Philly parents call for a public school that would be devoted to autistic kids

Citing what they say is a serious lack of resources and teacher training for autistic children, a group of parents gathered outside the Philadelphia School District headquarters Saturday to call for a public school to focus on autistic and neurodivergent students.

Nearly 3,400 Philadelphia public school children have been diagnosed with autism. In some cases, their needs are so extreme that parents have sued to get them into private schools. But, for folks without the resources to pay a lawyer the cost of private education can be costly. “It can cost as much as $60,000 a year,” said Constance Jones, an organizer of the protest. “Not everyone can afford that.”

Jones is co-founder of the Philly Autism Education & Program Advocacy Facebook group, created last year after she learned that her 3-year-old autistic son had been hurt by staff member at a publicly funded pre-K. Frustrated by the process and unable to pay the cost of private education, she commented on Facebook “why can’t we have a public school for autistic kids?”

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The concept resonated with fellow mother and former Philadelphia School District guidance counselor Jessica McMaster.

Federal law stipulates that, whenever possible, students should be educated in the “least-restrictive environment,” ensuring that neurodivergent children are mixed with non-neurodivergent peers.

McMaster’s 12 years of advocacy — fighting for her autistic son’s access to resources such as properly trained special needs teachers — lead her to believe that “the same system that was created to protect autistic kids from being institutionalized is harming them now,” she said.

The Philadelphia School District budget is $4.5 billion, but has been underfunded for decades and often has staffing shortages, particularly in the area of special education staff. So would a school like this be created?

Jones and McMaster, who were among the nine parents at Saturday’s protest, are working on creating a nonprofit to raise the funds needed. “It’s not about pointing fingers or taking away inclusion, " said McMaster. “It’s about having a public option where kids with autism can learn life skills and education, and all resources can be in one place.”

For Michael Walzer, an autistic adult himself and parent to two children with autism, this feels “like a step closer in the right direction.”

As he held a sign saying “build a school for autism and you will change the world,” Walzer reminisced on his days as a public school student.

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“We [his brother included] slipped through the cracks and didn’t get diagnosed until our 50s,” said Walzer. Although he was able to adjust to adult life, his brother didn’t. “He is incredibly brilliant. I often wonder what could have been if he would have been educated and nurtured in a space free of bullying with people who were properly trained,” said Walzer.

It’s unclear how the project would work, and which politicians would back up the plan. Until then, the district offers autistic support classes at a number of schools around the city, and organizes an autism expo once a year.

Inquirer staff writer Kristen A. Graham contributed to this article.