On a different note, kindy choices are looming.

lite-bright · October 2012

Urgh.

I wonder if I'll ever get used to this feeling like there are so many major decisions to be made every.single.year, sometimes multiple times. IEP stuff, therapy stuff, choosing a school/curriculum, a therapy path; agonizing over therapy minutes, constantly second-guessing until the next big choice comes along and then you do it all over again. Siiiiigh.

Anyway. I went on a tour of our home school's kindergarten this morning. Our options, realistically, are either this school, or to choice DD1 into the elementary where she now attends preschool. I haven't done a tour there yet, but I've talked with our SLP about the elem, which she's very familiar with.

As much as I want DD1 to continue in a mainstream class, I'm uneasy about the home school. They can handle the service level DD1 is at -- I'm just concerned that as academic & social expectations grow, I want her to be able to get the level of support and understanding that she needs.

They have 43 kids on IEPs, but only one of those has ASD (Aspergers, so very HF). Whereas the other elem has an ASD lab with the Michele Garcia Winner Social Thinking therapeutic resources/approach. Clearly, this is most likely where most of the high-functioning kids with ASD get sent so there aren't going to be as many in the neighboring schools. (They have a separate school for kids with severe behavioral/cognitive deficits.) And I'm a little anxious that with such a different level of experience with kids with ASD, that the home school may not be as welcoming or accommodating.

The classes fluctuate wildly. This year there are 28 kids per kindy class; last year it was 20. I guess that's going to happen at any school, though. On the plus side, the principal invited us to come and bring Sophie for a half-day visit so that we all can get a real sense of how her day would go. I got the sense that he's a nice guy, but I'm not sure he really gets SN.

I still need to do the tour at her current school and find out more about the ASD lab and how much is pulled out vs. pushed in. I want an environment that's supportive, but I don't want her to end up spending the bulk of her time being pulled out to the lab vs. being in her actual classroom, either.

We don't do enrollment until January, but I can already feel the anxiety creeping in about this next big decision and making sure we make the right choice for her. Eeeeeesh.

lite-bright · October 2012

Thanks, auntie. I was hoping you'd offer some perspective, I always appreciate it!

DD2 is a conundrum. It's almost the opposite problem, because she has no issues and so we're free to do as we like with her preschool choice. Only some district elementaries have preschools; our home school doesn't, but the elem with the ASD lab does, and that's where DD1 goes now. So for the first two years, she and DD1 will be at separate schools unless we opt for the ASD lab and the same preschool. We like the preschool, so that's likely unless we need to go more of a childcare route.

We have a charter elem with a good academic reputation a stone's throw away that is another option. I'm planning a tour, but I highly doubt it would be a good fit for DD1 right now. I'm looking at it more just to see if it's maybe a possibility down the road, and as something to explore for DD2. Sending one to the charter would be one option to give them different social experiences without having to dig deep for tuition.

I don't know if it's going to be best to keep them at the same school or not. I don't think it's going to be clear for awhile. My younger sister struggled a lot in part because my parents sent us both to the same private HS -- I chose it freely, she kind of got swept along. I felt like it saved my sanity, but it wasn't the same for her -- she fit in a lot better socially than I did at the local. Where she went to school was a fairly bitter point of contention at times between her and my parents.

But that was HS, and I think it's less an issue in the lower grades. For awhile, at least.

MirandaHobbes · October 2012

Your post makes me nervous Smile Our kids are just a couple months apart in age and we're about to set up our meeting about kindy placement too. Keep us informed, and I'll do the same. It's helpful for me to see how other parents approach the issue. I am not entirely sure what DS will be offered, but it sounds similar to your dilemma. In my mind I have it narrowed to two schools that have great reputations- both with ASD programs (we've been told informally that DS would be mainstream- but not sure yet)- however one is about 3x the size as the other. Small seems like a good idea- especially for grade school, but the larger school is like the "cool kid" on the block- brand new, nicest neighborhood in the city, more activities. Also it has a couple male kindy teachers which I think would be wonderful for DS! He gravitates towards men all the time and has been getting really sassy with all his female teachers and therapists (and me).

For us the school being offered that has the better ASD program is very unappealing to me because it's about a 30 minute drive from my house in traffic, in a really rough neighborhood, and in general is not a well-performing school. But I'm trying to be open minded.

Good luck!

d.f · October 2012

You are on the ball! I was going to start calling schools next week.

I'm need to do the tours and ask the questions but I am considering sending B to half day K at the school you're currently at since the use the same curriculum as PK. Then sending him to full day K at the school I think he'll stay at for the long haul. Since he's a Sept birthday and only makes the cut off by less than a month, 2 years of K is starting to make more sense than 3 years of the same PK program. Even if he was NT I'd probably still want to red shirt him because of his b-day.

