Deanne Katz '08 started working with autistic children in high school and hasn't really stopped. This summer the rising senior has an Emerson grant to build a project around special needs services for autistic children in Massachusetts schools. Collaborating with Assistant Professor of Psychology Tara McKee, Katz is spending her summer researching the services provided to autistic children in Massachusetts public schools and how the district parents feel about these services.
"Legally we have all these measures in place," Katz explained, alluding to a regulation by the Office of Special Education Programs in the Department of Education, which requires that schools provide appropriate facilities for teaching children with special needs, including sending them to special schools if the regular public school cannot provide the necessary support. She wonders, however, how effective the programs really are.
From previous work experience, Katz has ties to the May Institute and Educational Consultants of New England, both of whom provide a variety of services for children with autism. Working through the above foundations and the New England Center for Children, Katz asks the parents of autistic children associated with the different centers to fill out an online questionnaire about their experiences with area public schools.
The schools, however, Katz contacted directly. She has conducted numerous interviews with superintendents, special needs program directors, and teachers. "I've been hearing a lot of positive responses from the schools," explained Katz, "but the parents had to do a lot" to get the support services put in place. The parents share stories of frustration with their school system, while the schools share stories of frustration with budget cuts and staffing issues.
This is Katz's first summer of research, although she has previously worked with special needs students on a number of occasions. Although her grant only requires a presentation of her research, Katz hopes to write up a formal report of her findings and distribute it to the parents and the over 50 school districts with whom she has communicated this summer.
Katz is a very busy Hamiltonian. She began her research while finishing a study abroad program in Australia where she studied biology and psychology (Katz is a neuroscience major). She will return in the fall as president of the Emerson Literary Society, co-president of the Friday Think Tank discussion session, co-captain of Hamilton's Mock Trial team, and a computer science teaching assistant.
After she graduates in May, Katz plans to attend law school. Ideally, she said, she would like to work as an advocate for the parents of autistic children; someone who can help parents navigate their options in order to give their child the best possible education.
Katz's research this summer is funded by the Emerson Foundation Grant Program, which provides students with significant opportunities to work collaboratively with faculty mentors, researching an area of mutual interest. Recipients typically undertake some combination of fieldwork, laboratory investigation, library research and the development of teaching materials. A public presentation of their findings is required of all Emerson Scholars during the academic year.
-- by Lisbeth Redfield
