State budget cuts for the disabled affect North Texans

Six-year-old Armando is learning to count to 20 as part of a personalized lesson at the Child Study Center in Fort Worth.

"Thirteen... 14...15...19?" Armando counted out loud.

"No, try again. What comes after 15?" Armando's one-on-one instructor asked.

The Child Study Center (CSC) is one of six Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) funded sites that provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to autistic children.

"The intervention is catered to children for their specific needs. For some we are working on things like expressive and receptive language development, with other children we may work on behavioral or self-injurious behavior," CSC Autism Service Line Coordinator Matt Robison said. "We also work on feeding programs and also some self-help skills."

Armando has been receiving ABA for a year and a half. He used to be unable to function in the classroom setting, but recent testing has revealed significant improvement. His teachers are hopeful that he may one day be able to function on par with his age group.

However, in the proposed 2011 state budget, the state Senate plans to cut the funding for the DARS program in half, and the Texas House proposal would cut the program entirely.

Continue Reading: http://www.smudailycampus.com/news/state-budget-cuts-for-the-disabled-affect-...

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News & Politics

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• AW
• Autism
• Budget
• Cut
• Pkg

[freba90]

I have a child with autism and take her to the cancer and blood disorder clinic.

our Gov. doe's not care.he cut funds for children like her.but lives a life of

luxury him self.