MCPS is executing significant changes to special education that directly affect autistic students and their families.

[Anonymous]

Most concerning, the Autism Unit has been reduced by roughly half. Two positions were eliminated, and five psychologists with autism-specific assessment expertise were reassigned to general caseloads, dispersing specialized knowledge that has long supported schools and IEP teams. At its peak, the Autism Unit included 21 full-time specialists serving 73 schools. The unit’s longtime supervisor, Kristin Ericson, is also departing after 43 years at MCPS, representing a major loss of expertise and institutional knowledge.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2026/01/breaking-taylor-proposes-major-cuts-to.html?m=1

[Anonymous]

Less support for students in these programs will put more demands on the rest of the staff at schools where these programs are located. This elimination of support will impact general education classrioms.

[Anonymous]

As a classroom teacher, please please be upset about this. If your kid goes to a school with special education services, this impacts them.

[Anonymous]

This is why I find the complaints from the Wootton parents so disgusting. There are so many bigger problems in the district, like Taylor destroying special education.

The strategy seems to be accepting being forced into paying for private placement, but since those private programs are already at capacity, MCPS's costs won't grow. Kids just get hurt.

[Anonymous]

I think in Montgomery County the Autism program was a racket like the Minneapolis fraud.

I think they were labeling kids that weren't autistic as autistic so they could get federal funds. Now they are afraid of getting busted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why I find the complaints from the Wootton parents so disgusting. There are so many bigger problems in the district, like Taylor destroying special education.

The strategy seems to be accepting being forced into paying for private placement, but since those private programs are already at capacity, MCPS's costs won't grow. Kids just get hurt.

Yes, yes, turn the parents and children against each other instead of holding the government accountable to serve the whole county!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think in Montgomery County the Autism program was a racket like the Minneapolis fraud.

I think they were labeling kids that weren't autistic as autistic so they could get federal funds. Now they are afraid of getting busted.

Lying to hurt children is fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most concerning, the Autism Unit has been reduced by roughly half. Two positions were eliminated, and five psychologists with autism-specific assessment expertise were reassigned to general caseloads, dispersing specialized knowledge that has long supported schools and IEP teams. At its peak, the Autism Unit included 21 full-time specialists serving 73 schools. The unit’s longtime supervisor, Kristin Ericson, is also departing after 43 years at MCPS, representing a major loss of expertise and institutional knowledge.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2026/01/breaking-taylor-proposes-major-cuts-to.html?m=1

Who is expected to replace Ericson or is that position going away completely?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why I find the complaints from the Wootton parents so disgusting. There are so many bigger problems in the district, like Taylor destroying special education.

The strategy seems to be accepting being forced into paying for private placement, but since those private programs are already at capacity, MCPS's costs won't grow. Kids just get hurt.

Why disgusting? The Wootton families and community have every right to protest and advocate for their kids just as you do of special needs kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I find the complaints from the Wootton parents so disgusting. There are so many bigger problems in the district, like Taylor destroying special education.

The strategy seems to be accepting being forced into paying for private placement, but since those private programs are already at capacity, MCPS's costs won't grow. Kids just get hurt.

Why disgusting? The Wootton families and community have every right to protest and advocate for their kids just as you do of special needs kids.

You think those are anywhere close to equivalent? Potentially being sent to a new building with most of the same students and teachers?

Wow...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think in Montgomery County the Autism program was a racket like the Minneapolis fraud.

I think they were labeling kids that weren't autistic as autistic so they could get federal funds. Now they are afraid of getting busted.

You can't possibly believe this, do you? Have you ever seen these programs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I find the complaints from the Wootton parents so disgusting. There are so many bigger problems in the district, like Taylor destroying special education.

The strategy seems to be accepting being forced into paying for private placement, but since those private programs are already at capacity, MCPS's costs won't grow. Kids just get hurt.

Yes, yes, turn the parents and children against each other instead of holding the government accountable to serve the whole county!

Unless people are willing to pay more in taxes, it is a zero-sum game. And special education has been losing in that game.

[Anonymous]

Ordinarily, the risk of school districts being forced to pay for private placement provides an incentive for the district to provide minimally appropriate special education services. MCPS has just given up on that, after realizing that that the total number of private slots in the state is small enough they can just eat that cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think in Montgomery County the Autism program was a racket like the Minneapolis fraud.

I think they were labeling kids that weren't autistic as autistic so they could get federal funds. Now they are afraid of getting busted.

Lying to hurt children is fun!

They really think money just shows up???. Do you not know that you have to be a good steward of government dollars AND sometimes you even have to show proof of where the funds go? The only people getting rich from the government are those people that already have means - COVID fraud (loans to fake business), and Brett Farvre, having USM build a volleyball court with welfare funds, for his damn kid. Oh, and wanted to use prison labor to keep costs under control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think in Montgomery County the Autism program was a racket like the Minneapolis fraud.

I think they were labeling kids that weren't autistic as autistic so they could get federal funds. Now they are afraid of getting busted.

LOL Sure nonverbal students with autism were just “labeled” for money. Thanks Taylor for joining the chat. Is that why you refuse to even step foot into an autism classroom? Are you afraid to meet the most severely impacted children in person?