Experts Push Less One-to-One Support for Students
Parents and educators of students with disabilities should weigh how much adult support builds independence versus dependence.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Special Education
At the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs Conference in Frisco, Texas, Patrick Mulick, autism coordinator for the Auburn School District in Washington, urged educators to reduce reliance on one-to-one adult support for students with disabilities. He presented the session on the conference's opening Friday, and the message applies to bus drivers and classroom staff who transport and supervise these students.
Why it matters
One-to-one adult support can create physical or symbolic barriers that interfere with peer interaction and can leave students feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable. Mulick argued that kids grow when adults challenge and support them to do things on their own rather than doing things for them, so the approach shapes how much independence students build.
Mulick has presented five times at the TSD Conference, and he has spent over two decades educating students with disabilities from preschool to high school. His examples also reference Oregon, where the ban on self-service fueling expired three years ago.
The players
Patrick Mulick
Autism coordinator for the Auburn School District in Washington and a five-time speaker at the TSD Conference, with over two decades of experience educating students with disabilities.
Auburn School District
Washington school district that employs Mulick as its autism coordinator.
The details
Mulick outlined a sequence of routine, predictability, reliability, trust, and safety that he said leads to student success. He advised educators to say 'increasing opportunities for independence' rather than 'remove' or 'take out the adult,' and he illustrated the value of visuals with step-by-step pump instructions at Oregon gas stations. He also outlined five steps to help students with disabilities navigate daily routines, and noted that some students express dislike of one-to-one support through inappropriate behavior.
Timeline
Friday: Mulick presented at the TSD Conference opening sessions in Frisco, Texas.
The Home Front
Mulick's approach connects to the wider special education effort to build independence in daily routines, from bus rides to community tasks. His Oregon example shows how a change in public fueling rules can become a teaching tool for step-by-step, self-directed skills.
If you are a parent of a child with a disability, ask your child's school how staff plan to build independence rather than doing tasks for the student. Consider rehearsing a daily routine at home with visual step-by-step cues to support your child's self-directed skills.
The takeaway
Growing independence means having a plan to gradually step back support, much like removing training wheels from a bike. Ask whether your child's support plan includes clear steps toward self-directed routines.
Further reading
For more on building independence in students with disabilities, explore Special Education coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by School Transportation News.
