Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Parents and trustees warn against combining autism classrooms with life‑skills program
Summary
Parents and trustees at a Coachella Valley Unified School District board meeting urged the district to preserve autism‑specific classrooms, arguing that combining them with life‑skills classes risks removing individualized supports required by IDEA and could drive families to seek services elsewhere.
Daisy Castaneda, a parent in the district, told the Coachella Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees she opposes a proposal to combine the district’s life skills program with autism‑specific classrooms, saying "autism is not one‑size‑fits‑all" and urging the board not to remove specialized supports.
Castaneda testified that students on the autism spectrum need "specialized support, trained staff, and structured environments tailored to them," and warned that efficiency measures on paper could "take away the very supports that help our children succeed." Her remarks were followed by testimony from Loretta Perez, who said placement…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
