sheffield.

>

>

> --------------------------------------------------

> AUTISM AND OUR SCHOOLS

>

> What is autism?

>

> Autism is a neurological disorder that typically appears

> during the first three years of life. It affects as many

> as 1 in 500 people, and is four times more prevalent in

> boys than girls, according to the Autism Society of

> America.

>

> Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and

> interact with others. In some cases, those with autism

> can become overly aggressive or try to harm themselves.

>

> Those with autism may exhibit: repeated body movements

> (hand flapping, rocking); unusual responses to people;

> attachments to objects; or resistance to changes in

> routines.

>

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> " I'm not expecting him to be a brain surgeon or to go to

> college. But if he could learn to go to the bathroom, to

> use a fork and spoon, and communicate with me, I would

> be happy. "

>

> The Sheffields are among a handful of families who,

> aware of a decade of research showing that autistic

> students can improve with intensive early instruction,

> are challenging how Duval County educates autistic

> children. One family has filed a lawsuit.

>

> Duval has 270 students who have autism as their primary

> disability, an increase of about 55 percent in five

> years. Statewide and nationally, the number of autistic

> children is growing -- a trend attributed mainly to

> improved diagnosis, according to experts.

>

> Yet, critics say, the school system has no standards for

> teaching autistic children.

>

> The school system provides inadequate staff and

> materials and doesn't require teachers or aides to get

> training in methods to improve autistic children's

> behavior, communication and learning skills, according

> to Tad Delegal, the ville attorney who filed the

> lawsuit.

>

> " Who cares if you're giving somebody an aide if the aide

> isn't trained to do anything? " asked Delegal, a parent

> of an autistic child.

>

> " They label the classroom 'autistic.' It could be

> labeled the 'ice cream truck' classroom and it wouldn't

> mean anything different. You could call it 'Harvard

> University.' So what? It's not. "

>

> Mark Cashen, Duval's director of exceptional student

> education, said he is prohibited from speaking

> specifically about any child. But he said he has asked

> the Florida Department of Education to review how Duval

> teaches autistic students. The state visit is expected

> this spring.

>

> " Really, it's because of what parents have been saying, "

> Cashen said, citing the lawsuit over 6-year-old

> Popp, one of Harley's classmates at Pinedale

> Elementary School.

>

> " It's led us to say, 'Let's take a look at this.' I

> really think the state's going to be a big help to us in

> determining whether we're on target or not, " Cashen said.

>

>

> --------------------------------------------------

> lynn Popp says she is happy with the services her

> mildly autistic son, , has received in the Duval

> schools. But daughter 's experience has

> prompted the family to sue the school system. -- Bob

> Mack/Staff-----------------------------------------------

> ---

>

> lyn and Popp, who live on the Westside, filed

> the federal lawsuit in January, claiming the school

> system is violating the Individuals with Disabilities

> Education Act. Public schools are required under the act

> to write and follow an individualized education plan for

> every child with disabilities.

>

> The Popps had worked out a plan for Pinedale Elementary

> to give an aide and administer a program

> similar to one she had received at a private school the

> Popps said they could no longer afford.

>

> The suit alleges the school system is not meeting its

> agreement. The autism classroom's teacher never got

> training in the program. And the Popps claim an aide

> trained at their expense was not given the supervision

> the program requires.

>

> That aide and another have since left the classroom.

> has had no aide since January. The family is

> asking the school system to fund her education at a

> private school in Arlington, called The Jericho School,

> until Duval officials can provide a comparable program.

>

> Cashen declined further comment on the Popp case.

>

> Pinedale Principal Margaret Kring also declined comment.

>

> Lack of training

>

> According to the state Department of Education, public

> schools must provide autistic students specially

> designed instruction; train teachers to provide the

> unique services identified for each student; and provide

> reasonable class sizes and adequate funds for materials

> and training.

>

> Cashen said Duval schools offer teachers training in a

> variety of autistic teaching methods, because no program

> works for all children. Autism is a highly

> individualized condition, and children's abilities vary

> widely.

