Schools

Reader: Autistic Children Snubbed by Gov. Malloy's After-School Grants

The founder of Middletown's after-school autism program says education board special education staff refuse to refer students to her program, instead 'mainstreaming' them in those supported by Connecticut funds.

This is written by Brenda Wilson, founder of the Ryan Woods Autism Foundation

To the Editor:

Our grassroots autism organization, Ryan Woods Autism Foundation, was asked to help train employees at the Middlesex YMCA — the mentors and staff who interact with students on the autism spectrum — because they informed us they were at a loss as to what to do with our autism population.  

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We gave the Middlesex YMCA a two-hour intensive training on Aug. 28 on dealing with moderate to high functioning children on the spectrum. 

However, we were not included in the distribution of Gov. Malloy's $239,342 after-school grant given to the YMCA Kids Korner program at Macdonough School.  

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There were more than 60 Middlesex YMCA employees who attended this training. Ryan Woods Autism Foundation staff want to understand why these children are not included in our after-school program since we are DPH licensed for school-aged children and we have the credentialed staff and expertise to work with them. 

Why, Mr. Governor, did you pass up the only after-school program in the state of Connecticut who provides services to children on the autism spectrum BUT include them in a mainstream, after-school program where they isolate from the pain of loud noises and overstimulation made by the crowd of mainstream children. There they are most probably ignored by the staff who do not understand their needs.  

You did this after I, Brenda Wilson, stood up at a Middletown Town Hall and pleaded with you to support our ASD children. Your reply was we will help the schools and fund more money to the schools.

We, the Ryan Woods Autism Foundation, would like to know why we continue to get told "no" that Middletown Public Schools refuse to transport children who live in the city of Middletown (sometimes a block away from our facility) because it is considered "out of district."  

We have lost students to the lack of transportation from Middletown Public Schools for the first time in three years because of this.  

Finally, we would like to know why Middletown Public Schools refuses to work with our agency in paying for students they know could benefit from our services and help them [educators and children] in their day-to-day classroom activities.  

Socialization, communication, building relationships and friendships are three core areas we, the Ryan Woods Autism Foundation, specialize in and ASDs need so critically; and yet parents are told "no" over and over again by Dr. Mindy Otis and Ann Perzan, and approved by Superintendent Patricia Charles.  

The mockingbird answer is — "The school has no money to pay to help with these services."

The families critically need our services and cannot afford the scaled-down fee we have implemented to try to accommodate them, even though our agency has to be 100 percent credentialed to stay open and provide these specialty services.  

The Ryan Woods Autism Foundation has placed one student in a permanent, part-time job at Super Walmart, Cromwell, with more in the pipeline training; yet when we ask the Middletown Public Schools if they have ASDs who are 18 years old they can refer to our agency, we are told "no." 

The common concern should be our children. Ryan Woods Autism Foundation started out our after-school program in the Middletown Schools and for a solid year we received one student, even though 162 were identified [2009-2010 school year] with autism and other special needs.  

We are in our third year of providing wonderful services with parental and community testimonials to support this letter, and yet it is as if we are in a "tug of war" with our local Board of Education AND EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATORS.  

Currently, we service 99 percent out of school district and 1 percent in-school district children who have been diagnosed with ASD and other social and mild behavioral disorders. All of our children are assessed daily.  

This is more alarming than the Washington DC saga facing our President. Come on, Connecticut! We are trying to save our future.

No matter how much we get licensed or credentialed by the state of Connecticut, it appears that this city and this state wants to see Ryan Woods Autism Foundation dissolve not realizing that it will affect the:

  • Closure of Parent / Sibling Support Monthly Group meetings necessary to continue to educate our parents / legal guardians
  • Closing of Internships fulfilled in the past, present and future by students who work so diligently in the Human Services area from Wesleyan and Middlesex Community College
  • No after-school for children on the spectrum being offered in Central Connecticut
  • No summer program for children on the spectrum being offered in Central Connecticut

 This is so unfortunate. We welcome your responses. Help RWAF understand!!!

Brenda Wilson, Founder, Ryan Woods Autism Foundation, Middletown


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