Eligibility requirements for services are taken from the State of Alaska’s Special Education Handbook.
To be eligible for special education and related services as a child with autism, a child must:

• Exhibit a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3, that adversely affects educational performance; and
• Require special facilities, equipment, or methods to make the child’s educational program effective; and
• Be diagnosed as autistic by a psychiatrist, physician, or psychologist; and
• Be certified by a group consisting of qualified professionals and a parent of the child as qualifying for and needing special education services.
• Characteristics of autism include: (1) irregularities and impairments in communication, (2) engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements (3) resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and (4) unusual responses to sensory experiences.
• A child who manifests the above characteristics after age 3 may be diagnosed as having autism.

Note: A child identified with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) should not be determined eligible under the category of “Autism”, but may be found eligible under another category by the team.

Services Provided by Autism Support Specialists

1. Student-specific consultation in the areas of:

• Communication skills development
• Positive behavioral support
• Social skills development
• Instructional strategies
• Curriculum modification and accommodations
• Other individualized interventions as needed

2. Site-, district-, and regional-based in-service training for professionals and paraprofessionals working with students having autism or Asperger’s Syndrome in the areas of:

• Autism awareness
• Including learners with autism in general education classrooms
• Positive behavioral support and functional assessment
• Teaching strategies for learners with autism
• Curriculum modification
• Other topics as needed

3. Assistance to site and district personnel in securing autism-related information, equipment, and other resources through access to SESA’s lending library.

4. For more information and resources on autism, visit the Alaska Autism Resource Center (AARC).

Beth Burris, Education Specialist

BETH BURRIS holds a bachelor’s degree in Child Development with teaching credentials for both Multiple Subject and Education Specialist: moderate to severe from California State University, Northridge. She is presently working on a master’s degree in Special Education. She has worked as an elementary school teacher in Autism Programs. She served in the Peace Corps- Dominican Republic as a Special Education Promoter and recently returned from China, where she worked with expatriated families as a private consultant for children with autism.

Patricia McDaid, Education Specialist

PATRICIA K. MCDAID completed her doctorate, with a focus on autism studies, at Boston University. She relocated from Boston to Alaska in 2005. Patricia taught students with severe multiple disabilities (including autism) at The Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA for 11 years followed by 7 years as an Inclusion Facilitator for students with autism and other intensive needs in the Newton, MA Public School System. She also taught courses for undergraduate and graduate students at the Boston University School of Education.In addition, Patricia consulted to school districts in the Boston area to support the inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder. Patricia now works as a SESA autism specialist and travels to rural and remote school districts to provide technical support and training regarding the education of students with autism and multiple disabilities. She is also a Board Member of ASSECA, the non-profit organization that sponsors the yearly Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference.