In Education Vote, Politics Wins; Kids Lose.

If you've followed my blog over the past few months, you've read about the proposed budget in Montgomery County, Md., that would eliminate a proven program for preschoolers with disabilities, replacing it with a flawed, experimental program that was created without the involvement of parents or the county's partners who have successfully provided these services for 35 years.

Parents vocally expressed their opposition to this plan. Many pointed out that Superintendent Jerry Weast blatantly violated a Board of Education policy that new programs must be presented in time to be reviewed -- before showing up in a budget.

Today, the members of the Board of Education unanimously approved that budget.

Unanimously, they voted against a proven program that parents have relied on to give their children a chance to succeed.

Unanimously, they told parents of special-needs children that they do not value their opinions and experiences when making major changes to the services the county offers.

Unanimously, they told Dr. Weast that he can unilaterally create, change, or shut down any program he chooses -- and they will rubber stamp his decisions.

Unanimously, they threatened the future well-being of our county's youngest and most at-risk children.

UPDATE: I've created a Facebook group to encourage people to ask Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett to overturn this decision and preserve MPAC's services for children who need them. Before March 1, email him at ocemail@montgomerycountymd.gov or call his office at 240-777-2500 and urge him to overturn the realignment of preschool services and to preserve MPAC.

Parent: Dr. Weast Violated Board Policy. Will They Let Him Get Away With It?

On Tuesday, the Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the FY11 budget, which includes a proposal to dramatically change the way the county serves preschoolers with special needs. As the vote nears, more questions are being raised about the program and the way Superintendent Weast is trying to push it through, despite the objections of parents and special ed advocates. Here is a letter that a parent wrote to Patricia O'Neill, president of the board.

Dear Mrs. O’Neill:

Please fulfill your responsibility to establish effective board policies by rejecting the Superintendant’s transparent attempt to circumvent Policy AEB by mischaracterizing his plan to establish a new program as a “realignment” of funds. Policy AEB, entitled “Strategic Planning for Continuous Improvement,” clearly states:

The superintendant shall present to the Board any significant changes to the strategies and initiatives in the strategic plan, including establishing new programs, eliminating existing programs, or making major changes to programs in a manner that provides the Board an opportunity to offer suggestions on the proposed changes before the superintendant finalizes his/her recommended budget.

The superintendant has clearly violated Policy AEB by including his proposal to start a new special education preschool program in his recommended FY2011 Operating Budget once again denying the Board, parents and other stakeholders the opportunity to offer meaningful input before the budget is finalized. Even more egregious he has hired the first teacher for this program which is opening this month even before his budget recommendation has been approved.

The Board amended Policy AEB in May “to reflect the Board’s strong commitment to include staff members, students, parents, and other community members on the School Improvement Team for each school; reflect the alignment of the strategic planning process with budget preparation procedures; and to outline the opportunities for community input into the budget preparation process.” When the Board considered the revised policy, members noted that the proposal to eliminate the learning centers was introduced to the Board through the operating budget and stated that there needed to be discussion about programmatic decisions prior to the Superintendant’s delivery of the budget. The Board approved the amendments over the Superintendant’s objections. What was the point if he is going to ignore the policy and you refuse to enforce it?

At the budget working session on January 28, Mr. Durso asked how MCPS and the Board can overcome some credibility issues. Following and enforcing your own policies and procedures would be a good start.

With Budget Vote 2 Weeks Away, County Starts Staffing Unapproved, Undefined Program

Here's an interesting (and disappointing) development with the Montgomery County scheme to shift preschoolers with special needs to a new experimental program in public elementary schools. I call it a "scheme" because emerging details suggest that the public hearings, meetings with board members, and letters and phone calls from parents may not have really mattered -- because the county is moving forward with the implementation of this program BEFORE IT HAS BEEN APPROVED.

Yes, as we await the Board of Education's Feb. 9 vote on the FY2011 budget, which includes this proposed plan, the county has hired the first teacher for the program. She started working on Tuesday. That's according to a parent who talked directly to Felicia Piacente, the director of the Division of Prekindergarten Special Programs and Related Services.

Specifically, a parent spoke with Ms. Piacente about her child, who is scheduled to transition from Infants & Toddlers to special education preschool in March. As part of the transition process, the parents and the service coordinator from Infants & Toddlers visited several programs and determined that the Montgomery Primary Achievement Center (MPAC) was the appropriate placement. But before the IEP meeting, the parents learned of Superintendent Jerry Weast's plan to eliminate funding for MPAC. The parents are struggling to find any information they can about the new preschool program, but Ms. Piacente informed them that the program does not yet have a name, schedule, or classroom they can visit.

In addition, Ms. Piacente told this parent that the teacher for the new preschool class at Cashell Elementary School started on Tuesday. No paraprofessionals have been hired, and they won't be until the program has students. The teachers and pareprofessionals will receive no program-specific training.

Is anyone else outraged? Email BOE@mcpsmd.org if you value parent involvement, support appropriate education for all student, and expect transparency and honesty from your elected officials.

Politics vs. Progress: Will Board Rubber-Stamp Plan Threatening Special-Needs Preschoolers?

On Feb. 9, the Board of Education in Montgomery County, Md., will either 1) support proven educational programs for preschoolers with special needs or 2) give in to political pressure at these children's expense. One parent has submitted this compelling case to the Board. Will they listen?

Why You Should Vote NO on the Proposal to Realign Non-Public Preschool Tuition (P. 20 of budget proposal)

It will not improve LRE. The children currently placed at MPAC already have interaction with typically developing same age peers. Three of the newly-proposed Pre-K community-based classrooms do not have access to same age peers at all. The other three have access to same age peers who are at risk and may not be able to model age level skills.

It will undermine FAPE. In determining the least restrictive environment for an individual child, you must consider FAPE, which means children must receive services that are both developmentally sound and based on the individual needs of each child. Most young children with significant cognitive disabilities require intense, holistic, early-intervention in order to improve their outcomes. Placing these children in an unproven, public, pre-K program in an elementary school is not developmentally sound. Moreover, the proposed program is less intense and less holistic than the services MPAC currently provides. Unless MPAC is preserved as an option, the proposed initiative fails to consider the individual needs of each child.

Existing programs can address the needs. If the goal is to serve children with significant cognitive disabilities closer to home, MCPS should use work to make the existing PEP classes appropriate for more of these children. Any child for whom PEP is not appropriate should still have the opportunity to go to MPAC.

It will eliminate MPAC. The practical reality is that if MCPS realigns funding to create new, public, pre-K special education programs and stops funding placements at MPAC, MPAC will not be able to remain in operation. It will cease to exist – thus eliminating for certain children with severe cognitive disabilities an existing and proven educational option that meets their individual needs.

MPAC’s closure is not a “what if” scenario. Last year, MCPS unilaterally terminated its Collaborative Autism Pre-school Program (“CAPP”) with MPAC. Instead, it placed all eligible pre-K children with autism in MCPS’ public CAPP programs – many of which opened with instructors who had no prior experience teaching children with autism. Without students, MPAC had to shut down its CAPP program. There currently is no option available for children with autism ages 3-5 whose severity of needs requires the intensity of the CAPP program MPAC previously provided. If MCPS’ goal was to serve more pre-K children with autism by steering all eligible children into the public CAPP program, that goal was met. Sadly, however, it was achieved at the expense of certain autistic children who, because of severity of their needs, should have been placed in a CAPP program at MPAC.

Federal special education law requires MPAC to provide a continuum of alternative placements. When MCPS eliminates programs like MPAC, CAPP at MPAC, and the learning centers, it eliminates settings that some of its children need to make educational progress. Vote NO on the proposal to Realign Non-Public Preschool Tuition.

There's still time to express your opinion -- email BOE@mcpsmd.org and urge them to oppose this risky proposal.

Kentucky Schools: Pay No Attention to that Man Behind the Curtain

As reported by the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County last week, Superintendent Jerry Weast was the keynote speaker this Saturday at the annual conference of the Kentucky School Boards Association. The meeting's website said Dr. Weast would discuss his "ambitious comprehensive reform effort" to meet the needs of all students. When I heard that, I was compelled to write a letter to the editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal. Since the paper didn't publish it, here it is. If you have friends in Kentucky, pass it along to them too.

To the Editor:

I found it interesting that the Kentucky School Boards Association invited Dr. Jerry Weast, superintendent of schools in Montgomery County, Md., to speak at its annual meeting in Louisville Jan. 22-24 about his efforts to "invest in preschool education for both public and private providers." At the same time he is preparing his remarks on this important topic, parents like me who are raising a child with special needs are actively opposing a plan by Dr. Weast that would effectively close down a proven preschool for children with severe disabilities who need early intervention.

