Ty VanBuskirk had never publicly talked about being on the autism spectrum before. Instead, he spent his time in the Olathe school district masking it. But that changed in July, when the recent Olathe South graduate stood in front of the school board to share how he felt the district had failed him. A lack of support and understanding of his disability, he said, led to ongoing trauma, bullying, isolation, even suicidal thoughts. “My general education teachers didn’t even know I had an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) or autism,” the 19-year-old told The Star. “When not even your case manager or paraprofessionals around you are aware, or able to communicate with your own teachers, that can cause a lot of issues.” Along with VanBuskirk, several parents have shown up in force at school board meetings over recent months, sharing similar stories and advocating for better services for their children with autism.
Source: Joco 913 News
