Autism training bill passes both chambers of Virginia General Assembly

A bill aimed at enhancing professional development opportunities for school employees and healthcare professionals working with students with autism spectrum disorder passed the Senate and House unanimously. 

SB1293, proposed by Sen. William Stanley, R-Franklin County, directs the Board of Education to provide guidance and optional yearly training for staff who regularly interact with students, helping them communicate with and support those with autism. 

Stanley emphasized the need for the bill, noting a lack of training among educators and healthcare professionals when working with autistic students. 

“Healthcare workers are encountering autistic children or people on the spectrum and not knowing how to handle the situation,” Stanley said. 

A key component of the bill is the introduction of a continuing education program that provides training on understanding autism, improving communication, and managing behavioral challenges. 

“We are proposing a continuing education program where they offer a class on understanding autism and being able to better deal with it rather than just kind of winging it,” Stanley said. 

Participation in the training would be optional, but educators who complete it would earn professional development points toward their licensure renewal. The bill addresses the gap in educator preparation, as many teachers receive little to no training for teaching students with neurological disabilities like autism during their licensure program.   

Eli Newcomb, vice president of clinical standards and research at The Faison Center, a Richmond-based institution that provides services for people with autism, stressed the importance of such training in public schools. 

“The latest CDC data indicate that 1 in 36 children have an autism diagnosis,” Newcomb said, emphasizing the increasing need for educators to be equipped with the necessary training to support these students. 

“If you’re a math teacher in high school, there isn’t going to be training embedded into your licensure program that helps you interact and support your high school students in your math class who may be autistic,” Newcomb said. 

The Faison Center, which serves students placed by public school districts to ensure they receive appropriate education under the law, frequently encounters cases where a lack of training among public school staff leads to students being placed in specialized programs. 

“My experience has been that there certainly is a very wide gap between the specialized training that our folks receive here and the training that public school staff get,” Newcomb said. “Occasionally, public schools refer students to us when, in some cases, they could be served in a public school setting if staff had the necessary training.” 

By offering educators with autism-specific training, Newscomb believes that SB1293 can create a more inclusive and supportive environment within public schools.

“The more our public school counterparts can be equipped and trained to serve some of these students, the better, because everybody’s providing better services,” Newcomb said. 

The bill will ensure that public schools maintain more students with autism in an inclusive setting rather than transferring them to specialized programs due to a lack of expertise.  

“I think with this bill, public schools will be able to continue to serve some kids that truly can and should be served in that public school setting around typically developing peers,” Newcomb said.

The bill now goes to Gov. Glenn Youngkin to sign or veto.