Discipline methods and out-of-school suspensions have been in the news a lot lately in the Pacific Northwest. Most articles focus on the disparate impact those methods have on minority children; less well-known is the fact that they also disproportionately affect children with special needs. Although the rules are the same for all students, it appears as if those rules are applied inequitably to certain groups of students.. For example, a minority student with autism may be up to four times as likely as a non-minority neurotypical student to be suspended. Such suspensions impact academic performance and graduation rates.
The good news is that the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is aware of the problem and has undertaken studies to determine which districts have the biggest problems, and analyze how to fix the issue. In fact, Seattle Public Schools has put a moratorium on out-of-school suspensions for elementary-grade students that will last at least one year.
The bad news is that each school system has a long way to go in order to ensure that discipline within their schools does not lead to achievement gaps for the students most likely to be suspended or otherwise disciplined by missing class. It is critically important that the parents of students affected by overuse of suspensions take part in the discussion to help determine better methods for dealing with student discipline.
More good news: Now is the perfect time for parents to get involved and make sure their voices are heard advocating for their children, as all Washington school districts are now in the process of considering discipline methods and how they should be changed.
Diana Lafornara, who is a parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder, observed the impact of school discipline, particularly out-of-school suspension, through her work with the Lake Washington PTSA Special Needs Group and conversations with other parents in the autism community. Many parents had the same issue - their children had been suspended for behaviors relating to their disability.
“Often, teachers and other students misinterpret manifestations of autism as willful behaviors, and children will be suspended for it using old-fashioned ideas that they only need discipline in order to behave better, without using positive behavior intervention plans,” she says. Suspension can result from a child acting in a way consistent with his or her neurological makeup, and may not be the best answer for correcting or preventing that behavior. “This all combines to increase behaviors instead of supporting them properly,” she says. The behaviors that result in discipline “may be simply the result of a child not having functional behavioral analysis or other positive behavioral support system in place.”
As each district comes up with their own ways of dealing with the problem, “it’s very important that parents be invited to the table,” Lafornara says. Parents can get involved by contacting their school district’s PTSA Special Needs Group. If their school does not have one, they should contact their school district's director of Special Education to determine the best way to have their voices heard. “School districts are already in the beginning of this process, and you can have a really good chance to make positive change, because it is something that’s on their radar now.”
All information provided courtesy of Diana Lafornara through her time and research. If you have any questions or concerns for her, please contact her at autism@lwptsa.net. She is happy to speak with parents who would like to become involved in the conversation about discipline of special needs children in the school system.