Before Kentucky educators decide to follow Dr. Weast's lead in the area of special education, you should know that parents whose children would be affected oppose his plan nearly unanimously. At a recent hearing, all 23 parents who testified on this topic adamantly urged the Board of Education to overturn his proposal to abandon this successful program and move children to an experimental public program with no known education model, curriculum, or parent involvement. If parents and educators in Kentucky support the right of all children to receive an appropriate education, think twice before holding up Dr. Weast as a role model.

-Mark Miller

Preschool Targeted by "Ill-Prepared Proposal" Is County's "Best-Kept Secret"

In the second evening of hearings at the Montgomery County Board of Education on Jan. 20, Maria Dudish got a standing ovation for her emotional testimony. Please take the time to read this and then tell the Board why Dr. Weast's plan is a bad idea. Email boe@mcspmd.org

"My name is Maria Dudish, and I want to tell you the best kept secret of this whole budget process. The best kept secret I am referring to is the value that the school system gets for its money from the Montgomery Primary Achievement Center.

"With all of the cuts you will need to discuss and make during this budget year, you are very fortunate to have this cost-effective, time-tested, and outcome-driven program for our county’s youngest citizens with moderate to significant needs.

"I am the mother of Tara, age 26, who has intellectual disabilities and autism. She attended the MPAC program at the ages of 3 and 4. When Tara went into a MCPS kindergarten at age 5, because I had a social work background, I began working at MPAC as the family coordinator. That was over 20 years ago.

"With the many cuts you will need to make to many high-quality programs, do not dismantle this comprehensive Early Childhood Program, MPAC, that has given you so much value for over 35 years with experienced professionals like me.

"With the many cuts you will need to make, do not dismantle MPAC, a program that excels at serving families, a key component of a successful early intervention program.

"With the many cuts you will need to make, don’t dismantle a program, MPAC, that excels in communicating with our parents and gives them a head start, from the very beginning, at closing the achievement gap. Let me give you some statistics. Out of 75 families at our school, 44 percent qualify for Medicaid and 79 percent of our students are of minority status.

"With the many cuts you will need to make don’t dismantle a program, MPAC, that offers a variety of opportunities for preschool children to interact with their typical peers. MPAC has over 40 children without special needs at our Silver Spring site who play and learn with students from MPAC.

"Dr. Weast, do you know who we really are? On behalf of our families, our staff, and our students, we invite you and your early childhood administrators to come and visit us. Most of the administrators making the realignment proposal have never been to our school, and those that have, have not visited in the recent past.

"We have elected you, the members of the school board, to be good stewards of our taxes. We depend on you to use these funds wisely and in the best interests of all of our children. At a time when you are watching the costs of every program in the system, you have the responsibility to retain one of the best values MCPS has. We are efficient and we are effective. You have heard that from many of your satisfied constituents. Do the right fiscal thing. Yank this ill-prepared proposal. Be the watch-dog that we depend on you to be. Stop the realignment of 36 preschoolers -- and the transfer of non-public funds for this new initiative."

Testimony from Jan. 13 and Jan. 20 is now available on the Board of Education's website.

Even "Least Restrictive Environment" Advocates Oppose Weast's Preschool Plan

Montgomery County Superintendent Weast says his plan to move preschoolers from a proven program to an experimental public program is intended to meet children's needs in the "least restrictive environment." Not so fast, say the lead advocates for LRE in the county.

Testifying at a Board of Education hearing on Jan. 20, Ricki Sabia presented the views of the LRE Access Group of Montgomery County, a project of the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education, educators, parents. and citizens. On the issue of Dr. Weast's plan to move students from the Montgomery Primary Achivement Center, she said:

"Our final issue tonight is the decision to open six 'community-based' preschool programs. It has been said that this will improve LRE. What we have learned from the issues with the learning center phase-out is that decisions that are supposed to be based on LRE and improved outcomes can sometimes end up having the opposite effect for certain affected students. Some children from MPAC who are currently well served and have interaction with typically developing same-age peers are likely to end up in one of the three community-based classes that do not have access to same-age peers at all. The other three have access to same-age peers who are at risk and may not be able to model age-level skills.

"The decision to open yet another program designed for a particular disability label is contrary to the direction MCPS was advised to go more than 10 years ago when it commissioned the Classical Program Review. In that report, Dr. Mc Laughlin recommended against continuing its 'sort and place' model. Dr. McLaughlin also raised concerns about the community-based curriculum which can 'track kids into a separate system of placement, instruction, and accountability.'

