WASHINGTON (Map, News) - As the number of autistic students in Montgomery County swells, the district has funneled some of them into programs where the most socially vulnerable students sit in desks alongside the most emotionally disturbed.

The situation at a program at Gaithersburg High School has proved dangerous enough for some parents to pull their children out of the school system and to seek legal counsel.

According to his mother, Alec Carlson, diagnosed with high-functioning autism, started to be bullied on his first day as a ninth-grader in Gaithersburg’s bridge program. It is one of two high school programs in the district offering education in a contained setting for 150 students diagnosed as autistic or emotionally disturbed. In 10 years, Montgomery County has seen its population of autistic students skyrocket from 68 to 1,100.

Since November, Susan Carlson has been trying to home school Alec while holding down a full-time job of her own. She’s working with a lawyer to seek a private school placement for her son as allowed by federal law.

Carlson said her son was punched in the face and shoved into a girls’ restroom in his second week at the school. She said his academics plummeted and his emotional meltdowns became more severe. The final straw came when a classmate chased him outside with a hedge clipper, cutting his hair and his arm.

“No one helped him,” she said. “And no one called me.”

Many parents of autistic students say that while their children are able to remain on par academically, they are unable to deal well with threats. Emotionally disturbed students, on the other hand, can include those with a history of violence. School officials say they avoid placing children with those kinds of problems in the program, but autistic parents are not convinced.

Becky and Jeff Pedneau removed their son Jeremy, also diagnosed with high-functioning autism, from Gaithersburg’s bridge program in 2007, and have taken their case to federal court. Jeremy had stopped learning and was picked on by fellow students and teachers, they claimed.

Though denied by school officials, testimony from teachers called as witnesses in the Pedneaus’ case reveals Gaithersburg’s program employs uncertified long-term substitutes, teachers not certified in special education, and instructors with no training in autism disorders.

lfabel@dcexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

8:19 PM MST on Sun., May. 11, 2008 re: "Officials cite lack of progress on schools� gifted program"

Examiner Reader said:
Appropriate differentiation of instruction is essential in order for ALL students to have an opportunity to grow and excel. MCPS has lost what advantage it had when it opened its magnet schools at both the high and middle level: 1) qualified leadership in gifted and talented instruction, and 2) the understanding that excellent programming at the top level sets the tone, pace, and example for all others. When would a coach ever train to the level of a team's middle athlete? When would a coach allow a runner to race just to the finish line and not past it?

Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

7:52 PM MST on Sun., May. 11, 2008 re: "County class sizes remain unchanged despite enrollment dip, more teachers"

Examiner Reader said:
Does anyone know if there is any data available through outside evaluation on the efficiency of operations in MCPS? Seems only internally produced information is released to the public, doesn't it?

Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

7:40 PM MST on Sun., May. 11, 2008 re: "County class sizes remain unchanged despite enrollment dip, more teachers"

Examiner Reader said:
It is long past time for the burgeoning central office of Montgomery County Public Schools to be downsized. It has grown like a tumor with its own blood supply and its vessels are just as unorganized. Like a tumor, it has convinced itself that it supports the rest of the organism, the schools, when it exists to support itself, its growth, and metastasis.

Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

6:13 AM MST on Fri., May. 9, 2008 re: "School districts spending big bucks to promote successes to public"

Examiner Reader said:
Programs, especially in Special Education, are being cut left and right and they spend 8.7 million on bragging about their successes? Give me a break!

2 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

5:08 AM MST on Fri., May. 9, 2008 re: "School districts spending big bucks to promote successes to public"

Examiner Reader said:
Only enough money for publicity for the administrators in MCPS - When are the students celebrated?

Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

6:07 AM MST on Thu., May. 8, 2008 re: "County class sizes remain unchanged despite enrollment dip, more teachers"

Examiner Reader said:
Please, call it what it is - OVERHEAD. "Most of the new positions are supporting roles, so the increase has not pushed down class size"

2 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

5:17 AM MST on Thu., May. 8, 2008 re: "County class sizes remain unchanged despite enrollment dip, more teachers"

Examiner Reader said:
MCPS budget is not shrinking. The proposed budget is an increase over last year's budget. MCPS will end up with a larger budget than last year with no increase in students.

