My son is autistic. Pennsylvania’s historic increase in education funding gives me hope

“I couldn’t help but think of Ayden and his educational journey when Pennsylvania’s state budget was released earlier this month.”

At the age of 4, my youngest child and only son was medically diagnosed as nonverbal autistic. 

I knew before that though. When he still wasn’t talking at the age of 2, I knew. He would get frustrated easily and head butt, scratch, or bite. He would rock back and forth, do things repeatedly, and had serious meltdowns when he didn’t want to do something—and would even sometimes try to run off.

I reached out for help, and had him evaluated by Berks County to qualify for services. He was determined to have autism spectrum disorder. I was vaguely familiar with what autism was.

Autism spectrum disorder impacts the nervous system. The range and severity of symptoms can vary widely. Common symptoms include difficulty with communication, difficulty with social interactions, obsessive interests, and repetitive behaviors. Ayden had all those symptoms.

I was in unfamiliar territory. I was worried and scared for my son’s future. What I learned very quickly, though, was that I had to be my son’s advocate. That’s how, when he turned 3, he started going to Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU) three times a week for two-and-a-half hours each day.

I have Ayden’s name on the waitlist at so many different organizations that provide support therapy for children with autism. All of those waitlists are at least a year long.

Special education in Pennsylvania

I couldn’t help but think of Ayden and his educational journey when Pennsylvania’s state budget was released earlier this month.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget includes a historic $1.1 billion increase in education funding, including a $100 million increase for special education. It also increased funding for early childhood education by $17.7 million.

That money will help the more than 324,000 (19.3%) of Pennsylvania public school students who are part of special education programs and services, according to the 2024 State of Education report from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

Those funds will help Ayden, who is 5 years old now and will be starting kindergarten at the end of August. He’ll be in something unheard of when I was growing up—an autism support classroom in our local public school district. 

For students with disabilities in Pennsylvania, the four-year high school graduation rate is 73%. Of those grads, 31% enroll in higher education, and 76% enroll in postsecondary education or training, or are competitively employed. Nationally, the graduation rate for students with disabilities is 71%

Ayden’s special education path 

The difference between Ayden at age 3 and now fills my heart with hope and my eyes with tears. He has come such a long way. He repeats words. Knows his alphabet. Knows his numbers. Identifies different objects. And he’s even said “mama.” It was one of the best moments of my life.

Ayden’s progress has everything to do with the services he received at BCIU. The staff got to know Ayden and found a pathway to learning that helped him thrive. I can only imagine how much further along he would be if he wasn’t stuck on a waitlist for even more help and education.

Since the beginning of this journey, my greatest hope has been that one day I’d hear my son say, “I love you mommy.” While special education funding may just be dollars and cents to some people, for me, it’s one step closer to hearing those words.