110 HR 2609 IH: Empowering Children with Autism
U.S. House of Representatives
2007-06-07
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EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.This Act may be cited as the
Empowering Children with Autism
through Education Act of 2007
.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)Autism is widely recognized as an urgent
national healthcare crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the prevalence rate of autism is 0.75 percent, or one in every 150
children born today.
(2)Based on statistics from the Department of
Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at the rate of ten
to 17 percent per year. At this rate, the estimates of the prevalence of autism
could reach 4,000,000 Americans in the next decade.
(3)While no known cure for autism exists, the
general agreement is that early diagnosis followed by appropriate intervention
can improve outcomes for later years for most children with autism.
(4)The National Council on Disability reported
that students with autism should be provided with the opportunities and
encouragement necessary to achieve the same general outcomes that are viewed as
essential for all students. However, the special characteristics of students
with autism indicate certain outcomes that require increased emphasis. In
particular, educational programs for these individuals should include as
objectives the development of social competence and independence in the
performance of life skills.
(5)The limited access to successful
evidence-based services for children with autism is a major impediment to the
implementation of quality services in public schools. Without these programs,
successful interventions are not provided as part of a child’s Individualized
Education Program (IEP). As a result, individuals and families who wish to
access services are often only able to do so through incurring significant
non-reimbursable costs.
(6)The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) guarantees a continuum of education and service options in the least
restrictive environment for students with disabilities. However, meeting these
requirements is challenging because many regular educators do not have
education or practical experience with instruction of children with autism, and
even experienced special education teachers may need additional preparation to
work effectively with students who have autism.
3.In this Act:
(1)The
term autism
means an autism spectrum disorder or a related
developmental disability that is the result of a neurological disorder
affecting the normal functioning of the brain and impacting development in the
areas of social interaction and communication skills.
(2)The
term cost-effectiveness
describes an alternative that
effectively balances costs and benefits delivering maximum benefits for the
investment costs.
(3)The
term evidence-based
means research that applies rigorous,
systematic, and objective procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to
autism instruction, and includes research that employs experimental,
quasi-experimental, and qualitative research methods involving rigorous data
analyses that are adequate to test the stated hypotheses and justify the
general conclusions drawn.
(4)The
term intervention
means the application of a structured,
individualized approach to skill-development for children with autism.
(5)The term learning models
means any
complimentary learning techniques designed to improve classroom learning for
students with autism, incorporating curricula, courses, lessons, books, and
workbooks.
(6)Professional
development needsThe term professional development
needs
means job-embedded, ongoing professional development that helps
teachers, administrators, and school leaders identify the potential indicators
of autism, and implement proven strategies to improve the quality of learning
for individuals with autism.
(7)The term promising best practices
means
any technique, method, process, activity, incentive, or reward with
demonstrated success in the learning environment.
(8)The
term services
means any complementary interventions or therapies
done on an individual basis or integrated into an educational program, in an
effort to help increase communication skills, develop social interaction,
promote pro-social behavior, increase academic achievement, and provide a sense
of accomplishment.
(9)The
term State
means any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia,
and Puerto Rico.
(10)The term Task
Force
means the Empowering Children with Autism through Education Task
Force established by the Secretary of Education under section 4(a).
4.Establishment of
Task Force
(a)Not
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of Education shall establish a task force to be known as the Empowering
Children with Autism through Education Task Force.
(b)The
purpose of the Task Force is to identify and disseminate evidence-based
educational strategies and promising best practices to improve the quality of
learning for individuals with autism in grades K–12, including the
following:
(1)Learning models,
interventions, and services that demonstrate improvements in reading, writing,
and math proficiency for individuals with autism.
(2)The
cost-effectiveness of these learning models, interventions, and services, and
their applicability for local education agencies.
(3)Professional
development needs of educators who serve individuals with autism.
(4)Methods for
incorporating State-, local- and community-based programs and services into the
classroom to provide comprehensive support for individuals with autism.
(5)Identification of
barriers to successful implementation of programs and services related to the
education of and provision of services to children with autism and
recommendations to address those barriers.
(6)Dissemination of
findings to Congress, all relevant agencies, and States and United States
territories to improve the quality of learning for individuals with
autism.
5.
(a)The
Task Force shall be composed of not fewer than 20 members who meet quarterly,
of whom—
(1)four shall be
appointed by the Secretary of Education;
(2)four shall be
appointed by the Secretary of Education from among persons recommended by the
National Institutes of Health;
(3)four shall be
appointed by the Secretary of Education from among persons recommended by the
National Council on Disability;
(4)four shall be
appointed by the Secretary of Education from among persons recommended by
organizations that advocate for individuals with autism and their families;
and
(5)four shall be
appointed by the Secretary of Education from among persons recommended by State
education agencies to represent school districts.
(b)The
Secretary shall ensure that the Task Force includes at minimum—
(1)special education
professionals with expertise in autism, general education teachers, and
teachers with experience developing and implementing classroom learning models
for students with autism;
(2)healthcare
providers with expertise in treating children with autism, including at least
one speech language pathologist;
(3)individuals with
autism, families affected by autism, and members of organizations that advocate
for individuals with autism and their families, whose representation on the
Task Force shall not be less than one-fourth of all members; and
(4)health or education
economists or other individuals with expertise in cost-benefit analysis and
health or education policy.
6.
(a)
(1)Not later than 27 months after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Task Force shall submit to Congress, the Secretary of
Education, and the National Institutes of Health a report detailing its
findings under section 4(b).
(2)Not later than 27 months after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Education, in conjunction with the heads of
relevant agencies, shall disseminate to the relevant departments of each State
and of United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands the report of the Task Force under paragraph
(1) with the purpose of providing practical guidance to improve the quality of
learning for individuals with autism in grades K–12.
(b)The report submitted by the Task Force under subsection
(a)(1) shall include—
(1)measures taken to
identify evidence-based learning models, interventions and services, and
promising best practices, for improving the quality of learning for individuals
with autism in grades K–12, including steps taken to ensure the participation
of individuals with autism, their families, and their advocates;
(2)recommendations of
learning models, interventions, services, and promising best practices most
applicable, cost-effective, and likely to raise proficiency in reading,
writing, and math for individuals with autism in grades K–12;
(3)assessment of
existing professional development programs for educators who work with students
with autism, and recommendations for expanding professional development
programs to meet the growing need for qualified educators specializing in
classroom instruction for individuals with autism in grades K–12,
including—
(A)institutional
limitations;
(B)considerations of
existing continuing education or professional development requirements;
(C)considerations of
costs to educators associated with professional development; and
(D)quantitative
analysis of resources needed for the establishment of State autism plans,
provisions for professional development, and the integration of community
services; and
(4)overview of the
States’ and local school districts’ capacity to overcome barriers to successful
development, enhancement and implementation of programs and services for
improving the quality of education for individuals with autism in grades K–12,
including—
(A)school-,
district-, and State-wide institutional limitations;
(B)categorical
comparisons between regions, urban and rural areas, socio-economic groups, and
ethnic groups; and
(C)quantitative
analysis of resources needed for the establishment of district-wide autism
plans, the purchase of new learning materials, increased performance on State
assessments, improved graduation rates, and the implementation of learning
models, interventions, services, and promising best practices most likely to
raise proficiency in reading, writing, and math for individuals with autism in
grades K–12.