2 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

5:58 AM MST on Tue., May. 6, 2008 re: "Another Montgomery school for disturbed slated for staff cuts"

Examiner Reader said:
Sensationalism at the expense of our most vulnerable is unacceptable. The Examiner has taken a worthwhile news event and turned it into something ugly and hamrful to those in desperate need of support. This serves to highlight the issues that individuals with mental illness and their families struggle with. Would you call someone who suffers from diabetes, broken or less than whole? Then why do this to someone with mental illness! The proposed cuts would be devestaing to a program that has & does work. This is this issue and this is what should have been highlighted and followed up on, not the physiological illness that the children suffer from. An apology is owed to the individuals who opened up their hearts to the writer and to all who fall into the category of dealing with mental health issues.

6 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

7:58 PM MST on Sun., May. 4, 2008 re: "Another Montgomery school for disturbed slated for staff cuts"

Examiner Reader said:
I have heard many good things about RICA's successes with its emotionally diabled students who have failed in other special ed programs. The whole thing about staff and budget cut at RICA seems illogical. Where would the MCPS send these severely diabled kids to if they cut or shut down RICA? Don't even think that they can be placed in those "inclusion" special ed programs (like Bridge Programs) at the regular schools. They have failed these students before they were sent to RICA. Any reasonable private special ed schools will definitely cost more. Don't break a good thing that works. The risk to screw it up is too high. In many casses we could be risking people's life by messing up with this successful school(RICA).

6 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

9:13 PM MST on Sat., May. 3, 2008 re: "Critics say belt-tightening in schools doesn�t extend to district�s top tier"

Examiner Reader said:
too many supervisers. just fire half of them.

1 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

4:01 PM MST on Sat., May. 3, 2008 re: "Another Montgomery school for disturbed slated for staff cuts"

Parent and Alumni Parent of RICA said:
While I appreciate RICA being highlighted since MCPS will dismantle the program if they remove 6 of the 31 staff as wanted... calling these children and adolescents as disturbed is very very concerning... It is prejudicial and leads to more prejudice. ED refers to or should refer to Emotional Disabilities and more appropriate our children at RICA are those with a mental illness. This is of no fault of their own. Many of these children have lots of potential to be contributing members of society. The Examiner should be more sensitive and appologize for the term "disturbed" used in this article.

5 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

3:14 PM MST on Fri., May. 2, 2008 re: "Critics say belt-tightening in schools doesn�t extend to district�s top tier"

Robin Ficker, Broker Robin Realty said:
Do we need 1100 people working for the school board making over $100,000 and 16 who make as much as the county executive, all of whom do not teach? I don't think so. Do we need to raise property taxes past the charter limit for people who are paying $4 a gallon for gasoline to give these 1100 people more of an increase than the 2.3% increase social security recipients get in 2008? I know we do not.

Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

8:56 AM MST on Fri., May. 2, 2008 re: "Another Montgomery school for disturbed slated for staff cuts"

Examiner Reader said:
The Examiner is the only news source in the area that is covering the systemic dismantling of special education and other specific programs for children with specific needs in Montgomery County. Why are all of the other news sources so silent?

5 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

6:41 AM MST on Fri., May. 2, 2008 re: "Another Montgomery school for disturbed slated for staff cuts"

Examiner Reader said:
RICA is not a school for the "Disturbed". It is s school for students who, through no fault of their own live with mental illness. Like every member of our communicty, these students need respect and resources to mature into functional members of society. The Examiner needs to be more aware of its use of language to not further reinforce the stigmatization of this population.

5 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

12:38 PM MST on Thu., May. 1, 2008 re: "Critics say belt-tightening in schools doesn�t extend to district�s top tier"

Examiner Reader said:
How are administrators "supporting kids and teachers" during the summer months? Maybe they should be 8.5 month employees too. Less time that they would have to say "I never heard that" and "Not a problem".

Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

8:00 AM MST on Thu., May. 1, 2008 re: "Critics say belt-tightening in schools doesn�t extend to district�s top tier"

Examiner Reader said:
One thing this article failed to mention is that the administrators and central office personnel ('people who don't touch the kids' but work 10-12 hour days to support kids and teachers)work 12 months of the year. Teachers, on the other hand, only work about 8.5 months when you factor in summer vacation, Christmas vacation, Spring break, and various other paid holidays throughout the year. So whatever salaries the teachers are making (and they really have no place to complain compared to teachers throughout the country), remind them also that it's for 8.5 months of work, not 12 months of work. Trust me....many, many of the MCPS teacher salaries would also be over $100,000 if they worked a full 12 months also.

4 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

9:32 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 29, 2008 re: "Teacher raise increases may be lowered as administrators� salaries could soar"

Robin Ficker, Broker Robin Realty said:
Leggett has proposed the largest property tax increase in 20 years and a gasoline tax increase on top of $4 gas. We are in a recession and have just had large increases in state sales, income, car and corporate taxes as well as large hikes in water, Metro and electricity bills along with record foreclosures. We cannot afford a property tax hike on top of that any larger than that allowed by the county charter. SAVE OUR HOMES!

0 agree | 2 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

8:17 PM MST on Fri., Apr. 25, 2008 re: "More college freshmen require brush-up on basics, experts say"

Another Examiner Reader said:
Montgomery College should be renamed to Montgomery Multinational College. I went there for one semester and it seemed like English was the first language for almost no one.

2 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

7:52 AM MST on Fri., Apr. 25, 2008 re: "More college freshmen require brush-up on basics, experts say"

Jerome Dancis said:
I blame the MD state Math curriculum and the MD School Assessments (MSAs) and High School Assessment (HSA) on Math for jump in Math remediation in colleges. Under the specter of the MD exams, school administrators have bent the instructional programs out of shape to order to teach to the state tests. But, the MD Math exams have students rely on calculators. They avoid the arithmetic and arithmetic-based Algebra, such as knowing 3x + x = 4x, knowledge students will need in college. Having students rely on calculators is a good strategy for getting students to pass the MD HSA on Algebra. But this sets-up graduates to take remedial arithmetic and remedial Algebra in college. More than one in four college remedial students work on elementary and middle school arithmetic. Math is where students often lose confidence and give up on Community College. (New York Times, Sept. 2, 2006) This necessary Arithmetic has been downplayed by the MD Math Assessments.

2 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

11:31 AM MST on Thu., Apr. 24, 2008 re: "Autistic students pulled from school after bullying"

Examiner Reader said:
What a disaster - placing kids who have almost no ability to recognize when they're being manipulated (students with autism have trouble recognizing body language, sarcasm, joking, etc.) with students who are adept manipulators. The kids with autism don't have a hope of understanding or dealing appropriately with so complex a social situation, and so they open themselves up to even more teasing. While I understand that no school system possesses the resources to offer separate programs for every need, this is yet another reason why "one size fits all" ED programs don't work. There should be ways to pick & choose among services available so that these two populations can coexist without coinciding.

4 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

7:26 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 23, 2008 re: "Money woes dominate discussion over graduation sites"

Examiner Reader said:
Why should MCPS care about the cost? Plenty of funding to play with.

Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

6:40 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 23, 2008 re: "Money woes dominate discussion over graduation sites"

Robin Ficker, Broker Robin Realty said:
Way too expensive. What about the Carter Baron amphlitheater?

0 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

5:12 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 23, 2008 re: "Money woes dominate discussion over graduation sites"

Examiner Reader said:
Blair's graduation will be $51,000?

Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

9:30 AM MST on Fri., Apr. 18, 2008 re: "Montgomery may cut prized school programs as budgets shrink"

Concerned Taxpayer said:
Cut Blair? That's the best investment our county can make. Lets see, the savings by cutting the Blair magnet teachers equal Dr. Weast's salary - which one do you choose?

2 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

11:18 AM MST on Sun., Apr. 13, 2008 re: "Possible pollutants in portable classrooms"

Examiner Reader said:
Duh, Laurie Halverson. Maybe you shouldn't have worked so hard to kill a new school in your cluster. But you made sure your cluster would continue to use portables instead of have new classrooms. Portables do not make good classrooms for children.

