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Aberdeen SD 06-1 reports rise in special-education child count; autism and emotional-disability categories increase
Summary
District special-education staff told the board the December child count increased by about 40 students, and staff noted growth in autism and emotional-disability categories; testing and classification practices were discussed.
Special-education staff reported to the Aberdeen School District 06-1 Board of Education on Jan. 13 that the district’s December child count submitted to the state has risen by “about 40 something students,” and that the autism and emotional-disability categories account for much of the increase.
Nut graf: The district submitted the annual child count to the state for review; staff warned that classification changes and diagnostic practices can affect counts, and discussed how the district determines testing areas when multiple concerns are present.
The presenter said most categories were stable but that “the categories of autism, which include emotional disability continue to keep getting bigger.” They said rich classrooms account for a significant portion of the autism-diagnosis increase. The presenter also noted that changes in the emotional-disability category’s definitions in recent years could account for some of that rise.
Board members asked whether tests have become harder or have changed; the presenter replied that autism testing itself has not changed much but that emotional-disability assessment criteria have changed, reducing some historical cross-domain requirements and possibly increasing eligibility. The presenter explained that school teams discuss a student’s struggles across areas and may test in multiple categories; some students qualify in one category, multiple categories or occasionally do not meet criteria.
Ending: Board members expressed support for the special-education team and acknowledged the challenge of providing resources; no board action was required on the child-count report.
