Friday, March 22, 2019
www.towntimes.com
Volume 23, Number 51
Parents urge preservation of program for autistic kids Some parents are asking the Regional School District 13 Board of Education not to move forward with the administration’s proposed cuts to the Applied Behavior
Analysis program’s staffing, sharing testimonies of their own experiences during a recent school board meeting. ABA is therapy for students with autism developed to help them integrate into reg-
ular classrooms. Students are also taught a wide range of skills, like cooking, making a bed and safety issues. ABA therapists also work with children on toilet training and other personal hygiene.
Merrill Adams, one of Coginchaug Valley Educational Foundation's founders, and Nancy Earl, the group's current president, pose on Oct. 24, 2018. | Bailey Wright, Town Times
Fireside Tastings and Treasures benefits education foundation By Bailey Wright Town Times
"It's going to be a wonderful night – friends, a roaring fire, a jazz guitar duo, wine and craft beer tastings, a Harvest Coginchaug Valley Education Foundatable to enjoy, antiques and collectibles tion will hold a new fundraiser at the end appraisers on hand,” said CVEF presiof the month, called Fireside Tastings dent Nancy Earls. and Treasures. People can have antiques and colThe event will take place at Powder lectibles appraised during the event by Ridge Mountain Park & Resort, 99 Powtwo experts on hand, David Perrelli and der Hill Road, on Saturday, March 30, Gay Sherman. from 7 to 10 p.m.
See Fireside, A19
District 13 is made up of stu- each student and ensuring the district is able to “dedents from Durham and liver those services and Middlefield. those plans with fidelity and “These hardworking individ- in a high quality manner.” uals should be respected Several ABA staff members and valued just as much as who attended the meeting teachers,” Durham resident declined to comment. Mariah Roy said during the March 13 meeting. “They About 10 residents, mostly show up daily and work with parents of students who the most challenging stuhave benefited from the prodents. It worries me that the gram, voiced their concerns, higher powers making decisome getting emotional sions on behalf of my son's when recalling how much future don't know the true the ABA staff helped their significance of the ABA children. staff.” Some parents said they felt Superintendent of Schools the administrators proposing Kathryn Veronesi’s proposed the cuts don’t understand budget calls for ABA staff to the work and love that the work 10 months, instead of ABA staff provide students. 12 months. The change will affect employee benefits, in- “I urge you to speak with cluding paid sick and vacathem, I urge you to observe tion days. them, to see what they do, because they more than deThe move is estimated to serve to be full-time and save the district about give the kids the consistency $69,400, according to budget and the continuity and the documents. Overall, Veronelove,” parent Caroline Fursi’s $35.5-million budget inman said. cludes a spending increase of $22,730, or 0.06 percent. Furman said when she came to the district with her Director of Student Services daughter Kelly, who recently and Special Education Scott graduated from the MiddleRossignol, who attended the sex Transition Academy, she board meeting, told resiwas quickly impressed and dents that the proposals in thrilled at the program. the budget would not “directly impact child services.” “To me, the ABA staff is one of the cornerstones of this His focus is honoring the exemplary special ed proplans for care the staff and parents put together for See ABA, A24
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