Autism Understanding and Training in School Methodologies for Educators Act of 2012 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to carry out a demonstration program to award five-year grants to eligible local education agencies for the following purposes in schools for children in grades pre-kindergarten through 12: (1) providing training to teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff on effective ways to teach, communicate, recognize, support, and interact with children with autism spectrum disorders in the classroom; (2) providing technical assistance consisting of consultation on the type of training needed, hands-on opportunities to practice and perform newly acquired skills and methodologies, and post-training support to ensure accuracy of implementation in the classroom; (3) executing strategies for recruiting and retaining skilled personnel participating in the education of children with such disorders; and (4) implementing a program of parental support and involvement in the education of students with such disorders.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5195 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5195
To establish a 5-year demonstration program to provide skills to
classroom teachers and staff who work with children with autism
spectrum disorders.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 27, 2012
Mr. Moran (for himself and Mr. Doyle) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a 5-year demonstration program to provide skills to
classroom teachers and staff who work with children with autism
spectrum disorders.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Autism Understanding and Training in
School Methodologies for Educators Act of 2012''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Autism is a group of complex developmental brain
disorders collectively referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders
(ASDs) that can cause a wide range of symptoms, skills, and
levels of impairment including social, communication and
behavior changes.
(2) Autism spectrum disorders are also referred to as
pervasive developmental disorders and include subcategories of
classic autism with ranges from high functioning autism (HFA)
to low functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive
developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), as
well as more severe cases of Rhett Syndrome and Child
Disintegrative Disorder.
(3) Autism affects an estimated 1 in 88 children by age 8
and 1 in 54 boys.
(4) An estimated 1,500,000 individuals in the United States
are affected by autism.
(5) More children will be diagnosed with autism this year
than with AIDS, diabetes, and cancer combined.
(6) Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental
disability in the United States.
(7) Autism costs the Nation over $35,000,000,000 per year,
a figure expected to significantly increase in the next decade.
(8) Boys are five times more likely than girls to have
autism.
(9) There is currently no medical cure for autism, but
there are evidence-based educational methods proven to be
effective in improving outcomes for students with autism and
research demonstrating the benefits of routine and consistency.
(10) The least restrictive environment for educating
students with autism spectrum disorder, including, but not
limited to, students with high functioning autism, Asperger
syndrome, and PDD-NOS, often is best achieved by enrollment in
a general education classroom with proper support.
(11) General education classroom teachers and staff often
are not adequately trained to work effectively with students
with autism spectrum disorders, who have a wide diversity of
characteristics, although such skills may be attained through
qualified training programs and may be relatively easy to
implement in school settings.
(12) Training general education classroom teachers and
staff to implement evidence-based practices for educating
students with autism spectrum disorders with accuracy and
fidelity will help provide for best possible outcomes not only
for students with autism, but also for other students in the
classroom.
(13) Children with autism in highly transient families,
such as the military (where the rate of children on the
spectrum is even higher) and foreign service families, often
face additional challenges in the public education system
because of frequent changes in the family's geographic duty
station or a parent's deployment, which can interrupt the
provision of appropriate interventions and continuity of
effective educational methods.
(14) In school districts that have a large population of
transient families or that border military bases it is
especially important to have staff who are highly trained to
provide effective services and build a proven track record of
academic achievement in serving students with autism.
SEC. 3. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) Authorization of Grant Program.--The Secretary is authorized to
carry out a demonstration grant program to award grants to eligible
entities to enable such entities to accomplish the purposes described
in subsection (b).
(b) Purposes.--A grant provided under this section shall be used
for the following purposes within schools providing education to
children in grades pre-kindergarten through 12:
(1) Providing evidence-based, in-service training to
teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff on effective ways
to teach, communicate, recognize, support, and interact with
children with autism spectrum disorder in the classroom and
related school settings. Training on providing effective
support includes but is not limited to academic support,
behavioral support, communication support, social emotional
support, and facilitating positive peer interactions and social
skills.
(2) Providing technical assistance consisting of
consultation on the type of training needed, hands-on
opportunities to practice and perform newly acquired skills and
methodologies with fidelity, and post-training support to
ensure accuracy of implementation in the classroom.
(3) Executing strategies for recruiting and retaining
skilled personnel participating in the education of children
with autism spectrum disorders.
(4) Implementing a program of parental support and
involvement in the education of students with autism spectrum
disorders.
(c) Duration of Grants.--A grant provided under this section shall
be--
(1) for a period of not more than 5 years, of which not
more than the first 2 years shall be used for planning; and
(2) subject to annual approval by the Secretary and subject
to the availability of appropriations for the fiscal year
involved.
(d) Limitation on Administrative Costs.--An eligible entity may use
not more than 20 percent of the funds received under this section for
the administrative costs of carrying out its responsibilities under
this section.
(e) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information
as the Secretary may require.
(f) Report.--The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of the
demonstration program authorized by this section and, not later than 1
year after the date of the completion of the demonstration program,
shall prepare and submit to the President and the Congress a report on
such evaluation, together with recommendations for dissemination and
replication of the results of the program.
(g) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) The term ``autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)'' refers to
complex disorders of brain development that can affect
individuals with varying degrees from mild to severe, and is
characterized by a combination of restricted repetitive and
stereotyped behaviors, interests and activities; qualitative
impairments in social interactions; and qualitative impairments
in verbal and nonverbal communication.
(2) The term ``eligible entity'' means an eligible local
educational agency, or a consortia of such agencies, in
partnership with--
(A) one or more institutions of higher education;
or
(B) one or more nonprofit educational entities with
documented expertise in working with children with
autism.
(3) The term ``eligible local educational agency'' means a
local educational agency that has no less than 10 percent of
its special education population identified with autism
spectrum disorders, including, but not limited to, high
functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, and PDD-NOS, and have
documented a growth pattern in the number of these students.
(4) The term ``institution of higher education'' has the
meaning given such term in section 102 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002).
(5) The term ``local educational agency'' has the meaning
given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(6) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
Education.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E687-689)
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line