To establish a 5-year demonstration program to provide skills to classroom teachers and staff who work with children with autism spectrum disorders.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Autism Understanding and Training in 
School Methodologies for Educators Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Autism is a group of complex developmental brain 
        disorders collectively referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders 
        (ASDs) that can cause a wide range of symptoms, skills, and 
        levels of impairment including social, communication and 
        behavior changes.
            (2) Autism spectrum disorders are also referred to as 
        pervasive developmental disorders and include subcategories of 
        classic autism with ranges from high functioning autism (HFA) 
        to low functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive 
        developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), as 
        well as more severe cases of Rhett Syndrome and Child 
        Disintegrative Disorder.
            (3) Autism affects an estimated 1 in 88 children by age 8 
        and 1 in 54 boys.
            (4) An estimated 1,500,000 individuals in the United States 
        are affected by autism.
            (5) More children will be diagnosed with autism this year 
        than with AIDS, diabetes, and cancer combined.
            (6) Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental 
        disability in the United States.
            (7) Autism costs the Nation over $35,000,000,000 per year, 
        a figure expected to significantly increase in the next decade.
            (8) Boys are five times more likely than girls to have 
        autism.
            (9) There is currently no medical cure for autism, but 
        there are evidence-based educational methods proven to be 
        effective in improving outcomes for students with autism and 
        research demonstrating the benefits of routine and consistency.
            (10) The least restrictive environment for educating 
        students with autism spectrum disorder, including, but not 
        limited to, students with high functioning autism, Asperger 
        syndrome, and PDD-NOS, often is best achieved by enrollment in 
        a general education classroom with proper support.
            (11) General education classroom teachers and staff often 
        are not adequately trained to work effectively with students 
        with autism spectrum disorders, who have a wide diversity of 
        characteristics, although such skills may be attained through 
        qualified training programs and may be relatively easy to 
        implement in school settings.
            (12) Training general education classroom teachers and 
        staff to implement evidence-based practices for educating 
        students with autism spectrum disorders with accuracy and 
        fidelity will help provide for best possible outcomes not only 
        for students with autism, but also for other students in the 
        classroom.
            (13) Children with autism in highly transient families, 
        such as the military (where the rate of children on the 
        spectrum is even higher) and foreign service families, often 
        face additional challenges in the public education system 
        because of frequent changes in the family's geographic duty 
        station or a parent's deployment, which can interrupt the 
        provision of appropriate interventions and continuity of 
        effective educational methods.
            (14) In school districts that have a large population of 
        transient families or that border military bases it is 
        especially important to have staff who are highly trained to 
        provide effective services and build a proven track record of 
        academic achievement in serving students with autism.

SEC. 3. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Authorization of Grant Program.--The Secretary is authorized to 
carry out a demonstration grant program to award grants to eligible 
entities to enable such entities to accomplish the purposes described 
in subsection (b).
    (b) Purposes.--A grant provided under this section shall be used 
for the following purposes within schools providing education to 
children in grades pre-kindergarten through 12:
            (1) Providing evidence-based, in-service training to 
        teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff on effective ways 
        to teach, communicate, recognize, support, and interact with 
        children with autism spectrum disorder in the classroom and 
        related school settings. Training on providing effective 
        support includes but is not limited to academic support, 
        behavioral support, communication support, social emotional 
        support, and facilitating positive peer interactions and social 
        skills.
            (2) Providing technical assistance consisting of 
        consultation on the type of training needed, hands-on 
        opportunities to practice and perform newly acquired skills and 
        methodologies with fidelity, and post-training support to 
        ensure accuracy of implementation in the classroom.
            (3) Executing strategies for recruiting and retaining 
        skilled personnel participating in the education of children 
        with autism spectrum disorders.
            (4) Implementing a program of parental support and 
        involvement in the education of students with autism spectrum 
        disorders.
    (c) Duration of Grants.--A grant provided under this section shall 
be--
            (1) for a period of not more than 5 years, of which not 
        more than the first 2 years shall be used for planning; and
            (2) subject to annual approval by the Secretary and subject 
        to the availability of appropriations for the fiscal year 
        involved.
    (d) Limitation on Administrative Costs.--An eligible entity may use 
not more than 20 percent of the funds received under this section for 
the administrative costs of carrying out its responsibilities under 
this section.
    (e) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require.
    (f) Report.--The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of the 
demonstration program authorized by this section and, not later than 1 
year after the date of the completion of the demonstration program, 
shall prepare and submit to the President and the Congress a report on 
such evaluation, together with recommendations for dissemination and 
replication of the results of the program.
    (g) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) The term ``autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)'' refers to 
        complex disorders of brain development that can affect 
        individuals with varying degrees from mild to severe, and is 
        characterized by a combination of restricted repetitive and 
        stereotyped behaviors, interests and activities; qualitative 
        impairments in social interactions; and qualitative impairments 
        in verbal and nonverbal communication.
            (2) The term ``eligible entity'' means an eligible local 
        educational agency, or a consortia of such agencies, in 
        partnership with--
                    (A) one or more institutions of higher education; 
                or
                    (B) one or more nonprofit educational entities with 
                documented expertise in working with children with 
                autism.
            (3) The term ``eligible local educational agency'' means a 
        local educational agency that has no less than 10 percent of 
        its special education population identified with autism 
        spectrum disorders, including, but not limited to, high 
        functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, and PDD-NOS, and have 
        documented a growth pattern in the number of these students.
            (4) The term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 102 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002).
            (5) The term ``local educational agency'' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (6) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Education.

Summary: Autism Understanding and Training in School Methodologies for Educators Act of 2012 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to carry out a demonstration program to award five-year grants to eligible local education agencies for the following purposes in schools for children in grades pre-kindergarten through 12: (1) providing training to teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff on effective ways to teach, communicate, recognize, support, and interact with children with autism spectrum disorders in the classroom. (2) providing technical assistance consisting of consultation on the type of training needed, hands-on opportunities to practice and perform newly acquired skills and methodologies, and post-training support to ensure accuracy of implementation in the classroom. (3) executing strategies for recruiting and retaining skilled personnel participating in the education of children with such disorders. And (4) implementing a program of parental support and involvement in the education of students with such disorders.