The hotly contested No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has brought sweeping changes to education across the nation. Since taking effect in 2002, the law has altered classroom content and teaching methods. The law sparked a national dialogue on educational improvement—and its test-driven approach has only added fuel to the fire.
The fact is, NCLB includes many flaws that undermine its effectiveness and threaten to negatively impact students, particularly those with special needs, such as autism spectrum disorder.
{mosads}As Congress turns its attention to reauthorizing NCLB, we must encourage lawmakers to look at lessons learned from the last several years and create a strong, updated law that strengthens our system, supports educators and expands opportunities for all students, especially those with disabilities.
Too often, students with special needs are lost or forgotten in education policy decision-making. Under NCLB, these students are required to meet the same achievement standards, while overcoming significant additional obstacles. That has to change.
However, for the growing autism community, NCLB reform requires more than just reforming how students are formally assessed. Right now, there is a pressing need to more effectively transition students with autism to life beyond school—into independent self-sufficient roles in society.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impacts one in 68 Americans—that means more than 3.5 million people in the United States are currently living with an autism spectrum disorder. And the rate of diagnoses is on the rise. Between 2000 and 2010 the prevalence of autism in the United States jumped nearly 120 percent, making it the fastest-growing developmental disability.
That means many more adolescents and, very soon, adults with autism will be moving through America’s education system. Such rapid growth—if unaddressed—poses significant challenges.
For one, the costs to support individuals with autism, especially those in adult services, are higher than for other disabilities. Every year, it costs an additional $8,600 to educate a student with autism. Some school districts are covering more than $150,000 per year per student at select private programs. But the majority of costs are in adult services, where our country spends up to $196 billion—as compared to $66 billion for children. And most people with disabilities don’t actively participate in the labor force. During the first two years after high school, a recent study found two-thirds of young adults with autism did not have educational plans nor a job.
These are serious challenges, but we have time-tested techniques at our disposal to address them. In particular, functional applied behavior analysis—or ABA—is a proven treatment of choice to help students with autism better prepare for active, independent lives.
ABA is the scientific process of determining the cause (or “function”) of behavior before developing an intervention. The interventions then use positive reinforcement to encourage certain behaviors. ABA works because it emphasizes early diagnosis and intervention, as well as communication and social interaction. The focus on developing new skills is more important than simply trying to focus on how to eliminate problem behaviors. In other words, it helps individuals with autism develop the skills they need to interact with each other and society at large and live fulfilling lives.
In my nearly five decades of experience, I’ve seen the principles of broad spectrum applied behavior analysis produce successful results for countless individuals with cognitive impairments. And the research confirms the effectiveness of ABA, especially for building crucial life skills—the skills needed for independent living and employment.
In my work, I focus on how to teach social-communication and other skills, with each intervention tailored specifically to the needs of individual learners. The solutions can help with initiating communication as well as improving behavior, increasing motivation and promoting positive social interactions and inclusion.
To better meet the needs of students with learning difficulties, we need interventions that set them up for success after schooling ends. Standardized testing and purely academic coursework will not impart the basic, but crucial, skills that these students need in order to succeed. We must recognize that waiting until a student is 16 is too late to plan for life as an adult. In fact, we should begin planning on improving community and vocational skills at all stages of education. Everyone who attends school is on ‘a vocational track’ although some people proceed via a strong academic orientation. In addition to academic skills training toward getting a job, a major goal of public schools is to prepare all students for inclusion and success in the ultimate vocational and social worlds of work and society.
As Congress debates NCLB, they must also engage in a serious, responsible conversation about ABA and other evidence-based approaches that have the potential to improve the opportunities for all students to learn meaningful skills for success in real-world settings and independent living.
Bondy is president and co-founder of Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc.