Salem School District details ABC classrooms and warns capacity may be strained as autism-related needs rise

Salem

Salem School District officials outlined the district's Alternative Behavior and Communication program (ABC) on Tuesday, describing classroom practices, staffing and multi-year projections that they say could push the elementary program beyond its state-regulated capacity.

Allison Driscoll, the district's director of student services, told the board the ABC program is a state-approved self-contained educational environment intended primarily for students with level 3 autism whose disability substantially affects access to education. "ABC is a state approved self contained educational environment," Driscoll said, explaining that the program focuses on behavior and communication and uses applied behavior analysis and discrete-trial instruction to help students make progress.

The presentation emphasized why the district added a second ABC site this year (ABC North at North Salem School) and how a growing population of identified students is driving demand. Driscoll said Salem mirrors statewide trends: the district is below the state average for identified students overall but is experiencing a steep rise in autism identifications. "Our percent growth rate of students with autism in the Salem School District is 123 percent over 10 years," she said, presenting district charts and state child-count comparisons.

Why it matters: Staff framed ABC as both a safety and instructional program. Students in ABC may spend more than 60% of the school day in the setting; state regulations cap self-contained program classrooms at 12 students and expect specific…