Anyone else experience this? School problem...

May 4, 2006

We are new to the area, and our daughter attended a regular K with an

aide and pullout services for language and math in our previous

district. Our new district told me she can't get full day services

even though she had it before because the district doesn't offer full

day classes for other Kinders. So they gave us a choice of their

autism classroom, a cd room, and a mh room. i visited each for about

1.5 hours..it was all rush, rudh, and thought that the cd room would

be a decent fit because academically (these were 7-10 yos), she was

on their level. however, there was no preparation for her first day,

so it was a disaster. She went to this class for a week, but really

resisted a lot, I think in part because her new aide has no autism

training whatsoever and the room is set up so differently than her k

class. Anyhow, the special ed director is really pushing this autism

classroom on us now, but I don't think it is the LRE at all. I am

unwilling to send her to the autism class with kids here age...when

I observed there, I was not impressed at all. So the older unit,

which only has four kids in it, is where she is at, pending an IEP

being developed.

Aside from the fact that it is going to be difficult to find a

perfect place for my dd because she had intensive ABA for three

years, the main problem I have with this arrangement is that there is

not going to be anything in way of social interaction in this room

amongst the kids. my daughter has already been kicked. (don't get

me wrong...my daughter has her moments, too, but she is very small

compared to other kids her age..and these kids are all at least 2

years older than her)

How do you get anywhere with social skills in this setting? how do

you justify rounding up all these kids with autism and lumping them

together into one program regardless of their level of functioning/

individual needs?

Anyhow, at this point, we are hanging in there to get an IEP, but we

are looking into the scholarship program. For those of you doing

that already, do you think social skills are adequately addressed?

Just starting to explore as much as I can...appreciate any input.

Feel free to email me off list.hearenger@... would

especially like to get in touch with others in Lake county.

Thanks,

Recommended Posts