Park City Schools to adopt specialized Autism curriculum

Photo: Photo by BBC Creative

PARK CITY, UT — The Park City School District will implement a comprehensive Autism curriculum to support students with profound developmental needs, as announced at Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting.

The district has chosen STAR Autism Support following a thorough evaluation process lasting several months, opting for this program over other competing options. The curriculum will initially serve 10 students within the preschool programs at Jeremy Ranch Elementary and Trailside Elementary, with the potential for broader implementation in the future.

“We’ve noticed, as a special education team, that we needed a comprehensive curriculum to support students with higher levels of Autism,” said Brittany Bly, the district’s behavior specialist.

The program focuses on students with level 2 or 3 autism, which is characterized by significant deficits in adaptive skills, communication, and pre-learning abilities. In clinical environments, such students typically receive about 40 hours of intensive Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy each week.

Growth Drives Need

The district’s concentration of students requiring this level of support at Jeremy Ranch preschool was somewhat unexpected, as Brechwald noted that the timing coincided with the preschool’s expansion.

The expansion of Park City’s preschool program, which grew by 40% this year to accommodate 215 students, highlighted the increase in young children diagnosed with autism who require specialized support. Consolidating special education preschool students at Jeremy Ranch Elementary, combined with the overall increase in preschool enrollment, showed a population of children with level 2 or 3 Autism requiring tailored assistance, Bly explained.

The district’s evaluation committee, comprising parents, administrators, and related service professionals, reviewed two finalists in October: STAR Autism and ARIS Autism.

“We found that both programs met our needs overall, and each had features that we preferred over the other,” said Kara Brechwald, the district’s education coordinator.

Utah Connections Prove Decisive

The choice for STAR was influenced by its successful use in multiple Utah districts. The program provides model classrooms for teachers to visit and offers a Utah-based trainer, advantages that ARIS, primarily used in larger East Coast and Midwest districts, could not match.

Additionally, training costs were factored into STAR’s overall price, making it more cost-effective for the smaller student population in Park City.

“The most important aspect is that it aligns with the Common Core and the Utah State Standards and is research-backed. It is ABA-based, meaning it utilizes behavioral principles while incorporating skills development rather than just focusing on behavior reduction,” Bly noted.

Comprehensive Approach

The curriculum addresses language, social, behavioral, and foundational academic needs for students with cognitive capabilities ranging from 18 months to 9 years, regardless of their chronological age. Three assessment levels help teachers identify each student’s starting point in relation to Individualized Education Program goals.

“This makes the learning process consistent. When a student transitions from preschool to kindergarten, they carry this program with them, which is extremely beneficial. They won’t have to relearn anything,” Bly said. “The ready-made materials also save teachers countless hours that would normally be spent creating resources.”

“I spent days creating materials as a behavior analyst, and this program offers everything—program manuals, ready-to-use lesson plans, manipulatives, and online resources—which will be a tremendous help,” Bly added.

Training sessions can accommodate up to 30 individuals, enabling anyone who works with eligible students—teachers, support professionals, and related service providers—to learn the effective strategies.

Public Input Period

The curriculum will be available for public review on the district’s website for a 30-day comment period, with a community meeting scheduled for December. The Board will vote on final approval in December.

While primarily designed for students with significant Autism diagnoses, the curriculum can also support any child with developmental delays that affect school readiness, including social skills and daily living abilities.

“This is a curriculum that can be applied to any child who has a developmental delay impacting their readiness for school, assisting with social skills or other needs,” Brechwald emphasized.

Superintendent Lyndsay Huntsman commended the special education team’s thorough evaluation process and its responsiveness to emerging student needs.