"In order to serve children with significant cognitive disabilities closer to home, MCPS should use UDL and other strategies and resources to make the existing PEP classes appropriate for more of these children instead of creating a new place for them to go. Any children for whom that solution is not appropriate should still have the opportunity to go to MPAC."

Video Highlights: Testimony Against Plan to Displace Special-Needs Preschoolers

At the Jan. 13 Board of Education hearing on the proposed FY11 budget, 23 of 29 people who testified were parents and advocates opposed to the realignment of preschool services for children with special needs. Here's what a few parents said. (See previous posts for more information.)

Polly MacLaine Pont: "Universal approach will mean lower-functioning students will benefit less....Even the best programs go through learning curves, but we should not make our kids suffer from those curves."

Amy Kim: "Plan lacks experience and understanding. A critical time for our youngest learners."

Lyda Astrove: "A one-size-fits-all model will not work for children with disabilities....It is not too late to reverse this disastrous course that has been pushed on you by the superintendent. Listen to your teachers and parents, and bring back the full continuum of services for students with disabilities."


Bob Allnutt: "Concept of inclusion is popular and politically correct, but the fact is many children are incapable of learning in a typical environment."

Laura Schweitzer: "Elementary school setting is overwhelming and ineffective for 3-year-olds....I don't know where we would have turned if MPAC had not been an option for us."


Doris Lee: "The school board is trying out an experiment on the most vulnerable children. Students like my child can't afford a lost year as the county works out the kinks of a new startup, or even a few months. 3- and 4-year-olds will be lost in the shuffle."

What do you think? Let board members know by emailing boe@mcpsmd.org or call 301-279-3617.

Backlash Over Special-Needs Preschool Dominates Board of Education Hearing

Tonight was the first of two hearings at the Montgomery County Board of Education about the proposed "realignment" of preschool services for children with special needs. I've written a lot about this and have already shared my testimony (see post below), so now I want to share the perspectives of some other parents. For context, this was a very well-attended hearing on all aspects of the education budget. The standing-room-only group of parents, teachers, and students carried signs and passionately advocated for a variety of worthy issues -- including the opposition to proposed cuts to school bus transportation, library staff and services, middle school magnet programs, and gifted & talented programs.


But there is no question that parent opposition to the proposed special-needs preschool program dominated the evening. In order to comment on any issue, parents had to call on the morning of Dec. 23 to sign up, and the spots filled up fast. Of 29 people who testified, an amazing 23 were there to speak out against the preschool proposal. Not a single parent, board member, or anyone else defended the proposal. (The remaining six speakers addressed the other topics I mentioned above.)

Video speaks louder than written words, so I made sure to record some of the parents' testimony. The hearing was shown on local cable TV and webcast live on the Montgomery County Public Schools website, but the video is not yet available.

The hearings really opened my eyes to the many ways the Montgomery Primary Achievement Center has lived up to its name for the past 50 years -- helping so many children achieve to their highest potential. The parents, many of whom contrasted their experience with the public school system with the specialized services of MPAC, spoke passionately about how MPAC had given them hope and improved their children's lives. From parents whose children have been in the program for several months to parents whose children graduated from the program 20 years ago, all expressed their unqualified support for the program and its staff.

Many parents (politely) lashed out at the plan and the way it's been developed without the involvement of experts and parents. It was called "foolish, "hasty," "unwise," "experimental," and "risky." Attorney and parent Lauren Poper took it one step further, suggesting that the plan (and some of the county's past actions) may actually be illegal. "Federal special education law requires MCPS to provide a continuum of alternative placements," she said, "including instruction in regular classes, special classes, special schools, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals and institutions. When MCPS eliminates programs like MPAC...it eliminates settings that some of its students need to making educational progress."

She added that under federal law, "least restrictive environment" means children with disabilities "must be educated with children who are nondisabled to the extent that it is appropriate for the individual child. 'Appropriate' means that the education fits the child's special needs and allows the child to make educational progress. The law requires that this be an individual determination for each child. It is not legally permissible for MCPS to make a blanket decision to eliminate a program and predetermine the placement of all the current students in that program prior to their IEP meetings, as MCPS has done with the learning centers and CAPP at MPAC, and now plans to do with MPAC itself."

