By CARLOS VALERIO
Special to the NEWS
The San Benito CISD School Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 for the board’s regularly scheduled meeting.
After the recognition of students, staff and parents, a presentation on autism was delivered by the District’s Director of Special Services, Larissa Rivas-Leal, District Occupational Therapist, Bettina Cisneros and Stephanie Aguilar, Autism Specialist, in acknowledgment of Autism Awareness Month.
The presentation provided an emphasis on care for the students with developmental disabilities within the San Benito school district. The presenters provided a vision which included sensory rooms for the 363 students within the district identified as students with autism and developmental disabilities.
The sensory rooms would greatly benefit the students who suffer from sensory processing difficulties, according to Cisneros. The students who have had the opportunity to use these sensory rooms have benefitted from increased focus, attention and self-regulation.
Overall the sensory rooms have been an incredible success for students with autism and developmental disorders, according to the presentors.
Board president Orlando Lopez then asked how exactly sensory rooms for students would be financed. The cost for these sensory rooms is about $3,000, according to Larissa, a fraction of the usual $15,000-$20,000 a sensory room could cost.
As reported on the front page of last week’s San Benito News, La Paloma Elementary staff, including campus Principal, Dr. Lucas Gomez, SBCISD Acting Superintendent of Schools, Alfredo “Fred” Perez (with scissors) and SBCISD Board Trustee Frutoso Gomez, took part in a ribbon cutting inaugurating the opening of a sensory room for special needs students attending that campus.
According to district administrators, La Paloma was the third school in the district to receive a sensory room, following Ed Downs Fine Arts Academy and Dr. Garza STEAM Academy.
Several years ago, the Special Education Department noticed a rise in students diagnosed with being on the autism spectrum within the district, according to Dr. Lucas Gomez, Principal of La Paloma Elementary. The term “spectrum” refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity of the condition. Each child with autism is likely to have a unique pattern of behavior and level of severity — from low functioning to high functioning, according to the Mayo Clinic.
This was the impetus to find meaningful ways for students to minimize sensory input if they are at a point of being overloaded. Special Education staff realized that it would be beneficial to look into developing a soothing place at each campus for students called a sensory room.
Sensory rooms offer a safe and controlled environment for students with sensory processing difficulties to regulate their sensory input, aiding them to focus and to begin calming themselves, which leads them to optimizing their individual capabilities for learning and becoming more self-directed, according to Dr. Gomez.
The rooms promote the inclusivity of special needs students by providing a resource for them to fully participate in school activities. Addressing students’ unique sensory challenges can improve academic performance and overall well-being, according to experts.
Next on the agenda was an update on the 23-24 and 24-25 revenues presented by the District’s Chief Finance Officer, Monica Mata. For 2023-2024, there is an expected 199.687 ADA loss.
For the 24-25 revenues, a loss of 139 ADA is also expected. It was noted that the reduction of the “M & O” tax (sic) would lead to a reduction of funds totaling over $400,000 for the 23-24 and 24-25 revenues, which board president Lopez, lamented as programs such as the proposed sensory rooms for autistic students could use the extra funds.
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