Parents Seek More Support for Neurodiverse Students

Report on the Joint Meeting of the Amherst, Pelham, Leverett, Shutesbury, and Regional School Committees, November 10, 2025

This meeting was held in the library of Amherst Regional High School and was simulcast on Amherst Media Channel 15. It was recorded.

Five parents representing the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) came before a joint meeting of the four school committees in the Amherst Pelham Regional School District to plead for support for neurodiverse students in the district. Their presentation highlighted the role of trained paraprofessionals and pointed out the advantages of adequate paraprofessional support for both students and the district as a whole. The parents were Angelica Bernal, Ellen Jedry Guidera, Sharon Root, Maya Edin, and Jennifer Curiali.

The presentation noted that every school district is mandated by state law to establish a SEPAC to advise the school committee on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities and to meet regularly with school officials to participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of special education programs. In the Amherst Regional Public Schools (ARPS), 923 of the 2,790 students are enrolled in special education—68% of the preschool program, 24% of the Amherst elementary school students, 31% of the middle school, and 25% of the high school.

Many of these students are required by their Individual Education Plan (IEP) to have paraprofessional support and depend on paraprofessionals for access to learning and emotional regulation. The parents maintained that “properly trained paras bring a specific skill set that complements general education and special education teachers.” While they are the lowest-paid positions, they save the schools money by providing the support students need in the district so they do not need to seek education in specialized schools paid for by the district, as these educational services are mandated by law. The parents maintained that paras foster independence, so that some students may no longer need this support as they progress. Yet funding for paraprofessionals has not increased in the past five years, despite the increase in student need.

The parents advocated for neurodiversity and neuro-affirming training for all ARPS staff. They also stressed the need for improved communication between families and the schools, especially before the start of the school year, and stressed that staff directories be kept up to date, so that families know who to contact with questions and concerns.

One of the greatest concerns of the SEPAC parents was for opportunities for special education students to be included in a wide range of activities to the maximum extent possible. This includes field trips, the lunch room, playgrounds, and special curricula such as the Caminantes dual-language program. They touted the success of the co-teaching model, where special education and general education teachers teach together, but noted that budget cuts have lessened the district’s ability to provide it.

Most of all, the parents stressed that improving the education for special education students enriches the educational experience for all students. The presentation ended with a quote: “If you make education more accessible for disabled and neurodivergent students, it also makes it more accessible to all students.”

Feedback from the School Committee Members
School Committee members thanked SEPAC parents for their presentation and for calling attention to the issues they raised. Sarah Marshall (Amherst) said, in reviewing the district’s policies, she could find no mention of neurodiversity, and that should be changed. William Sherr (Pelham) noted that East Longmeadow does have a policy on neurodiversity that ARPS should look at, but he thinks few other districts do.

The School Committee members were unfamiliar with a report from several years ago, metnoned by the parents, that suggested the district had too many one-on-one situations, in which a para was assigned to only one student. SEPAC stated that this study had been “debunked.” However, Superintendent Dr. E. Xiomara Herman (Dr. Xi) said, “We oblige services in a district based on student needs. Whenever a student identified the need or the need came up, we actually made some serious adjustments to ensure students have what they need. That included hiring, I believe, up to two paraeducators in the early part of our budgeting season.” She added, “I will not allow the narrative that the district does not value paraeducators. We do, and we want to make sure that we provide our students with what they need.”

Despite Dr. Xi’s reassurance, Pelham School Committee member Rachel Figurasmith said that Pelham lost three paras last year, and she thought that every school lost some para positions. She said, “There is a real direct impact when administrators are hearing that budgets are tight. That shows up in IEP meetings and affects decision-making. Parents are navigating already hellish schemes. No parent wants their kid to need a one-to-one [para], but if a team determines that they need it, then that is pushed up against.”

Bridget Hynes (Amherst) stated that neurodiversity should be considered when the district makes structural changes, such as policies around restraint and seclusion. 

The SEPAC parents then shared some heartwarming success stories of their children’s experiences with special education staff.

Draft of Strategic Plan Discussed
When Dr. Xi started as Superintendent in July 2024, she noted that the district did not have an up-to-date strategic plan. She engaged Dr. Allison Layland of the  Academic Development Institute (ADI) to bring the Portrait of a Graduate program to the district. The program works with teachers, parents, and students to determine what skills, personal competencies, learning, and habits students need at each transition point in their education in order to succeed when they graduate. After several workshops involving staff, administration, students, and families, the group produced a 40-page draft report for years 2026-2028..

The report lists the primary aims for K–12 education at ARPS—that every graduate should be an adaptable problem solver, a critical thinker, an innovative creator, a responsive citizen, a self-determined individual, and a skilled communicator. It gives implementation strategies and milestones to be met for each goal in each of the next three years.

Dr. Xi plans to use the strategic plan in the budgeting process to analyze the budget in light of these goals. Over the next month, there will be a staff survey and Dr. Xi will incorporate that feedback and input from the School Committee so that the plan can be voted on and accepted in December.

Dr. Xi pointed out budgeting challenges, especially the rising cost of health insurance and the loss of revenue to charter schools. She plans to invest in data collection and accountability to guide budgeting and plans to expand the pre-kindergarten program and special education. She would also like to fund more professional development opportunities with grants to encourage educator retention and to increase tools promoting equity.

Anna Heard (Shutesbury) stressed the need for building maintenance to avoid expensive emergency repairs in the future. Sherr suggested having a school store where parents and children could purchase school-themed gear as a means of raising funds. Several school committee members advocated for a more coordinated fundraising effort and interviewing families who leave the district about their reasons for leaving.

Superintendent Evaluation Goals for Year Approved
The ARPS school committees unanimously approved a rubric for evaluating the superintendent for the current school year. They then went into executive session for the remainder of the meeting.