MPAC is a program Montgomery County should be proud to claim its own. For 35 years, the county has done a good job identifying and referring students who most need MPAC's intensive and specialized services. And that partnership has resulted in positive outcomes for those students and their families. The Board of Education can build on that success by opposing Dr. Weast's plan and continuing to support MPAC and other proven programs.

The Board of Education is still accepting public comments. You can send an email to boe@mcpsmd.org or call 301-279-3617.

Don't Mess with Success: My Testimony in Favor of Special-Needs Preschool

Tomorrow at a hearing on the FY2011 education budget for Montgomery County, I will join many other parents in speaking out against a plan to displace preschoolers with special needs who are currently being served at a school that has partnered with the county for 35 years. I've written quite a bit about this, and I'm looking forward to the hearings. You can submit written comments to the board at boe@mcpsmd.org. Here's what I'll say:

My name is Mark Miller. I am a board member of the Arc of Montgomery County and a state advocacy coordinator for Autism Speaks. But I am here tonight to speak as a parent of a child who has attended both the Montgomery Primary Achievement Center and the School-Community Based program in Montgomery County.

My daughter is nearly 6 years old, and she has autism, a seizure disorder, and is non-verbal. When she was first diagnosed with autism at age 2, my wife and I were in crisis – we didn’t know anything about autism or what type of therapy she would need. Fortunately, she was able to attend the Toddler Collaborative Autism Preschool Program at MPAC, and she continued in the Collaborative Autism Preschool Program for the next few years. MPAC was the perfect place for herm and the skills she gained there will benefit her for the rest of her life.

MPAC was more than a preschool. It provided a complete range of specialized, intensive services to my daughter and our entire family. Some of the advantages of MPAC were:
- An on-site ABA specialist who worked closely with the teachers and aides to ensure that every child received the instruction they needed.
- There was a therapy room, specialized equipment, and occupational therapists, which was critical for her, because she had gross motor needs that impaired her balance, strength, coordination, and safety.
- MPAC had a family liaison who informed parents about workshops, trainings, and community resources to supplement the school’s own programs.
- All of my daughter's teachers and aides were specifically trained to meet students’ needs, including proven educational models for children with autism and a variety of methods to improve communications and social skills.

After three years at MPAC, when my daughter was 5, it was time for her to move on to kindergarten. Even though she has been medically diagnosed with autism, and despite the fact that the county’s tests classified her as severely autistic, she was not placed in the county’s autism program. Instead, she started kindergarten this year in the School-Community-Based Program.

The teacher-student ratio in her classroom is very good. Her teacher is committed to helping each of her students learn, and the principal, administrators, and other staff are supportive.

However, her teacher and aide did not have past experience teaching children with autism. We have gone from a setting where we learned from autism specialists into one where the teachers are learning on the job about autism.

Her current school has no gym available throughout the day, so the occupational therapist has to use whatever equipment is available in the classroom. She also receives fewer hours of intensive instruction than she did at MPAC.

I’ve read letters from Superintendent Weast and Montgomery County Public Schools referencing the need to give parents more options. I fully support that goal. But the proposed realignment of preschool services will actually eliminate options for the children with the most intensive needs.

For children like my daughter, I urge the Board of Education to oppose any plan that would threaten the specialized services that MPAC provides. MPAC has a proven track record of success. Unless the county has strong evidence that the proposed public program will be better than MPAC’s proven model, it should not take away this option for children like my daughter to receive services that are appropriate for their age and ability.

Plan to Displace High-Risk Preschoolers in Maryland Attracts Media Interest

It seems that when education officials try to shut down specialized services for children with special needs, parents and the media pay attention. Today the ongoing controversy to displace preschoolers in Montgomery County was covered by both News Channel 8 and the Gazette newspaper. View the TV story below.



After a 35-year partnership with the public school system, the Arc of Montgomery County, which oversees the Montgomery Primary Achievement Center (MPAC) found out about the plan to move preschoolers only through a small line item in the county's operating budget.

The change, while characterized as a "realignment" by Superintendent Jerry Weast, is actually a radical change in the way the county provides specialized instruction to preschoolers who need intervention. For three decades, the county has referred students to MPAC, which serves children ages 2 to 4 with developmental delays, autism, and intellectual disabilities. While Dr. Weast and the Board of Education acknowledge that MPAC has provided these services effectively, with measurable outcomes, he seems to have decided to sneak in this major change with no collaboration with MPAC, the Arc, or the parents of students who will be affected. Ellen Widoff, director of children's services for the Arc, said the school system is "trying to do this under the radar by not replicating our program in any way. At a time when there's no cost benefit at all, they're cutting a very appropriate program for high-risk kids."

