Bill > HCR178

This Concurrent Resolution urges the Department of Education to establish sensory rooms in all public schools for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a group of developmental disorders affecting communication and behavior that typically appear in early childhood. The resolution highlights that without proper support, children with ASD can face significant challenges in school and life, and notes that in December 2019, there were 2,088 students in Hawaii eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for ASD. A sensory room is defined as a therapeutic space equipped to provide personalized sensory input, helping students with special needs to calm down, focus, and improve their self-regulation and learning abilities, ultimately leading to greater classroom success. The resolution also outlines a specific order for implementing these rooms, prioritizing non-Oahu elementary schools without special education classes first, followed by other elementary schools, then middle and intermediate schools, and finally high schools, with a similar prioritization for non-Oahu schools without special education classes.