May 6, 2000

Families desperate for most sophisticated special education for their disabled children are moving from other states, even other nations, to New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, where public school systems offer most sophisticated private programs for treating autism; in New Jersey, where total school enrollment grew by 11.8 percent from 1991 to 1997, number of disabled students increased by 14 percent and number of autistic children registered increased sevenfold; treatment most in demand for autism is method known as applied behavioral analysis; advocates say this treatment, unlike others, offers children possiblity of eventually being able to attend regular classes; treatment is very expensive, with one-on-one coaching by trained teachers; many school districts in states like New Jersey with programs that are magnets for families with afflicted children say public schools are bearing too much of cost with too little control over which children get what care; photos; charts (L)

Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani and his aides indicate concerns about dealing with his prostate cancer have made Senate race and news about his relationship with Judith Nathan less important for now; aides say he has been unusually warm, solicitous and even affectionate (M)

Justice Dept and FBI begin criminal investigation to determine whether John M Deutch, former director of CIA, mishandled classified material by placing it on unsecured computers in his home; new course of action follows internal review of case ordered by Atty Gen Janet Reno in February in response to criticism of CIA's handling of case and of her initial decision not to prosecute Deutch; new inquiry will focus on whether Deutch should face criminal charges for having retained highly classified information; special White House intelligence panel presents Pres Clinton with toughly worded report critical of current and former CIA officials, some of whom had worked with Deutch, for failing to follow through adequately on evidence against him; Deutch has apologized for security lapses (M)

Comment on tactics employed by jockeys to try to win Kentucky Derby; photos (M)

Massive and expensive government program that protects young salmon from Snake River dams seen by critics as outlandish accommodation to man's demands for electricity; thousands of fish a day are diverted to channel leading to pipe that runs into troughs downstream of dam; at troughs, busy assembly line of seasonal workers briefly anesthetizes salmon and injects computer chip into their bellies for tracking purposes; fish are barged for 36-hour, 300-mile trip, bypassing dams on Snake River and Columbia River; now Army Corps of Engineers is considering whether to breach dams to restore healthy salmon runs; such action is bitterly opposed by many as assault on Washington State's agricultural economy; river's coho salmon has been declared extinct, and all other species of Snake River salmon and steelhead are listed under Endangerd Species Act; photos; map (M)