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Carney signs Alex Eldreth Autism Education Act

September 18, 2018

Gov. John Carney has signed House Bill 292, the Alex Eldreth Autism Education Act, making critical updates to the Delaware Autism Program and funding a three-year pilot project that ultimately seeks to make training and coaching available for all Delaware teachers educating students with autism in their classrooms.

Carney was joined by the bill’s primary sponsors, Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington East, and Rep. Earl Jaques, D-Glasgow, at a signing attended by Eldreth’s former colleagues at Autism Delaware, members of the Delaware Autism Educational Task Force, autism advocates and families, and members of the late Alex Eldreth’s family. Carney, Henry and Jaques all spoke about their personal connections with family members with autism during the signing – a niece for the governor, and grandchildren for both Jaques and Henry.

“We understand in a very personal way the challenges that families and parents face in raising and educating and embracing these children,” said Carney.

“These changes will allow for more kids to receive the supports they need in their home school districts,” said Brian Hall, Autism Delaware executive director. “With 2,109 students who have an educational classification of autism now in Delaware’s schools – as compared to 152 in 1991  – we need this legislation now more than ever. Autism Delaware would like to thank Rep. Earl Jaques and Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, as well as all the bill’s sponsors, for their dedication and perseverance over the several years it took to pass this legislation.” 

“It's a three-year pilot, with the idea that we can show that this program will save money, because when we have experts who can train our teachers, the schools won’t have to go out and hire consultants,” said Henry. “But more than that, it will expand the number of people who are trained to work with our children, and that's extremely important to all of us.”

"Many years ago, a blueprint was made,” Jaques said, referring to the Delaware Autism Task Force report. “This is only a piece of that blueprint. We're just moving it on to the next step. There are many steps yet to come."

The Alex Eldreth Autism Education Act is named to honor Autism Delaware’s former public policy and community outreach director, who passed away unexpectedly the day after Thanksgiving in 2017.

"Alex has always been an advocate for the underrepresented, and this bill is the culmination of his passionate work,” said Martha Eldreth, Alex Eldreth’s sister. “It was important to Alex that teachers get additional support when they have students with ASD in their classrooms. We miss him dearly, and know that he would be very excited and proud to have this bill named after him. We certainly are!"

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