As autism identifications climb across Denver, the school district has opened 14 new multi‑intensive autism classrooms this school year and plans to add nine more. The fast buildout is meant to keep students who need intensive supports learning in their neighborhood schools instead of on long bus rides across the city. District officials say the number of students identified with autism has risen sharply over the past several years, putting extra strain on existing special‑education programs. Green Valley Elementary in northeast Denver is among the schools now hosting a Multi‑Intensive Autism, or MIA, classroom so children can receive services closer to home.
District rolls out dozens of MIA rooms
As reported by CBS Colorado, Denver Public Schools launched 14 MIA classrooms this year and has plans for nine more. "There has been an 84% increase in students with ASD or autism spectrum disorder in DPS in the last five years," Kim Tarte, who works with the district's special‑education and support center classrooms, told the outlet. Green Valley Principal Jennifer Buckland said the new room delivers "intensive targeted supports around instruction, around communication, social skills, as well as some supports and strategies for sensory."
What an MIA classroom does
Multi‑Intensive Autism centers are center‑based programs for students with significant autism or autism‑like behaviors. They offer structured, functional instruction and therapies tailored to communication, social skills, and daily living. According to the special‑education page from Denver Public Schools, the centers sit on a continuum of placements designed to serve students in the least restrictive setting appropriate to their needs.
Rising demand, local and national
School leaders and advocates point to broader trends, including earlier screening, greater awareness, and growing identification, that have increased demand for specialized seats. National surveillance data show autism identification has risen in recent years, a pattern education officials say is adding pressure on local special‑education services. CDC reports document rising prevalence and earlier identification in many communities.
How the classrooms are staffed and sized
District and school staff say MIA rooms are kept intentionally small so adults can provide frequent, individualized support. As CBS Colorado reported, Buckland said the classroom "will never take more than 10 to 12 students" and typically includes a lead teacher plus additional paraprofessionals and allied services such as speech and occupational therapy. Teachers and parents interviewed for recent coverage said the higher adult‑to‑student ratio and sensory strategies have helped students settle into routines and participate more with peers.
What families should know about placement
Placement in a district MIA program is determined through a child's Individualized Education Program (IEP) team and the district placement process rather than by individual schools. Edison Elementary's program page notes that decisions about enrollment and site placement are made by the IEP team and the district's central office, which oversees where center programs are housed. Families seeking more information are encouraged to raise the topic at their child's IEP meeting or contact their school's special‑education team.
District officials say the expansion is meant to cut down on lengthy commutes to distant centers and to keep supports closer to students' homes as identification and program needs grow. Schools such as Green Valley are already reporting early gains as students access more intensive services on campus.
