KENTUCKY — According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. And data shows that it typically appears before the age of three and can last throughout a person’s life, although symptoms may improve over time.
People with ASD may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. There is often nothing about how they look that sets them apart from other people. The abilities of people with ASD can vary significantly.
During the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly session in Frankfort, the House of Representatives voted 92 to 0 to approve House Concurrent Resolution 51, sponsored by State Rep. Mike Clines, R-Alexandria in Campbell County. This measure would establish the Autism in Education Task Force to explore education support and services for Kentucky students with ASD.
Clines joins this In Focus Kentucky segment to share how he and other state lawmakers are stepping up with new policy initiatives to support students in Kentucky living with ASD.
“One in 36 eight-year-old children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder,” Clines said. “ASD provides educators with unique challenges, which requires our schools to provide additional services and support to ASD students. This task force is a great opportunity for the commonwealth to analyze data and hear from experts in the field to produce informed and evidence-based practices to support our students with ASD across the state.”
HCR 51 would establish the Autism in Education Task Force to meet in the 2024 and 2025 interims to hear testimony and analyze data on the challenges of autism in education and investigate evidence-based practices in schools that support successful educational and professional outcomes for these students. The legislative work group would perform an in-depth study of not only Kentucky’s efforts to support children and families with ASD, but also analyze how Kentucky compares to other states.
You can watch the full ‘In Focus Kentucky’ segment in the player above.