>

> But teacher contracts prevent the school system from

> requiring them to attend training sessions, he said. The

> school system tries to entice teachers by offering extra

> money.

>

> Duval also has several support workers, including one

> autism specialist, who are sent into schools to work

> with children.

>

> " So, there are resources for help, " Cashen said. " It's

> not all the resources we would like to have, but it's

> the resources we can afford to have. "

>

> Budget director Bright also noted Duval doesn't

> get as much money per student from the state as other

> large school districts, though some of those school

> districts also have a higher cost of living and higher

> teacher salaries. Bright said both the state and federal

> governments don't provide enough money to meet special

> education needs.

>

> Yet, the average student with autism brings in about

> $10,300 per year in state funding -- compared with

> $3,500 for the average non-disabled student.

>

> In all, Duval receives about $16.4 million per year in

> federal funding through the Individuals with

> Disabilities Education Act, as well as $258 million in

> state funding to teach about 30,000 students with

> disabilities.

>

> Cashen acknowledged that the training of aides in

> general is inadequate. There's a general shortage of

> both teachers and aides, and the need is even greater in

> classes for children with disabilities, he said.

>

> " If they need an aide they should have an aide, " he

> said. " A problem is finding teacher aides to fill

> positions. "

>

> Cashen said his staff decides whether a child gets an

> aide, based on whether it's been demonstrated the child

> can't function in a classroom without one. The school

> system doesn't want autistic students to become

> dependent on aides, he said.

>

> " Can we make all parents happy? Can we do what parents

> want us to do all the time? No, " Cashen said. " ...

> We'll do what we find to be successful for the kids. "

>

> Family dissatisfied

>

> lyn Popp would take exception to that.

>

> She's happy with the services her mildly autistic son,

> , has received in the Duval schools.

>

> But her daughter's experience is another matter.

>

>

> --------------------------------------------------

> Popp's parents are suing Duval County

> schools, saying the autistic girl is not getting the

> help she needs, help that she was getting at a private

> school they say they can no longer afford. -- Bob

> Mack/Staff-----------------------------------------------

> ---

>

> Popp at first requested be in a class for

> trainable mentally handicapped children because she had

> concerns about autism classrooms. And , like

> about 75 percent of autistic children, also has some

> degree of mental retardation.

>

> The school system still was required to make an

> education plan for her needs, including autism.

>

> But Popp had to ask Crystal Springs Elementary for 11

> months to give speech and language therapy.

> The school system denied the request until she got an

> attorney.

>

> At her mother's request, was provided with her

> own aide in the 1998-99 school year. But her tantrums

> increased. They are thought to spring from an autistic

> child's inability to communicate needs or wants.

>

> would whine, kick, hit and scratch herself.

> She would also try to harm others.

>

> During one tantrum on Christmas Eve, the child kicked

> her speech therapist hard enough to put the therapist in

> the hospital. Her aide for the 1999-2000 school year

> also reported frequent tantrums and aggression.

>

> By March 2000, an evaluation at Nemours found

> had regressed in her overall age equivalency. The

> psychologist, Bailet, wrote in her report that she

> had major concerns about the child's lack of progress in

> the previous two school years.

>

> The following month, after a school progress report

> found was still doing poorly and required

> continual assistance in several areas, her parents sent

> her to The Jericho School. The school videotaped

> at the beginning, middle and end of her four-

> month stay there.

>

> When she arrived, her tantrums lasted up to an hour and

> 20 minutes. But by the second day, the staff at Jericho

> figured out a way to keep her in her seat. They placed a

> chair by the swing set and told her to sit, then

> rewarded her by letting her swing.

>

> By practicing that task again and again, and having her

> sit for longer times between rewards, the staff moved

> the chair into the classroom and held her attention

> there.

>

> Autistic children don't naturally develop relationships

> with other people and don't pick up on social cues, such

> as frowning or scolding. So Jericho staff members make

> themselves the providers of things the child wants, like

> a cookie or a swing, Jericho education director Bob

> said. The child starts to interact with staff members

> because they are seen as part of the pleasurable

> activity.

