What would we DO?

You're too bound up in your personal worldview to that it's not the only one.

You're acting like I'm a lone wolf on this topic, which means you haven't been listening to actual autistics. Including right here on this thread, because I'm not the only one.

I learned this viewpoint FROM autistic people other than myself.

My parents did a different wrong thing - they "mainstreamed" me with zero supports and didn't even tell me about my own (bad) diagnosis. I've been trying to catch up my whole life.

My advice comes from both personal experience, a degree in psychology, and the weight of literally every single autistic adult i know, which is many.

Please please please start listening to actual autistic adults (and kids, for that matter).

The overwhelming majority of the community condemns most special education programs, and especially and ABA as fundamentally abusive, and mostly pointless. Most autistic adults, including myself, have spent years undoing what they were "taught" in social ed programs in order to become both more healthy and more able.

I think that is likely going to be part of most families' solutions fit healthy autistic kids.

Even if you do find a good school program for them among the alternative schools in the area (which keep changing, so i don't have any specific recommendations this time), you and your kids will need to take charge of their education much more directly, and homecoming resources can really help.

Scouting, college programs from young people (MIT's SPLASH used to be a core for many kids, not sure about now), martial arts programs, museum programs, maker programs can all be used to collect a custom education for the specific needs of your kids without involving the traditional school system and its problems.

I can guarantee that you're the kind of special education teacher that made my life and many of my autistic friends' lives horrible.

I'm trying not to get mad at you, but it's not going well.

I understand that you are a product of the system and are having trouble seeing past the paradigm you're used to. But you need to read my previous comment again, and take some time to think about it.

Username checks out...

There is no replacement because it's an unnecessary goal altogether, aside from the trauma that ABA practices can cause in the process of achieving that goal.

While it's true that autistic people often need help understanding allistic behaviors, practicing social skills overall, and other kinds of coping skills to survive in a world that doesn't understand them/us... The biggest problem is actually in society.

OTHER PEOPLE need to learn how to function with autistic differences, rather than trying to force autistic people to behave like allistic people merely for their comfort.

Worse.

It has gotten worse.

Hahaha no.

Please do not enroll your kids in Worcester public schools if they have asd, they are unlikely to be well served.

Also please do not use anything "ABA" related, it's seriously outdated and generally condemned by the autism community.

Steer clear of any with a puzzle piece logo or public association with "Autism Speaks" as they are literally a hate group focused on elimination of autistic people and provide almost no actual support to real autists.

You SHOULD get connected with the Autism Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN), and look into homeschooling resources for autistic learners and educate yourself on asynchronous development.

The modern age has become a much better place for autistic people, because various forms of technology have provided ways for people to connect and interact that were totally impossible before. Get connected with the Autism community itself - you'll find the best people and support there, not in "the system".

Socialism.

Not even kidding.

We need to build funding sources and then invest them into the cultural scene and in housing projects that don't suck, and community gardens, and urban vertical farming, and SCHOOLS.

And it's still good food. I don't need gourmet!

In this economy, cheap is all I can afford.

I didn't know the super Chinese buffet on Mill St closed...

Best cheap chinese: Dragon Dynasty on Highland St.

Best cheap sandwiches & pizza: Boomers across the street.

Best fish or egg rolls (that can be an entire meal): The Egg Roll Lady & Fish Shack on Goldstar near QCC

https://www.imperialbuffetus.com/ is my go-to for such things.

The lowest bidder's lowest paid worker using the cheapest machines with the least maintenance done on them.

TLDRing here, but, is this suggesting that "rural MA" be given extra power beyond their existing, equitable share in the electoral and lobby processes?

That sounds like bullshit to me.

I've heard it, once, mispronounced as "Blur-schter". That one took some time to figure out what the f this old guy was even asking me...

So, nothing.

So, um, how does that help all the minorities they didn't hire?

I'm willing to bet that it's basically the same as the household income map...