By Jennifer Mrozowski
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati Public Schools is opening a one-stop center where parents and teachers can attend workshops and receive training on how to support students with autism.

The center, scheduled to open this summer, will be funded through a $50,000 state grant and is housed at Sands Montessori school in Mount Washington.

"We found lots of teachers needed support in the classroom working with students with an autism spectrum disorder," said Stephany Taylor, one of the district's student services managers.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that affects the functioning of the brain.

The symptoms vary but can include difficulty with verbal communication and fine and gross motor skills and insensitivity or over-sensitivity to pain. Some people with autism may be prone to throwing temper tantrums or may laugh, cry or show distress without apparent reason.

Autism affects an estimated two to six people per 1,000. Up to 1.5 million Americans are believed to have some form of the disorder, and the number of cases is rising at a rate of 10 percent to 17 percent per year, according to the Autism Society of America.

In Cincinnati Public Schools, 93 students with autism have been identified, including 20 students this school year. School officials say there are at least 30 more students who have autism but who are categorized as having another educational disability.

Last fall, the district convened a team of specialists whose members worked to provide autism behavioral consultation in the schools and to collaborate with teachers on the best teaching methods for students with autism.

Team members include a special educator/intervention specialist, speech and language pathologist and a school psychologist.

In the first quarter, the team received 41 consultation requests from teachers who have students with autism. The students' behavior can include constant rocking back and forth, yelling out, banging things or simply not talking.

The grant will pay for additional resources for teachers and parents, such as software, instructional videos and books on autism. The center will also offer workshops on instructional strategies and other training activities.

The Autism Spectrum Support Team also hopes to hire an instructional assistant who will run the center when the specialists are in other schools.

For information, contact Sontag at (513) 487-3724.

E-mail jmrozowski@enquirer.com