Indiana: Over 3% increase in the number of students with ASD in one year

Mar 24, 2018, Jeffersonville (IN) News and Tribune: Autism in education: Mom still pushing for General Assembly's attention http://www.newsandtribune.com/news/autism-in-education-mom-still-pushing-for-general-assembly-s/article_397d8d78-2edf-11e8-bca3-a3a72f66184c.html For the second year in a row, Jenn Kersey has advocated for a legislative summer study committee to look at issues focused on autism and public education. Last year, a bill passed calling for a study committee to examine autism-related programs and services, but it was never assigned to a committee. Undeterred, Kersey was back in Indianapolis this year for the 2018 session The end result was Senate Resolution 21, approved by voice vote on Feb. 26, which urges the Legislative Council "to assign the topic of autism and public education to the appropriate study committee."… According to the Indiana Department of Education, last year, the state identified 15,210 school-age students whose primary disability was autism spectrum disorder; this year, it is 15,721, an increase of 511 or 3.3 percent. "This has been the trend for the last several years," said Pamela Wright, director of the office of special education, Indiana Department of Education. … The state has a strong autism network of teachers and specialists who share information, ideas and strategies to work with students who have ASD, Wright said. "I think the state has come a long way in serving the needs of students ... but we can always do better," Wright said. "There are lots of resources available to schools to support students."