Since its inception at a Brooklyn elementary school in 2003, New York City’s ASD Nest program has won praise for its inclusive approach to educating high-functioning children on the autism spectrum.
When Marni Goltsman's son, Brooks, was 18 months old, doctors confirmed what she and her husband suspected: he had a mild form of autism.Special Needs by School
A Broader Epidemic
A Local Problem
A Growing Spectrum
This map displays the rate of students with Individualized Education Plans at each New York City School. The larger the bubble, the greater the percentage of IEP students at that school. Areas where the blue is darkest indicate a greater concentration of IEP students. Zoom in to get a more detailed view, or click here to see a larger version of the map. (SOURCE: New York City Department of Education)
The number of cases of autism in New York state has skyrocketed by nearly 500 percent from around 1 percent of total students in 1996 to 5.6 percent in 2011, according to data from the state Department of Education. At the same time, the number of students with learning disabilities generally has plummeted by around 30 percent.
In New York City, the upward tick in autism diagnoses has reflected the larger national patterns. Click on the values in the legend above to drill down to a particular set of data.
The autism spectrum has broadened over the years to include a number of disorders, including Asperger's syndrome and Pervasive Development Disorder. Click on each of the bubbles below to get a breakdown of how each factor plays a role in autism rates. (SOURCE: New York State Department of Education)
The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is rising at an unprecedented level. A recent Centers for Disease Control report found that one in 88 children was diagnosed with ASD in 2011. That’s nearly double the amount diagnosed with the learning disability in 2007, when the numbers were last counted. According to the study, part of the spike could be the result of improvements made to treatment and diagnosis, rather than an actual increase in the disease.
Struggling with Special Needs
A personal look at one mother's struggle to provide adequate education for her special needs children, and the complexities of the student assessment system. (HEMA PARMAR)