4 agree | 4 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

6:52 AM MST on Thu., Apr. 10, 2008 re: "Failing students slightly improve in county remediation program"

Robin Ficker, Broker Robin Realty said:
The schools do not have daily physical education programs for these kids. They are restless with plenty of energy to burn. Work hard, play hard.

4 agree | 4 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

6:52 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 8, 2008 re: "Montgomery schools officials plead for $2.1M budget request"

Examiner Reader said:
Cut them 12 million more and watch them make the tough choices. Then again, they would probably release teachers as a publicity stunt while hanging on to high paid and overpaid administrators.

1 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

4:15 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 8, 2008 re: "Montgomery schools officials plead for $2.1M budget request"

Robin Ficker, Broker Robin Realty said:
Why do we have 139 elementary school counselors? These positions did not exist just a few years ago. Elementary School kids are not making college choices. Why do we have 139 elementary development teachers, who do not teach kids, but lecture other teachers? They only generate paperwork and reports that burden the teachers.

4 agree | 8 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

6:09 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 2, 2008 re: "Delays seem likely in prekindergarten expansion"

Examiner Reader said:
Why are we giving employees 30% pay increases, 17% over 3 years plus 3.5% annal step increases. Each 1% pay increase costs $25 million.

3 agree | 6 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

5:42 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 26, 2008 re: "Elementary school enrollment reflects economic slide"

Robin Ficker Broker Robin Realty said:
The biggest indicator of economic slide in Montgomery County is that we are getting the biggest property tax increase in 20 years! Montgomery County officials cannot control costs because they insist on going on election year spending sprees like they did in 2006----spending up 14.6% in one year. They even took a 30 day vacation at Christmas. Mark Fennel of Citizens Against Government Waste will root out government waste in Montgomery County when he is elected in the special for County Council Disrict 4, April 15 and May 13. Vote for Fennel for Council and Property Tax Relief. The school system needs to focus on the classroom, not high salary, big pension administrators and community coordinators. English Saturdays would supplement the need to learn English. Without excellence in English, these kids aren't going anywhere. Children rise to meet high expectations.

2 agree | 3 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

12:54 PM MST on Tue., Mar. 25, 2008 re: "Parents fear advanced class emphasis neglects options"

Examiner Reader said:
DC, MD, VA let's face it; child is not college bound. The higher ups make education so difficult when it doesn't have to be. There should be (my opinion) 3 levels of education: college, business and general studies. How do you expect a child to take algebra when he can't do basic math so therefore he/she can't graduate. You are right no one is seriously taking a look at the quality of education. Why are our kids frustrated with education? They need to take a look at the folks that make the decisions. What happened to the love of education? It's not the teachers because they can only teach what they are told. (I wish someone from the board of education would interview me). Educating our children should be fun and not difficult. I get very upset when I talk with our youth and their frustrations of being educated. OK DC MD & VA board of educators, your way is not working and I can guarantee you that you will see more dropouts if something isn't done soon.

4 agree | 4 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

10:43 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 19, 2008 re: "Legal fees swell cost of school construction"

Examiner Reader said:
Increased legal costs? Guess the "No Lawyer Left Behind" Act is working.....

4 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

7:00 AM MST on Fri., Mar. 7, 2008 re: "Montgomery Latinos take more AP classes, do better on exams"

Robin Ficker, Broker Robin Realty said:
Ok kids, here is how it is. As one who graduated from Montgomery Blair in 1960 and whose kids graduated from Whitman later, let me tell you. We have high expectations n Montgomery County. We know you are all smart enough to meet them. If you aren't motivated to step up, you need to change your attitude. Less TV and more study is a good start. Get lots of physical exercise on the playing fields and you will be more relaxed to study. Forget the drugs and alcohol. Put your time in now. Work hard, play hard. Soon you will be running the show!

5 agree | 4 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

9:13 PM MST on Wed., Feb. 20, 2008 re: "Crowded science labs could cost Montgomery schools accreditation"

NBD said:
As long as the kids get the credit - who cares?

