The Scranton School District opened 18 autistic support classrooms over the last two years. Another eight to 12 classrooms will likely be needed next year.
As the number of students with autism increased in Scranton, the school district hired more teachers, opened new classrooms and increased services. This fall, the district plans to open a center for kindergarten to second grade to help with the unprecedented — and rising — number of students diagnosed with autism.
“These are our kids, and we need to meet their needs,” Superintendent Erin Keating said inside the former Friendship House building in the city’s East Mountain neighborhood.
Work on the project begins during National Autism Acceptance Month, as other schools, agencies and employers respond to the increase in autism diagnoses.
About 1 in 31 8-year-olds nationwide has been identified with autism spectrum disorder, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the past 20 years, autism diagnoses have increased by about 300%, according to Johns Hopkins University. Experts credit expanded diagnostic criteria, greater screening and more awareness with the rise.
Keystone Edition Autism Awareness & Acceptance will air at 7 p.m. Monday on WVIA TV and on YouTube.
The statistics of autism
Autism spectrum disorder is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as, “a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn and behave.” There’s a large range of symptoms that can include differences in social and communication behaviors, intellectual disabilities and other physical and mental health conditions.
Autism can be reliably diagnosed by age 2 for most children, according to Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children be screened for autism between the ages 18 and 24 months with regular developmental surveillance.
As of 2022, 1 in 31 children had been identified with autism spectrum disorder by age 8. In 2000, that number was 1 in 150, according to CDC statistics.
The Pennsylvania Autism Surveillance Project found 1 in 21 or about 4.7% of 8-year-olds were identified with autism in 2022. And Black children were more likely than white children to have autism.
Both nationally and at the state level, boys are more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism.
Finding space in Scranton
About 1 in 4 students in the Scranton School District receive special education services, an increase from 1 in 5 a decade ago. Statewide, more than 52,000 students in public schools have autism.
Of the Scranton students in special education, 16% — or about 380 — have an autism diagnosis, according to 2024 state data, the latest available. In 2014, 8% of special education students in Scranton had autism.
Federal law requires school districts to provide services to students, including speech and physical therapy or behavioral support. The amount of services provided to students varies greatly depending on need, from occasional support in a traditional classroom setting to full-time placement in an autistic support classroom.
“Special education has a continuum of services. Some kids don't need a lot. Some kids need a lot more,” Keating said.
The district has a total of 47 autistic support classrooms in schools across the city. Those will remain open, with the classrooms at the new center providing more options for placement for kindergarten through second grade. Parents, teachers and other school personnel determine the best placement for students.
If students transition back to a traditional classroom, the district must prepare them to be successful, Keating said.
Projections had estimated Scranton enrollment would be under 9,000 by now. The district now has about 9,400 students. While the school board had considered consolidating schools several years ago, the need for additional autistic support classrooms caused the district to find space elsewhere.
Based on early intervention enrollment numbers in the region — or services provided to children ages 5 and younger — the district will continue to see an increase in students with autism. The district purchased the former Friendship House building in February for $2.5 million and expects to spend about $6 million to renovate it. The school board voted last week to name the building the Jim Connors Learning Center at Monticello East — after the late mayor who advocated for early childhood education.
“Our special education population is growing, and those are smaller class sizes,” school board President Tom Borthwick said. “Those are students that have particular needs that require more space, and so this was our best option for addressing those needs.”
Keating and school board President Tom Borthwick walked next to cubicles that will be demolished and replaced with eight classrooms by the time school starts for the fall. The building has room for a total of 18 classrooms and will also include a multipurpose room.
“I have to have spaces for kids. We are in a true emergent situation,” Keating said. “I have these children coming toward me, and I know in my current buildings, I don't have the space to meet their needs. This is going to be a challenging project, but one that's necessary, because these are my students, and I need to make sure we get them what they need.”
A family-focused approach to autism
Advancements in research have made it easier to diagnose autism and diagnose it early. That’s according to Ruby Moye Salazar of Clarks Summit, a clinical social worker with psychoanalytic training certification in the treatment of children.
She said children, neurodivergent or not, have a higher success rate when they feel supported by their families.
“Children cannot grow up in worlds where they don't feel lovable,” Salazar said.
When she works with families, she emphasizes the importance of promoting their child’s autonomy.
“When I start working with a child at 12 months, two years… I'm really supporting the parents to help them help this child self-regulate, because I do not want children requiring adults to manage them. The earlier children can start self-regulating, the better off they are,” Salazar said.
Salazar has worked in the autism space for decades. She’s seen lots of changes in research, acceptance and treatment. Her goal remains the same as it’s always been — supporting families to give their child the best quality of life.
“I think that autism is a dirty word. If they get the diagnosis, they're scared to death,” she said. “They don't understand or really know what it means, and they think it's sort of a sentence, you know, for life. And you know, that's the joy of my work, is that I get to help them understand, not so you know, from yesterday to today, from no diagnosis to diagnosis, guess what? It's the same child, right?”
Ways the community supports those with autism
PA Inclusive employs people with disabilities at its Pittston coffee shop, Coffee Inclusive.
