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State board adopts guidance on ABA therapy in schools after heated public comment
Summary
After hours of public testimony for and against school‑based ABA, the Kansas State Board adopted KSDE guidance clarifying how districts must evaluate medically necessary applied behavior analysis under IDEA, Section 504 and ADA; the measure passed 8–2.
The Kansas State Board of Education voted 8–2 on Jan. 13 to adopt KSDE guidance clarifying how districts should evaluate requests for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy in school settings under federal disability law.
KSDE assistant director Brian Dempsey told the board the guidance is intended to clarify legal obligations — it does not mandate ABA or change parent or district rights — and that complaints alleging IDEA violations still route through KSDE while ADA/Section 504 disputes would be referred to federal OCR. "The guidance does not confer any additional rights on parents or additional…
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