Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Wayne RESA school districts offer a continuum of educational placements for students, pre-k through post-secondary, who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and require special education services.

First step:

On the continuum is the general education classroom with or without special education support. Students may receive needed accommodations by the general education teacher. General education teachers may receive strategies/ accommodation support from special education staff.

Second and third step:

on the continuum offers more support from special education. Special education staff may provide anywhere from 1-3 hours of direct or indirect support to a full day of special education programming with other students with disabilities (not only ASD).

Center Programs offer two levels of programming:

Fourth step:

ASD classroom located in a general education building with special and general education students assigned to the building (designated for students who exhibit moderate to severe characteristics of ASD).

Fifth step:

ASD classroom located in a separate facility with only special education students assigned to the building (designated for students who exhibit severe characteristics of ASD).

The ultimate goal of a center program is to provide students with the skills they need to successfully return to their resident district.  With that goal in mind, yearly discussions about the student's  LRE, their life-long goals and the progress they are making towards those goals are essential.

Certificate of Completion

The majority of students in an ASD center-based program follow the Common Core Essential Elements (CCEE).  Therefore most students, who exit an ASD center program after completing the high school curriculum, are eligible for a certificate of completion - not a diploma.  Diplomas are issued based on the MMC aligned to the Common Core State Standards.  Discussions about diploma vs. certificate outcomes should take place early in a student’s school career and continue until the student completes an Educational Development Plan (EDP) in middle school.

More information on planning for school completion

Autism Spectrum Disorder Defined: Determination

1. ASD is considered a lifelong developmental disability that adversely affects a student's educational performancein 1 or more of the following performance areas:
   1. Academic
   2. Behavioral
   3. Social
2. ASD is typically manifested before 36 months of age. A child who first manifests the characteristics after age 3 may also meet criteria. ASD is characterized by qualitative impairments in reciprocal social interactions, qualitative impairments in communication, and restricted range of interests/repetitive behavior.
   
   Determination for eligibility shall include all of the following:
   1. (A) Qualitative impairments in reciprocal social interactions, including at least 2 of the following areas:
      • Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction.
      • Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to the developmental level.
      • Marked impairment in spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people for example, by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest.
      • Marked impairment in the areas of social or emotional reciprocity.
   2. (B) Qualitative impairments in communication, including at least 1 of the following areas:
      • Delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime.
      • Marked impairment in pragmatics or in the ability to initiate, sustain, or engage in reciprocal conversation with others.
      • Stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language.
      • Lack of varied spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to the developmental level.
   3. (C) Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped behaviors, including at least 1 of the following areas:
      • Encompassing preoccupation with 1 or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity of focus.
      • Apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals.
      • Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms, for example, hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements.
      • Persistent preoccupation with parts of objects.
3. Determination may include unusual or inconsistent response to sensory stimuli, in combination with subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) of sub-rule (2) of the rule.
   
   
4. While autism spectrum disorder may exist concurrently with other diagnoses or areas of disability, to be eligible under this rule, there shall not be a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia or emotional impairment.
   
   
5. A determination of impairment shall be based upon a comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary evaluation team, including, at a minimum,

• - a psychologist or psychiatrist,
• - an authorized provider of speech and language under R 340.1745(d), and
• - a school social worker.

Wayne County Guidelines for Determining Eligibility for Special Education under the Autism Rule - Page 39