>

> When a tantrum would start, the staff placed

> on a floor mat, held her arms to her sides, and counted

> to 10. Soon, they were just saying, " No tantruming, lie

> down, " and she would sit on the mat until she calmed

> down.

>

> Jericho's methods

>

> The school uses a scientifically proven teaching method

> called applied behavior analysis to assess a child's

> strengths and weaknesses, and plan a series of

> repetitions to teach those skills in increments.

>

> became able to sit in groups, interact with

> classmates, request things, label and talk about items.

>

> A July evaluation by Bailet found the girl had made 10

> to 12 months' progress on skills, particularly with

> language.

>

> But the Popps pulled their daughter from Jericho because

> they couldn't afford the $30,000 a year tuition. They

> placed her in Pinedale, and have been unhappy with the

> results.

>

> A judge in December denied the Popps' request for a

> state administrative hearing. The judge said there

> wasn't enough evidence the child had regressed.

>

> But she called " imperfections " in Pinedale Elementary's

> implementation " troubling. "

>

> During testimony, the teacher said he was placing

> students for up to an hour in a time-out room --

> inappropriate for autistic children who might see it as

> a reward if they shun people. And though autistic

> children understand visual information better than

> verbal information, the teacher and support staff were

> inconsistent in whether the class used visual items to

> help children know what is expected of them.

>

> And though is nearsighted, the child's aide

> testified the class was dealing with her habit of

> breaking her glasses by simply removing them -- a

> practice her mother said is continuing. The Jericho

> School had managed to control that habit.

>

> Broward a model

>

> The Broward County School District is seen statewide as

> a model for teaching children with autism.

>

> In 1995, it adopted the TEACCH program, which stands for

> Treatment and Education of Autistic and related

> Communication Handicapped Children. The program was

> developed about 20 years ago at the University of North

> Carolina specifically to work in public schools. TEACCH

> is one of the workshops Duval offers.

>

> TEACCH relies heavily on visual items like picture or

> work schedules that direct children through a task, said

> Sally Creswell, Broward's curriculum supervisor for

> emotionally handicapped and autism programs.

>

> The child is taught the sequence of doing something like

> brushing his teeth by learning to follow items on a

> schedule. The trick is in figuring out how to break

> tasks into a sequence the child can practice and learn.

>

> Eventually, children work alone on tasks using only

> visual cues to guide them, and can learn to communicate

> through the method.

>

>

> --------------------------------------------------

> Harley Sheffield walks in circles around a tree in his

> family's front yard. His mother says she is unhappy with

> the loss of an aide for Harley at Pindeale Elementary

> School. -- Stuart Tannehill/Staff------------------------

> --------------------------

>

> " It's very efficient if we can teach children to get

> around in their environment and not rely on an aide, "

> Creswell said.

>

> Broward has 19 autism " coaches, " each assigned to a

> cluster of two to four classrooms. Broward set up a

> method to give all autistic classrooms equitable

> staffing, adult-to-student ratios and supplies.

> Elementary classrooms range from four to eight children,

> whereas Cashen said most of Duval's have 10.

>

> Communication and behavioral management at a young age

> are allowing more Broward children to move into regular

> classrooms, Creswell said.

>

> Harley Sheffield's mother fears he will never make that

> kind of progress.

>

> Like many children with severe autism, Harley rarely

> speaks a word, other than to parrot phrases he's heard

> at odd times. He spends nearly all his time doing

> activities like bouncing on his backyard trampoline

> oblivious to other people, or screaming and hitting when

> he does interact. He's getting more aggressive.

>

> " I put my faith in the school system ... that they were

> going to help my child, " Michele Sheffield said. " They

> failed my child. "

>

>

>

>

> This story can be found on ville.com at

> http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-

> online/stories/031201/met_5619044.html.

>

>

>

>

>

>

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