A parent of a child with Down syndrome who attended MPAC, said the program helped her son learn to walk and gain self-confidence. "It was a very good experience for us," she said. "As a parent, you just get that feeling when you know a certain place is the right fit for your child. MPAC was that place."

The Board of Education is holding public hearings on the proposal on Jan. 13 and 2, and I will testify on Jan. 13 and report on that hearing. Parents have practically overwhelmed the board with calls asking to testify against the proposal and in support of the type of services MPAC provides, and there is a long waiting list for both dates. Interestingly, the public school system -- after not consulting with parents at all when they developed this proposal -- suddenly scheduled a meeting with MPAC parents for Jan. 11.

In a Dec. 29 letter sent to current MPAC parents, Gwendolyn Mason, director of special education services for the county, referenced the county's plan to "expand the preschool options for our youngest children with significant disabilities" -- but for all the talk about "options," "choices," and "expansion," they are proposing to pull their support for one of the county's best programs for preschool children with special needs, limit parents choices, and take away children's access to specialized services.

Inclusion at the Expense of Quality Education: ACT NOW

On this blog, I typically write about issues that affect people with disabilities nationally and internationally. But sometimes, a local issue has national implications, and I want to inform you about something that's happening here in Maryland.

I've written before about the principle of inclusion -- an important principle for people with disabilities, to be sure, but one that officials can sometimes misuse to justify a "one-size-fits-all" educational approach for children whose needs vary greatly. So in an attempt to "include" children with very specialized needs, officials can make the mistake of providing less specialized and less effective instruction.

Last night, Ellen Widoff, the director of children's services for the Arc of Montgomery County, outlined a proposal that would essentially shut down one of the most effective early-intervention programs in the state, and possibly the nation. Watch her remarks here:


My daughter attended the Montgomery Primary Achievement Center (MPAC) for three years, beginning at age 2. She benefited from trained teachers, therapists, and aides and a facility specifically designed to accommodate the needs of their students. Led by an amazing principal who had run the school for about 20 years, the school provides intensive instruction that prepares each student for their next step. For 30 years, this "nonpublic" program has received referrals and funding from Montgomery County, because it has proven effective in giving these children the skills they need to succeed throughout the rest of their education. By intervening during the critical preschool years, the program improves the likelihood of the children's future success when they enter the public school system.

However, the superintendent of education's proposed budget recommends that the county place 36 students (not coincidentally, the same number of slots they currently refer to MPAC) into public elementary schools. There are so many reasons this does not make sense at this time. Among them:
- No Plan. They are talking about placing children in these elementary schools as early as February. No teachers have been hired, no staff or teachers have been trained, and no plan or curriculum is available for parents to review.
- No Savings. The budget does not reflect any cost savings, one reason that many states and counties are being forced to take drastic actions with their programs.
- MPAC works. There has never been a question that the program provides exceptional intervention for the children who need it most. Why would they toss out a proven model and an effective program just to try something new?
- No Collaboration. The staff and leadership at MPAC are valuable resources for the county. After a 30-year partnership, it's insulting for the county to turn its back on these talented, committed professionals and make this decision without even consulting with them.
- Too Risky. Inclusion is a positive goal. But it makes no sense to pursue that goal at the expense of not meeting the specialized, individualized needs of the county's children.

Wherever you live and whatever your advocacy priorities are, I urge you to contact the Board of Education, which will act on this in January, to express your support for specialized early intervention programs like MPAC. Tell them you oppose the proposed "realignment" of preschool programs unless there is evidence that the new programs can provide educational instruction at least as good as what children already have available through MPAC. Doing any less is putting these children's futures at risk.

You can send an email to the entire Board of Education at boe@mcpsmd.org and call at 301-279-3617. For more information about individual members and their contact information, visit the Montgomery County Board of Education's website.

Please forward this post and this video to others. You can email the video with this YouTube URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSu93CkYwzw

Waiting Lists, Inadequate Funding for Disability Services -- and More Cuts on the Way?

I recently joined the board of the Arc of Montgomery County, which advocates for people with developmental disabilities and provides direct services to people from infants to seniors. Today as part of my orientation, I visited several residential, vocational, educational, and day care programs throughout the county. While I was impressed with the level of service these people are receiving and the dedication of the providers, I couldn't help but think of the nearly 20,000 people in Maryland who are on a waiting list for these critical services.

