Detroit, MI: Number of autistic students nearly doubles over seven years
The partnership will help teachers earn specialized credentials as the district sees a growing number of students identified with autism.
After seeing the number of students identified with autism spectrum disorder nearly double since the pandemic, Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti knew he had to think outside the box to address the shortage of teachers certified to serve them.
Vitti believes he’s found a solution with DPSCD partnering with Michigan State University to expand the pipeline of highly trained special education teachers.
Through the partnership, eligible teachers can pursue MSU’s fully online master’s degree in special education with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) endorsement while receiving tuition support from the district.
With the number of students identified with autism spectrum disorder increasing from 1,035 in 2019-20 to 1,957 in the 2026-27 school year, Vitti said the district continues to identify more students in need of special supports after a couple of years of online schooling and a general lack of social interactions during that time.
“Basically, what happened during the pandemic is a lot of kids didn’t go to school or kids were learning online and those disabilities were not identified, and in some ways, I think we’re playing catch up,” Vitti said. “A lot of students also didn’t interact like they normally would in the earlier child development years because of the pandemic, and I think that’s led to not diagnosing as much as we normally would and other challenges with social interactions.”
For DPSCD, the partnership addresses a growing need by helping more teachers earn specialized credentials and develop strategies to support students with autism. The school district will pay teachers to earn their ASD endorsement, while teachers will pay to earn their master’s degree.
Vitti said the district has worked tirelessly to fill teaching vacancies more broadly during his nine years as superintendent, decreasing the number of vacancies from about 400 at the beginning of his tenure to about a dozen currently.
DPSCD has around 120 teachers who work with students with autism spectrum disorder currently, with 25 teachers participating in the first cohort of the partnership with MSU, which takes about two years to complete, Vitti said. . . .
Hamilton said there are several contributing factors to the increase in the number of students identified with autism spectrum disorder — both in Detroit and across the country — including greater awareness of autism, improved screening and evaluation practices, earlier identification and a broader understanding of how autism can present across individuals.
“This is not just a need in Detroit,” Hamilton said. “Schools across Michigan and the country are seeing growing numbers of students identified with autism, and educators want the knowledge and tools to provide effective support. Specialized training helps build confidence and equips teachers to create learning environments where students can be successful academically, socially and emotionally.
“Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that educators feel prepared to support students with autism and that students have access to learning environments where they can thrive”
Having an early diagnostic center and process within DPSCD has given the district greater capability of identifying students with autism spectrum disorder, Vitti said, allowing families to detect special needs for their children before they start kindergarten. . . .
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