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The American Psychological Association (APA) is changing the definition of Autism Spectrum Disorders, a change which will occur in May of 2013. You can view the draft criteria here and a short explanation here. There are several changes which concern parents, education professionals and people with autism spectrum disorders. Very briefly, these changes are: 1. The new APA criterion for autism spectrum disorders is different from the current APA, IDEA and Montana educational criteria for autism spectrum disorders. 2. Asperger's Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder will no longer exist as separate APA diagnostic categories, but will be subsumed in the revised APA criteria for "Autism Spectrum Disorder." What will these changes mean for students with autism spectrum disorders in Montana's public schools? 1. Montana is unlikely to change the current criteria for identification of a student as having autism until the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) is reauthorized. 2. The IDEA was last reauthorized in 2004 and the revised regulations were published in 2006. There is no anticipated date for when the next reauthorization will occur. 3. When the IDEA or Montana educational criteria for educational disabilities change, there is no requirement that students who are currently identified as eligible for special education and related services be reevaluated to determine eligibility under the new criteria. These students have previously been determined as eligible using the criteria which were in effect at the time of their identification. 4. Children and youth who are evaluated and diagnosed by non-school agencies as meeting the current or revised APA definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder are still required to have a separate educational evaluation by the school district. 5. If necessary, the OPI Division of Special Education will provide guidance and technical assistance in interpreting any differences between the new APA criteria for autism spectrum disorders and the current Montana educational criteria for autism. If you have questions, please contact Doug Doty, Statewide Coordinator of the OPI Montana Autism Education Project at ddoty@mt.govor 459-5303

The Response-to-Intervention (RtI) movement is enabling public education in the United States to evolve from a reactive model in which students had to seriously deteriorate before being moved on to special education programs, to one that emphasizes early and high-quality research-based interventions in regular programs that generate useful data with which to make key decisions for each struggling student. This evolution, however, has taken place against a backdrop of legal requirements for special education referrals and evaluations that remain almost unchanged from those of more than 30 years ago. The meeting of RtI innovations and the traditional child-find requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) has many scratching their heads over exactly how the rules fit into the modern intervention era. Both the misconceptions that have become commonplace, as well as the legal disputes created by this juncture, make one wonder whether we truly grasp the fundamental child-find obligation of the IDEA in its present context.

The Response-to-Intervention (RtI) movement is enabling public education in the United States to evolve from a reactive model in which students had to seriously deteriorate before being moved on to special education programs, to one that emphasizes early and high-quality research-based interventions in regular programs that generate useful data with which to make key decisions for each struggling student. This evolution, however, has taken place against a backdrop of legal requirements for special education referrals and evaluations that remain almost unchanged from those of more than 30 years ago. The meeting of RtI innovations and the traditional child-find requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) has many scratching their heads over exactly how the rules fit into the modern intervention era. Both the misconceptions that have become commonplace, as well as the legal disputes created by this juncture, make one wonder whether we truly grasp the fundamental child-find obligation of the IDEA in its present context.

Many parents have questions about what to do when they are presented with an IEP that is not appropriate for their child. You should advise the IEP team that you don’t think the IEP is appropriate, that it does not provide your child with enough help or the right kind of help. You should use facts to support your position (i.e., facts from an evaluation of your child from a private sector evaluator, graphs of your child's test scores). Be polite but firm.