And even the existing services are in danger because of budget cuts. Even if you're not in Maryland, read this alert, "People with Developmental Disabilities at Risk of Losing Services." Whichever state you're in, people with disabilities are facing these same risks. With long waiting lists, people are already being denied services they desperately need. This is no time to make additional cuts.

Autism Insurance Coverage -- Did You Say "Over"?

One of the best scenes from "Animal House" is a pep talk by John Belushi's character Bluto to his discouraged fraternity brothers: "Over? Did you say over? Nothing is over until WE decide it is!" View the clip below (with one naughty word starting with "s").


That summarizes how I feel about the battle over insurance coverage for autism in Maryland, which Delegate Kirill Reznick reports will not get out of committee this year. (In each of the eight states that have passed the insurance mandate, the legislation didn't pass the first time it was considered either.) The good news is that the General Assembly passed a commission that will study this and other aspects of autism, and Delegate Reznick and others have pledged to keep this fight alive. We also have a motivated group of parents and other advocates who will continue to do everything they can. In the meantime...

Do you want to tell Carter's parents it's over?

Do you want to tell Drew's parents it's over?

The economy is in the toilet, and some of our elected officials are using that as an excuse to not pass any legislation that has a cost attached to it. But what about the immediate costs to thousands of Maryland parents? These parents are facing the same challenges as other families (declining investments, unemployment, and more) -- but they have the additional cost of providing the care their doctors have told them their children need...costs that insurance companies refuse to cover.

If you don't want this to be over, here's what you can do:
- Join the Facebook page for the Maryland Coalition for Autism Insurance Coverage. We'll keep you up to date and let you know how you can stay involved.
- Go to autismvotes.org/maryland and sign up for email alerts about new developments in Maryland.
- Call or write to your elected officials and tell them you're disappointed that this legislation didn't pass and urge them to support it the next time it's considered. Find your representatives.

If you're not in Maryland, you can:
- Sign up for email updates for your state at autismvotes.org
- Follow autismvotes on Twitter.

Delegate Reznick offers these words of support:
"We have made a great start, and we are well on our way to getting this benefit mandated. I know that for many of you, patience is, unfortunately, not an option. The only thing I can say is that I and other supporters of this bill are planning on working towards our mutual goal over the course of the legislative interim to bring this bill back next session....I urge you to not become disheartened. Democracy is a deliberate, slow, and messy process, but at the end of the day, the right outcomes prevail, but only if the proponents continue to fight until it happens."

The Downside to Inclusion

Many people view inclusion as a goal for all students with special needs. I'm not one of those people, because my experience as a parent has showed me that all students have their own needs -- and the range of autism is so wide that no one-size solution will meet all students' needs.

A new report on inclusion hit close to home for me, since it looked at Montgomery County, Md. (where I live) and because next year my 5-year-old daughter will leave the safe confines of a special autism preschool for a program (yet to be determined) provided by the county. A year ago, the county had a big push to integrate students with special needs and closed specialized learning centers -- and to say the results are mixed would be generous. Read "Special Ed Integration Fails Expectations," from the DC Examiner.

Levels of academic achievement for the special ed students were very low, but that's not what troubles me. The report says only about 25 percent of teachers used "differentiated" instruction for the special-needs students -- they taught everyone the same way. More disturbing -- just over half of the teachers attended a mandatory training about how to integrate these new students into their classrooms. (Which makes me wonder what "mandatory" means in Montgomery County schools. If a teacher skips a mandatory training, how about docking their pay till they attend a makeup session?)

Kay Romero, president of the county’s PTA, testified to the school board this week in support of an effort to re-evaluate the decision to phase out the learning centers. "Our most complex students should have an educational path that is tailored to their needs, and not tailored to fit a square peg in a round hole," she said.

Autism Thursday in Annapolis Part 2

Without a doubt, the highlight of today's rally and both hearings was Adam Berman, a 22-year-old who spoke about the progress he's made since being diagnosed with autism 20 years ago.

"My prognosis wasn't very favorable. They said that I'd be institutionalized. I'd be a burden to the taxpayers. I'd be unable to dress myself. I'd bang my head on the wall. Well, I'm here today to tell them that I am a taxpayer." Adam says Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy allowed him to graduate from the University of Maryland and get a job.

Watch his dramatic remarks at the rally.



