Session of 1998
                   
HOUSE BILL No. 2671
         
By Committee on Education
         
1-20
            9             AN ACT enacting the Kansas autism information act.
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11       Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
12           Section 1. The legislature hereby acknowledges that when a disabil-
13       ity as severe as autism does not readily respond to traditional educational
14       or treatment practices, the disability deserves special attention. Providing
15       information on legitimate interventions for autism to individuals with au-
16       tism and to their families in Kansas can be expected to increase the like-
17       lihood of more favorable developmental outcomes, thus, lessening the
18       emotional hardships on families and future financial burden to commu-
19       nities; therefore, it is the purpose and intention of this act to increase the
20       availability of information concerning practices which have proven effec-
21       tive in remediating the incapacitating effects of autism.
22           Sec. 2. As used in this act:
23           (a) ``Autism'' means a severe neurological disorder which significantly
24       impairs an individual's ability to process information and to learn, espe-
25       cially social and language skills.
26           (b) ``Professional'' means a person who conducts diagnostic or edu-
27       cational assessments of children having or suspected of having autism.
28           Sec. 3. (a) Any professional who diagnoses or conducts an educa-
29       tional assessment for a child having or suspected of having autism shall
30       provide the family of such child the following:
31           (1) Written information regarding different types of treatment for
32       children with autism, including information on traditional special edu-
33       cation developmental approaches and applied behavior analysis. Such in-
34       formation shall be presented in a neutral and unbiased method. The in-
35       formation must be accurate in its definition of treatment approaches and
36       the scientific documentation of the effectiveness of such approaches in
37       treating individuals with autism must be included.
38           (2) A listing of referral information which includes names, addresses,
39       and phone numbers of those individuals and organizations, both in and
40       out of state, qualified to provide appropriate assessment, treatment or
41       training pertaining to the different available treatments.
42           (b) The state department of education shall be responsible for assem-
43       bling the information on treatment options. Professionals, as indicated in

HB 2671

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  1       subsection (a), shall provide the information and resource lists to the state
  2       department for distribution. Thereafter, the information shall be provided
  3       by the state department to all parties involved in the treatment review
  4       process, as well as to all professionals in Kansas who are qualified to make
  5       such a diagnosis, all school districts, all special education cooperatives and
  6       any autism resource centers in the state.
  7           (c) By reason of the uniqueness of autism in its educational focus and
  8       needs, the state board of education shall establish a separate eligibility
  9       category of autism in order to remove existing barriers to effective edu-
10       cation. The establishment of such category will facilitate access to effec-
11       tive treatment for all children with the diagnosis of autism in the state of
12       Kansas.
13           Sec. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
14       publication in the statute book.
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