We should get together before January and compare notes :-). I've been floating the question of the two closest charters around and have heard different things both positive and negative. Neither of the two families with school age kids on my cul-de-sac go to the neighborhood school and a few people actually work at the one closer to you.

d.f · October 2012

-auntie-:
d.f.-

If your child meets the deadline for kindie and you send him to a public kindie, they will likely promote him into first grade. To "red shirt" him once he's in the system is a violation of his mandated right to FAPE in LRE.

If you live in a state where kindie is not mandatory, that would be 34 states, they could place him in first when you enroll him in public or a charter even if you do private kindie elsewhere.

If you want to red shirt your child, the easiest way to make that happen is to stay in a preschool setting. This could cost you services for a year. I appreciate your choice; I gave my own child an extra year of preschool. But remember, he can stay in school until he's 22 if he has an IEP.

Thanks Auntie! You've given me a lot to think about and look into.

It was his SpEd teacher who suggested 2 years of Kindie. I do wonder if she is trying to push the decision off to the next person and if it will be a challenge to hold him back after that first year of K. The Sped teacher did say I can hold him back in preschool for another year and he would still have services. I would just have to pay for preschool instead of it being free. He's thriving there right now but I question the benefit of a 3rd year of the same exact program. There's also a private inclusive preschool nearby that offers OT/ST that you can pay for. I have heard wonderful things about it from multiple people. They have PK and a half day Kindie. Of course they cost $$$ but it would be an option.

He has made such amazing progress in a short period of time. I'm kind of nervous that we will have to fight to keep his IEP within a few years. Last year (before his Dx) it was mentioned that often with intensive help at the PK level by 1st grade kids no longer need services. I don't know if she said it to easy me into the IEP/SN world or if it will still hold true. Either way I do think his needs are already less but I don't think they will ever go away. So I'm a bit nervous.

d.f · October 2012

-auntie-:
d.f:

It was his SpEd teacher who suggested 2 years of Kindie. I do wonder if she is trying to push the decision off to the next person and if it will be a challenge to hold him back after that first year of K. The Sped teacher did say I can hold him back in preschool for another year and he would still have services.

I find teachers aren't always the most well versed in the application of special education law. On my forums I have seen this play out lots of different ways. Unfortunately, sometimes the parents aren't given the option to red shirt and sometimes districts refuse to deliver services for kindie aged kids anywhere but their building. Sometimes you can deliver the child for services in a form of dual enrollement. Sometimes it's just easier to pay OOP.

My old district had a developmental kindie/pre-1st where kids who weren't quite up to first grade at 6 got an additional year of support in a smaller setting before moving on to traditional first.

I would just have to pay for preschool instead of it being free. He's thriving there right now but I question the benefit of a 3rd year of the same exact program. There's also a private inclusive preschool nearby that offers OT/ST that you can pay for. I have heard wonderful things about it from multiple people. They have PK and a half day Kindie. Of course they cost $$$ but it would be an option.

I don't recall if you've ever shared your dx here, but a specialized theraputic school that offers a curriculum to ameliorate "symptoms" associated with certain neurological or developmental conditions can often be deducted as a medical expense on your federal income taxes. We did this when DS attend a theraputic reading school for dyslexia; tuition there is over $28K so many families can get some relief. Tax to your tax person.

He has made such amazing progress in a short period of time. I'm kind of nervous that we will have to fight to keep his IEP within a few years. Last year (before his Dx) it was mentioned that often with intensive help at the PK level by 1st grade kids no longer need services.

Depends on the dx, the kid and the school. If I had a buck for every kid I know who was thriving because of supports who tanked once they were pulled in the priimary grades I could take a real nice vacation. It's great that he's doing really well, but the expectations in the next few years are going to ramp up dramatically vis a vis behavior and adaptive skills. Sometimes schools pull too soon; it's sort of like taking the myopic kid's glasses away because his grades improved once he could see, kwim?

I don't know if she said it to easy me into the IEP/SN world or if it will still hold true. Either way I do think his needs are already less but I don't think they will ever go away. So I'm a bit nervous.

I'm nervous, too.

DS's school wanted to maintain his IEP for NCLB testing purposes. The last 3 years he got nothing but itinerant support for his teachers and a pass to leave if he was ever anxious. He never used the pass to my knowledge. As an IEP student, his PSSA scores are counted with the high school Sped population which is the only area in our entire district where AYP is not met.

He's at college now, so he'd only qualify for section 504 type help and only if each individual instructor was willing to cooperate. He's chosen not to register with the disability office. It's out of my comfort zone, but so far so good.

Thank you again. You are a wealth of information. I really appreciate you sharing. I'm glad your son is doing so well so far! :-)

DS was Dx with PDD-NOS in July. We're still waiting for the full report (should be here Mon or Tues-Just in time for his IEP Meeting) but from what the Pych and Dev Pedi have verbally told us he is on the mild end of the spectrum. He's in a mainstream classroom and doesn't really have any behavioral issues. He's thriving but I do think it has a lot to do with his level of services and some great teachers. He did not do nearly as well in a Summer Camp where the staff wasn't trained in ASD and didn't read/understand the info I gave them about him.

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On a different note, kindy choices are looming.

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