Voucher plan revived, with focus on autistic students

IndyStar.com
November 24, 2005

Proposal would let state pay for private education of children with autism
By Staci Hupp
staci.hupp@indystar.com

"There's a moral imperative of assisting these families in the way that they believe is best and, second, it has the added benefit of being a very fiscally sound program," said House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, one of four Republican lawmakers who met this week with a legislator from Ohio, where school voucher programs have mushroomed. "I'm certain if we do this, some schools will choose to concentrate in this, which will bring the cost to educate students down for the state."

Voucher advocates say some private schools, hospitals and therapists are better equipped to meet the special needs of children with autism, a developmental brain disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate and interact with others.

The plan's financial details haven't been worked out. Lawmakers estimate it costs up to $40,000 a year to teach one child with a severe form of autism.

Excerpt from full article available at: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051124/NEWS01/511240447/1006

For information, resources and practical strategies on autism please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.