Red Oak school district to hire autism strategist
RED OAK — The Red Oak Community School District is looking to hire an Autism Spectrum Disorders Strategist after a unanimous vote at the board’s Feb. 11 meeting.
The new position, which will begin at the start of next school year, will work with students and teachers to provide the district with more individualized services for students with autism.
Hiring someone to fill the position will cost the district $50-60,000. While not currently planned, it could be possible to share this service with other districts on a fee basis.
“With kids with autism, the need for these services far outweighs the cost to the district,” Inman Primary principal and special education director Gayle Allensworth said. “There are several kinds of approaches for working with students with autism, and we currently have a greater need for younger children.”
About one in 88 children have been identified with an autism spectrum disorder, according to the Center for Disease Control. This number increased from one in every 150 children in 2002.
Within the district, there are 16-18 students with autism, around 14 of which are in kindergarten through 5th grade, and they work part-time with Red Oak’s Area Education Agency, according to Allensworth. Because AEA works with numerous other schools in the area, she said the district needed to offer more specialized services on a full-time basis.
Whomever fills this position will also collaborate with AEA staff to continually provide the most up-to-date services to students with autism and their parents.
Allensworth said their goal is not to have a specific class just for students with autism, partly because they range in age from two-18 years old. Rather, the strategist will work with students within their own classrooms or individually based on needs.
“Our goal is have the least time restricted as possible,” Allensworth said. “Separating them from other students is not what’s best for anyone.”
Superintendent Terry Schmidt said this position is an example of how far autism research has come.
“Over the last several years, there’s been a much improved identification process for students with autism,” Schmidt said. “We get more knowledgeable on it each year… the more you know about the needs of these students, the more you need to know how to get those services.”
The search for the autism strategist is already underway, according to Allensworth. She said they hope to hire someone as soon as possible to begin training for the 2013-14 school year.