For the first time, 15 school districts and Virginia Commonwealth University will combine efforts to address the growing need for educating students with autism disorders.

In a ceremony today, representatives of central Virginia school divisions in the state Department of Education's Region 1 and VCU will announce plans for a Regional Autism Education Consortium.

"There are moments in our business when it's the right time to step up and do what needs to be done," said Stewart D. Roberson, Hanover County school superintendent.

About 1,000 children in an 11county, four-city area around Richmond are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which hinder social interaction and communication skills.

Current estimates are that about one in 150 children have an autism disorder; for boys, that figure is one in 90, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The education partnership will provide training and professional development for teachers of students with autism disorders and developmental delays. School districts will pool resources and funding and hire a central coordinator to administer the venture.

"This will enable everyone to improve the quality of their programs," said John Kregel, professor and chairman of VCU's department of special education and disability policy in the School of Education.

The educational needs of children with autism require special training beyond the general knowledge of other learning disabilities. VCU currently offers a post-baccalaureate certificate program to educators, and about 20 Region 1 teachers of children with autism are enrolled in master's programs.

The Regional Autism Education Consortium is the area's first large-scale collaboration aimed at special-needs children. School systems have combined forces previously to create Governor's schools, the Math and Science Innovation Center, and programs mainly affecting gifted or advanced children.

The initial funding for the consortium -- less than $200,000 -- comes from the 15 districts and will cover staffing, materials and other related costs. VCU will provide training, in-kind support and a physical location for the coordinator. .

"This may be held up as a model across the nation and could be attractive to other funding sources," Roberson said.

"We see school divisions making a commitment to the goal of educating these students -- not just a commitment to getting out of court," Kregel said.

In recent years, several districts have been sued by parents who claim the schools were not providing appropriate services for their autistic children.

Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), public schools must ensure that all students, including those with special needs such as autism, get appropriate educational programs.

"To effectively meet this charge, school personnel need to be trained in and adopt specific evidence-based practices within a comprehensive curricular framework that leads to positive outcomes for all students with ASD in their school divisions," said Fred Morton IV, Henrico schools superintendent.

Some of the affected children in Region 1 now are served by their local schools; others are sent at the school district's expense to special programs at private schools.

Contact Lisa Crutchfield at (804) 649-6362 or LCrutchfield@timesdispatch.com.

Staff writer Bill McKelway contributed to this report.