Autism and Special Education in Texas


The State of Texas uses the definition of autism set out by the U.S. Department of Education. 19 TAC Chapter 89, Section 89.1040b (that's a lot of legalize for the rules adopted by the Texas Commissioner of Education) states:

Autism. A student with autism is one who evidences the criteria for autism as stated in 34 CFR, Section 300.7(b)(1). Students with pervasive developmental disorders are included under this category. The team's written report of evaluation shall include specific recommendations for behavior management.

So what does that mean? That means the state uses the definition of autism that is contained in the Code of Federal Regulations, which are the rules adopted by most federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education. Well here is the definition given in 34 CFR, Section 300.7(b)(1):

"Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3, that adver sely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory exerpiences. The term does not apply if a child's educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has a serious emotional disturbance, as defined in paragraph (b) (9) of this section.

Note: If a child manifests characteristics of the disability category "autism" after age 3, that child still could be diagnosed as having "autism" if the criteria in paragraph (b)(1) are satisfied.

One of the rules that makes autism a very different diagnosis when it comes to writing an IEP in Texas is what is known as the Autism Addendum. This is a special form (oh, great, another form) that is used to ensure that the ARD Committee addresses 19TAC Chapter 89, Section 89.1055(c):

For students with autism/pervasive developmental disorders, information about the following shall be considered and, when needed, addressed in the IEP:
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