The Union County School district’s opening professional development day is going to be a particularly exciting one this school year. Citing an exponential increase in the number of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), the district plans to expand the day usually reserved for school district staff to offer sessions to interested parents and community members.
According to a popular resource for parents and professionals, Autism Speaks www.autismspeaks.org autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. They include autistic disorder (sometimes referred to as “classic autism”), Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger’s syndrome. ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math and art. ASD is estimated to affect more than 2 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide. Moreover, government autism statistics suggest that prevalence rates have increased 10 to 17 percent annually in recent years.
According to a popular resource for parents and professionals, Autism Speaks www.autismspeaks.org autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. They include autistic disorder (sometimes referred to as “classic autism”), Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger’s syndrome. ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math and art. ASD is estimated to affect more than 2 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide. Moreover, government autism statistics suggest that prevalence rates have increased 10 to 17 percent annually in recent years.
According to the UCPS Director of Special Projects, Brian Lovell, this is a definite step in the right direction for the district. Said Lovell, “Although we have many teaching staff in the district who specialize in these areas, we have seen a growing need to better educate our other staff members, parents and community members alike in the area of ASD. I honestly believe that starting a dialogue between our school system and community about the best practices to support these children will only serve to increase awareness, understanding and access to additional support services that are available.”
As part of planning process for the annual “kick-off” for the upcoming school year, Lovell reached out to the Kentucky Autism Support Network at the University of Louisville to secure an expert to provide a keynote address to all staff that focused upon common features of the disorder along with structures and strategies to improve outcomes for students with ASD. Lovell credits Superintendent Patricia Sheffer for her support of this initiative: “Mrs. Sheffer is an advocate for all students, including those with exceptional needs. She has been instrumental in supporting our advancements in the district’s support of these learners and was pleased to learn that the KASN would partner with our schools.”
Said Superintendent Sheffer: “The face of education is changing drastically, but the basic philosophies of education remain constant: the community, parents and school system must work hand-in-hand to support our students to become their very best – no matter what the obstacles. Learning from experts on best practices, from our teachers on proper instructional supports, from our parents who know their children best, and from the tremendous resources we have in our district and beyond, will only serve to help us achieve that goal. I am personally committed to each of our students and recognize that it is time to raise everyone’s awareness of autism, from teaching staff, administrators and custodial staff to the professionals on our buses and in our central office. Everything we do at Union County Public Schools is about student achievement and ensuring that our students receive a quality education; I also know that enlisting more support and sharing our resources will take us one step further towards that end.”
The keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Pennington is the Assistant Director of training for the Kentucky Autism Training Center (KATC) and an instructor in the department of special education. He earned his PhD at the University of Kentucky and has over 20 years of experience in working with individuals with disabilities and their families in school and communities contexts. He has served as a classroom teacher and district technical assistance provider, and piloted Jefferson County Public Schools’ first autism inclusion model (AIM). His research interests include autism spectrum disorders, applied behavior analysis, writing instruction, and teacher preparation. He frequently provides professional development to educators across Kentucky and presents research data at national professional conferences (i.e., Council for Exceptional Children, Association of Behavior Analysis International, Council on Rural Special Education).
According to Lovell, in addition to the training offered to staff members of the Union County Public School system, parent/community information training/discussions will be held on Monday August 6, 2012 at the Union County Middle School Library from 12:45 – 2:15, with another session offered later to accommodate working parents from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. – also in the UCMS library.