40 agree | 33 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

9:19 AM MST on Tue., Feb. 19, 2008 re: "Crowded science labs could cost Montgomery schools accreditation"

Parent said:
At Richard Montgomery, the labs in the new building are equipped for elementary school sized kids - not six foot tall high school kids. Is anyone watching?

32 agree | 33 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

8:03 AM MST on Tue., Feb. 19, 2008 re: "Crowded science labs could cost Montgomery schools accreditation"

Robin Ficker, Broker Robin Realty said:
Are readers aware that the Montgomery County school system is asking for a 30% pay increase for employees? 17% over three years PLUS 3.5% annual step increases.

45 agree | 46 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

7:43 AM MST on Tue., Feb. 19, 2008 re: "Crowded science labs could cost Montgomery schools accreditation"

Robin Ficker, Broker Robin Realty said:
Montgomery County Public School documentation indicates student population decreased 3,076 during the three years FY 2006 to FY 2008 while addng more than 1,000 new employees. If we filled every classroom with a "teacher" we would have 598 teachers left over. This does not include 1021 Art, Music, Physical Education and Library teachers. We have enough classroom teachers to have a class size of 17.1 but the actual class size is 19.7. This means that hundreds of classroom "teachers" do not teach at all.

42 agree | 38 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

7:33 AM MST on Tue., Feb. 19, 2008 re: "Crowded science labs could cost Montgomery schools accreditation"

Examiner Reader said:
Wow. How many other MCPS schools don't run appropriate labs? I thought my son was kidding when he said he didn't do any labs in science classes at Blair.

38 agree | 37 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

3:23 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 18, 2008 re: "Parents back McDonald�s fundraiser"

jj said:
So, it's okay to feed the kiddies hamburgers from McDonalds but not okay to be around SHS. McDonalds is mainly junk food and transfat is worse than SHS. Of course, in time junk food will be illegal too. Just think of the jobs lost and no more fast food--unless they start serving soy burgers--BUT WHO WILL EAT THEM.

36 agree | 46 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

2:21 PM MST on Tue., Feb. 5, 2008 re: "Montgomery school board to adopt final budget ideas"

Robin Ficker, Broker Robin Realty said:
The stock market is down 369 points today. We have had increases in state sales, corporate, computer, car, and income taxes as well as Metro, water and electricity hikes. Any elected official who acts to seize our federal rebate checks and/or give us a property tax hike on top of this will face a political firing squad. How can the school system propose all these new positions that have no student contact. They live in a fantasy world and don't care if they cause hundreds of foreclosures, primarily affecting minority families, and bar thousands from the county housing market. SAVE OUR HOMES!

64 agree | 58 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

5:55 PM MST on Sun., Feb. 3, 2008 re: "Montgomery Co. Councilman not lovin' McDonald's PTA fundraisers"

Roy H. Hobbs said:
How interesting that McD's is politically incorrect because of their food, yet there are dozens of food related fund raisers in the Montgomery county Public Schools involving fatty foods. Rolling Terrace Elementary School worked with "Greg the Ice cream Man (ie the owner of Summer Delights in Takoma Park) for a field trip fund raiser to Philly. The Maryland Association of Student Councils, which MC Public Schools promotes on their web site, uses Pizza Hut. This administrator should be fired for his hypocrisy.

63 agree | 83 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

6:14 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 1, 2008 re: "Montgomery Co. Councilman not lovin' McDonald's PTA fundraisers"

Joe said:
Is it my imagination or does he look like a moron?

60 agree | 60 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

3:03 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 1, 2008 re: "Montgomery Co. Councilman not lovin' McDonald's PTA fundraisers"

Examiner Reader said:
Yes, let's fatten up the kids so we can pay for their healthcare costs later in the future. Support the corporate regime of McDs. Why bother teaching kids social responsibility? How many of you myopic republicans are shareholders? You all couldn't tell your a** from your elbow.

65 agree | 59 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

2:48 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 1, 2008 re: "Montgomery Co. Councilman not lovin' McDonald's PTA fundr