“Coffee Inclusive is a nonprofit coffee shop and bakery that aims to create more inclusive work opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism and Down syndrome. It was founded just over three years ago by PA Inclusive, which is a nonprofit service provider for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And the focus of this mission is that we really want to see that when people who identify with intellectual developmental disabilities enter the workforce, that there are more opportunities for them to enter the workforce and to thrive in the workforce,” said Anthony Melf, director of operations at Coffee Inclusive.
Frank Bartoli, PA Inclusive’s CEO, started Coffee Inclusive, inspired by his daughter, who has Down syndrome.
“Having a child with intellectual disabilities and running an agency that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism places me in a unique role of personal experience, access to a professional network and an opportunity to use the PA Inclusive platform to advocate and speak up for those who in the past have been marginalized and thought to now have a voice. Giving people with autism the opportunity to be a part of PA Inclusive also gives them a platform from where to speak for themselves,” Bartoli said.
There are just over 20 employees. DJ Jones started at the coffee shop right after it first opened in 2023. The 34-year-old encourages others with disabilities to come work with him.
“It's just a very, very nice community, and we help people that have disabilities. So if anybody has an issue or a problem doing something, we always help them out the best we can. And they can learn a lot of new things here when they work here,” Jones said.
His coworker, Christina Wesley, also started at Coffee Inclusive when it opened three years ago. She loves the job’s social aspect and looks forward to interacting with customers each shift.
“I love all the people. I love meeting new people,” Wesley said.
Her favorite menu items to make are smoothies and muffins.
Melf wants other local businesses to take inspiration from Coffee Inclusive’s model.
“It's really important that places like Coffee Inclusive exist in Pittston and in local communities, because businesses that prioritize inclusion challenge unfounded preconceived notions about what people can and cannot do. And people of all abilities, including intellectual developmental disabilities, such as autism or Down Syndrome, have so much to offer, and just like any person have a desire to contribute meaningfully to their community, specifically when we talk about work, people find value and meaning in their work. They also earn income, and they are able to sustain their lives, which promotes independence,” he said.
Roseann Polishan, lead advocate at The Arc of NEPA, wants to see more programs that support individuals and their opportunities for success.
“I would love to see an increase in support and services for those with autism. Too many students are still falling off a cliff and graduating to the couch once school is over. Many are falling through the cracks as not qualifying for traditional services or lack of provider availability because of their high needs and the shortage of trained and caring staff. We need robust programs that offer choices. Funding cannot be cut. It must be prioritized and expanded for both research and for services to care for the population of those with autism and other developmental disabilities,” Polishan said.
The Autism Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania connects people with resources in the community, doing the heavy lifting for families.
“We have what's called a virtual hub. It's really just a place where people can either call or email to contact us to ask any questions that they might have,” said Kristin Hoffman, director of hub services for the society.
The society has support groups for families, parents, adults, teens and one offered in Spanish.
People who self-identify as autistic sit on the organization’s board, according to the board president, Ann Gillerlane.
“Traditionally, social service agencies have a top-down approach,” she said. “There's a problem identified and then a solution created, and it's created by professionals with extremely good intentions and a lot of knowledge and a lot of expertise. But many times, the voices of the people you're serving are not included in that in a direct way.
In Dallas Twp., a collaboration between Misericordia’s Cougars for Autism Awareness Club and Dallas Twp. police department distributes blue envelopes to drivers with autism. The program, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health, alerts law enforcement that a driver has autism, making encounters safer and more comfortable for the driver with autism. Lehigh Valley Health Network announced this month that the program launched in all Luzerne County police departments.
Celebrating Autism Acceptance Month this April
According to The Arc, an organization that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, Autism Acceptance Month started in 1970 as Autism Awareness Month. The shift to acceptance happened in 2021. It became nationally recognized in 1988 through a presidential proclamation from President Ronald Reagan.
“What the community and the world need is exposure. In the past, people with autism were sort of hidden. And now we see them. There are TV shows, like ‘Love on the ‘Spectrum.’ People are watching. People are gaining that understanding. This month used to be called Autism Awareness Month, and now it's been moved to Autism Acceptance Month, which I think in itself is a really powerful mind shift,” Hoffman said.
Gillerlane said, The Autism Society of NEPA focuses on making the world a more inclusive place.
“Being inclusive helps everybody. It's not just helping the person who has the disability or neurodiversity or whatever it is that you're working on, whatever person or group that you're targeting. All of those strategies, all of those practices, support all people at all times, and that's what makes us a rich community to live in,” Gillerlane said.
Polishan knows the value of community support and resources, and she wants to see more of both.
“With the right supports and accommodations, those with autism can flourish,” she said. “I have seen this with my own son, who is 22 with autism. With understanding and willing community partnerships, individuals can access their community, have their needs met and contribute. Individuals with autism can be impacted in different ways and to different degrees. There needs to be a continuum of services, individualized support and increased funding. I would like to continue to highlight programs, businesses, organizations, self-advocates and champions of disability success.”