See Part 1 of my report, including more photos.

Autism Thursday in Annapolis Part 1

Over the past few months, I've reported about the efforts of several states to pass legislation to mandate insurance coverage for autism therapy. But it was thrilling today to see my own state undertake this important cause.



At noon, we gathered at the area outside the State Capitol called "Lawyers Mall" (how appropriate). There may have been some lawyers there, but most of the crowd of 100 or so were parents and other regular people who are affected by autism in some way. Several elected officials who spoke deserve a lot of credit for their strong leadership -- Attorney General Doug Gansler (who has a nephew with autism), Delegate Kirill Reznik (who sponsored House Bill 273), and Senator Kathy Klausmeier (who sponsored Senate Bill 394).

After the rally, we attended the two hearings, first for the Senate bill and then for the House bill. I testified at the second hearing, the House Health & Government Operations Committee, about my family's experience with autism therapy. In preparing my testimony, I learned that it's hard to say much in three minutes. Something I wanted to say, but didn't have time to, is that my wife and I are fortunate that we've found a way to pay for these services. And we're fortunate that our daughter was able to get into a specialized preschool at age 2. I didn't testify to ask the insurance companies for a handout -- I just want more families to have access to the services that our daughter has benefited from.

It looks like this will be an uphill battle, with opposition led by the insurance companies. But I'm optimistic. Think about it: Who's side would you rather be on -- the insurance industry? Or parents, therapists, doctors, scientists, doctors, and advocates like Autism Speaks and Easter Seals?

Maryland American Academy of Pediatrics: Yes on Insurance Coverage for Autism

On Wednesday, the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics expressed it support for HB 273, the legislation that would mandate insurance coverage for autism diagnosis and treatment -- and the bill that I am testifying about Thursday. Here is the complete statement:

"The Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MDAAP) is a statewide association that represents more than 1,100 pediatricians and allied practitioners in the State and is a strong advocate promoting the health and safety of the children they serve. MDAAP supports House Bill 273.

"House Bill 273 requires carriers to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Furthermore, the legislation includes provisions which ensure not only are the services covered but that they can be provided in a manner that is not designed to limit access or otherwise undermine the benefit of the coverage. For instance, the legislation specifies that a carrier may not require an updated care plan more frequently than six months and must bear the cost for any update that is required. A more frequent update would require concurrence by the treating provider.

"Autism spectrum disorders are complicated and challenging disorders to manage and treat. The care needs for individuals diagnosed with these disorders are highly individualized and require a variety of interventions. However, the care and treatment required is no less critical to the health and well being of the individual than any other challenging health condition or disorder. MDAAP strongly supports the passage of legislation that ensures that care and coverage for autism spectrum disorders is not arbitrarily excluded from the care now required to be included in insurance coverage. MDAAP urges a favorable report."

Make your voice heard -- visit autismvotes.org/maryland.

Testifying Thursday for Autism Legislation in Maryland

I've been asked to testify to the Maryland General Assembly on Thursday in support of legislation that would require coverage for autism diagnosis and treatment. I'm no expert, but Autism Speaks is interested in my personal story, and if sharing it can help other families living with autism, I'm happy to do it.

This blog isn't about me, and I haven't included many details about my family. But on Friday, I'll post my testimony and let you know how the day went. You can also follow my Twitter updates that day, at www.twitter.com/mmiller20910.

If you live in Maryland, please go to autismvotes.org/maryland to see how you can make a difference. Join us if you can -- here are the details about Autism Thursday. Read the text of HB 273 and SB 394. These bills are sponsored by Delegate Kirill Reznik and Senator Kathy Klausmeier, with the strong support of Attorney General Doug Gensler, and they all deserve a lot of credit for their leadership.

If you live in another state, visit autismvotes.org to find out how you can get involved in your state and in the national movement to pass policies to support people with autism.

Time to Act Now to Get Insurance for Autism

Disability Scoop has a quick recap of some of the state-level proposals to mandate insurance coverage, unfortunately under the heading "States Consider Autism Insurance, But Economy Deals Blow." Bills in Oklahoma and Virginia were killed, but there's a lot of activity in other states.

Now is the time to get involved in your state. Go to autismvotes.org and sign up for email updates specific to your state.

Calling all Marylanders -- This is the big week for Maryland, so if you live here like me, please go to autismvotes.org/maryland to get information about what you can do. This is winnable, but it's not going to be easy. We need more families telling their stories.