,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #aeji ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,april #aa1 #bjac ,mr4 ,moran 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,connolly1 ,mr4 ,wolf1 and ,mr4 ,mc,kinley7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce ,a ,,bill ,to establish a #e-year demonstration program to provide skills to classroom teachers and staff who work with children with autism spectrum disorders4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,autism ,understanding and ,training in ,school ,methodologies for ,educators ,act of #bjac4 #b4 ,findings ,the ,congress finds as follows3 7#a7 ,autism is a group of complex developmental brain disorders collectively referred to as ,autism ,spectrum ,disorders 7,a,s,ds7 that can cause a wide range of symptoms1 skills1 and levels of impairment including social1 communication and behavior changes4 7#b7 ,autism spectrum disorders are also referred to as pervasive developmental disorders and include subcategories of classic autism with ranges from high functioning autism 7,,hfa7 to low functioning autism1 ,asperger syndrome1 and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified 7,,pdd-,,nos71 as well as more severe cases of ,rhett ,syndrome and ,child ,disintegrative ,disorder4 7#c7 ,autism affects an estimated #a in #hh children by age #h and #a in #ed boys4 7#d7 ,an estimated #a1ejj1jjj individuals in the ,united ,states are affected by autism4 7#e7 ,more children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with ,,aids1 diabetes1 and cancer combined4 7#f7 ,autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the ,united ,states4 7#g7 ,autism costs the ,nation over #ce1jjj1jjj1jjj per year1 a figure expected to significantly increase in the next decade4 7#h7 ,boys are five times more likely than girls to have autism4 7#i7 ,there is currently no medical cure for autism1 but there are evidence-based educational methods proven to be effective in improving outcomes for students with autism and research demonstrating the benefits of routine and consistency4 7#aj7 ,the least restrictive environment for educating students with autism spectrum disorder1 including1 but not limited to1 students with high functioning autism1 ,asperger syndrome1 and ,,pdd-,,nos1 often is best achieved by enrollment in a general education classroom with proper support4 7#aa7 ,general education classroom teachers and staff often are not adequately trained to work effectively with students with autism spectrum disorders1 who have a wide diversity of characteristics1 although such skills may be attained through qualified training programs and may be relatively easy to implement in school settings4 7#ab7 ,training general education classroom teachers and staff to implement evidence-based practices for educating students with autism spectrum disorders with accuracy and fidelity will help provide for best possible outcomes not only for students with autism1 but also for other students in the classroom4 7#ac7 ,children with autism in highly transient families1 such as the military 7where the rate of children on the spectrum is even higher7 and foreign service families1 often face additional challenges in the public education system because of frequent changes in the family's geographic duty station or a parent's deployment1 which can interrupt the provision of appropriate interventions and continuity of effective educational methods4 7#ad7 ,in school districts that have a large population of transient families or that border military bases it is especially important to have staff who are highly trained to provide effective services and build a proven track record of academic achievement in serving students with autism4 #c4 ,demonstration program authorized 7a7 ,authorization of grant program ,the ,secretary is authorized to carry out a demonstration grant program to award grants to eligible entities to enable such entities to accomplish the purposes described in subsection 7b74 7b7 ,purposes ,a grant provided under this section shall be used for the following purposes within schools providing education to children in grades pre-kindergarten through #ab3 7#a7 ,providing evidence-based1 in-service training to teachers1 paraprofessionals1 and other staff on effective ways to teach1 communicate1 recognize1 support1 and interact with children with autism spectrum disorder in the classroom and related school settings4 ,training on providing effective support includes but is not limited to academic support1 behavioral support1 communication support1 social emotional support1 and facilitating positive peer interactions and social skills4 7#b7 ,providing technical assistance consisting of consultation on the type of training needed1 hands-on opportunities to practice and perform newly acquired skills and methodologies with fidelity1 and post-training support to ensure accuracy of implementation in the classroom4 7#c7 ,executing strategies for recruiting and retaining skilled personnel participating in the education of children with autism spectrum disorders4 7#d7 ,implementing a program of parental support and involvement in the education of students with autism spectrum disorders4 7c7 ,duration of grants ,a grant provided under this section shall be-- 7#a7 for a period of not more than #e years1 of which not more than the first #b years shall be used for planning2 and 7#b7 subject to annual approval by the ,secretary and subject to the availability of appropriations for the fiscal year involved4 7d7 ,limitation on administrative costs ,an eligible entity may use not more than #bj percent of the funds received under this section for the administrative costs of carrying out its responsibilities under this section4 7e7 ,applications ,to be eligible to receive a grant under this section1 an eligible entity shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7f7 ,report ,the ,secretary shall conduct an evaluation of the demonstration program authorized by this section and1 not later than #a year after the date of the completion of the demonstration program1 shall prepare and submit to the ,president and the ,congress a report on such evaluation1 together with recommendations for dissemination and replication of the results of the program4 7g7 ,definitions ,for purposes of this section3 7#a7 ,the term autism spectrum disorders 7,a,s,ds7 refers to complex disorders of brain development that can affect individuals with varying degrees from mild to severe1 and is characterized by a combination of restricted repetitive and stereotyped behaviors1 interests and activities2 qualitative impairments in social interactions2 and qualitative impairments in verbal and nonverbal communication4 7#b7 ,the term eligible entity means an eligible local educational agency1 or a consortia of such agencies1 in partnership with-- 7,a7 one or more institutions of higher education2 or 7,b7 one or more nonprofit educational entities with documented expertise in working with children with autism4 7#c7 ,the term eligible local educational agency means a local educational agency that has no less than #aj percent of its special education population identified with autism spectrum disorders1 including1 but not limited to1 high functioning autism1 ,asperger syndrome1 and ,,pdd-,,nos1 and have documented a growth pattern in the number of these students4 7#d7 ,the term institution of higher education has the meaning given such term in section #ajb of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjb74 7#e7 ,the term local educational agency has the meaning given the term in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#f7 ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4