FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — A Fairfax County mother criticized Virginia legislators after new policies she believed disproportionately harmed students with autism. I’m here.
This policy, House Bill 1461, requires each school district in Virginia to follow a uniform system of discipline against disruptive behavior and the removal of statements from classes. If a student’s behavior is violent, teachers must expel the student immediately, and non-violent disruptive behavior is subject to a mandatory 3-strike system.
Furthermore, if the bill is passed and signed into law, teachers will be held accountable for acting rationally or using reasonable methods to control students who are physically or violently destructive. is prohibited.
Jennifer Lytton Tid, mother of a Fairfax County student with autism, said: “But as a parent of a child with a disability who needs a high degree of support, I feel I am not being listened to.”
Lytton Tidd is concerned that Virginia legislators are trying to address the needs of students with autism in the wrong way. I filed a lawsuit over my treatment and reached a settlement. Currently, FCPS does not allow isolation.
“You can’t change the molecule by just punishing people,” she said.
DC News Now reached out to two Republican delegates, Bill Wiley and Buddy Fowler, who support the bill. Neither responded by the time the story aired.
“People who have not yet been diagnosed are not protected from punishment and this law,” Lytton Tid said.
It is important to note that this proposal states that it does not apply to students with disabilities due to state and federal laws and regulations. Lytton Tidd is still concerned about the implications, especially since so many black students with autism do not have a formal diagnosis. will be late.
“This law, like so many others, is dehumanizing,” she said. “It’s going to be traumatic. Punishing kids with autism, ADHD, neurodiversity, and other mental health conditions.”
There is no indication that the bill will pass at the next General Assembly. Given that Virginia has a divided government, many controversial bills have become difficult to pass.
