Best public schools for child with AUTISM (Dallas, Plano: apartments, homes)

[AsmaY]

Originally Posted by piherman

We have lived in Plano for 15 years. Our youngest is HFA, and just finished seventh grade. I have been very pleased with the schools here. He did start out with a one on one person, full time, and over the years, that has slowly gone away. At least in his case, he has been able to handle the mainstreaming, and we have been very pleased with the progress through the years. Very communicative school personnel, very reasonable teachers. A lot of creative approaches to finding ways to help him learn.

I have been told that the quality of special ed in PISD is tied to the principal in each school. We are now in Rice MS, and he did elementary at Andrews and Bethany.

For what it's worth.

hello
I have an Autistic nephew. He lives in Houston, unfortunately the school board is very unfriendly and is are not fulfilling his needs. Your blog was very helpful. Can you tell me the name of school , your child went to.
I am planning to move from Houston.
Thankyou

[AsmaY]

Originally Posted by mcgumbo

Hello,

I am looking for educational programs for studenst 18 and older in the North Dallas area. My son will complete high school in 2013. He is still very capable of learning. We have an awesome teacher at his high school. Thank you for your help.

I am planning to move to Dallas. I have an autistic son . Which schools did your son go to.

[sheik22dog]

Originally Posted by Quisqueya

I have a 10 year old son with autism and would like to know more about the Plano school district. We are getting desperate because he is only working at a K-1st grade level!!! Time is going by and they just don't know how to work with him in the Las Cruces, NM area!! We can't afford a private school, so public will be our only solution. I would like to be contacted this person from Plano. If favorable, let me know. Thank You.

I know you posted this a while back, but did you have any luck? I am currently in the exact situation!

[NVME702]

I will be following this thread intently as well. We havent determined what school district either so we can be flexible in location as well. Its exciting and scary at the same time.

[LMKH]

Originally Posted by dkatiemom

Lewisville ISD has one of the best special education programs for autism in the country. They have three campuses within the district which have "COMM" classes, designed specifically for autistic children and those with non-verbal or language delay disorders.

They also have a special Special Education PTSA, one of a VERY small number of these within the entire country.

If you are looking for special education for Autism, you need to move to Lewisville ISD. I know because my child is non-verbal and autistic and attended these schools. TRUST ME.

I am in Lewisville ISD with a child with Aspergers and my child gets no services. In fact, he used to get speech, but once diagnosed, they cut off his speech. We have fought tooth and nail for services. But because our son was being mistreated and coming home with bruises and marks, we pulled him out to home school. He was seeing a therapist and she even told us he should not be at that school anymore as she felt he was being abused.

[LMKH]

Originally Posted by indigo2515

Hello, I know that you have received many response and are probably overwhelmed. I am a teacher in Arizona and also have a 11 year-old with high functioning autism. I cannot begin to tell you about the lack of services here for special needs children, it is sometimes beyond comprehension. Basically, it is not a priority in Arizona like it is in the North or the East. You and your family will be so much better off staying up North or going East. I will apologize in advance for being so blunt; do not move here for the warmer winters and sacrifice your children's educational future .
If you want warmer I would definitely try North Carolina. Trust me, warm weather isn't very meaningful when you children's future is being shortchanged.

I agree. If you are in Minnesota, you will end up being disgusted when you come here. Everyone I know who comes from MN ends up moving back basically, because they end up shocked at how bad the schools are here compared to there. You cannot even compare things here to there. I seriously doubt you could find any place around here that can even hold a candle to what you get there. I know your original post was from a while ago, but if you still have not moved but are considering it, I hope you consider this. We have considered moving back to MN just to get back to the far better schools. I had no idea how great we had it, until we really experienced the schools here.

[caroldixit]

I strongly recommend that you check out Irving ISD which has an excellent Special Ed program. They have teachers AND administrators who genuinely care about Special Ed kids. If you child has extreme or multiple disabilities, then this is the place to go.
Carol

[LMKH]

Originally Posted by downinflames

Texas has very little to offer autism families, and no matter which school district you are in, the services are hit and miss. Even if you move to a neighborhood with the perfect program for your child, there is no guarantee that the ISD Gods will allow your child into that program. For the most part, your child will have to fail tremendously before possible admission to an appropriate program will be considered. Very high functioning children are frequently considered "not autistic enough" - so medical diagnoses are not accepted by school districts. IEEs are also frequently dismissed, leaving the family to walk away for home or private schooling - while still funding the public schools, by the way - or to file due process.

The culture is grim and hostile here, I'm afraid. We do have a bright spot if your child is in grades 3-8 and you are able to make this option work. Texas recently created a charter school called the Texas Virtual Academy. It has helped a lot of autistic children who are mostly in need of help with sensory and attention issues, as well a lot of other disabilities like dyslexia. The program is carried out at home on a computer that the school provides. The curriculum is K-12 and very thorough, and there is a teacher so the "learning coach" is not alone.

Honestly, if you are planning to move to Texas, I would move to exactly where you want to move and cross your fingers that the public schools will patch something together for your child. There isn't any enforcement of IDEA in this state, so you just never know what you're going to get and good programs fall apart quickly with a change of teacher, principal or administration. If you wind up having to leave the public schools, it hurts more if you are in an area with high property taxes.

This is 100% true. You can move to a school that had a great something 3 years ago, but had a change of principal and it is horrible now. Or it might be great now, but change principals at the end of the year. The principal decides all. Mostly, most schools will be awful. There might be a nugget someplace. I do not know anyone who has had success. I know a lot of families with children with PDD-NOS or Aspergers who have had to turn to home schooling. Bullying is not only tolerated, but it almost seems encouraged. We had too many suicides in the schools. If you want to move here because you think you will prefer the weather or whatever, or you just have to for work, pick an area you will like regardless. Because chances are, you will not be happy with the schools and if you are, it can change as quick as a principal can change.

[LMKH]

Oh, and about the special education PTSA, it seems to have a small handful of mom's doing volunteer work to set up fun things for the parents and such. They are NOT an advocacy group. If you try to ask them who you can speak to or what you can do because you are having troubles with the school, they will tell you that they cannot help with that. That is not what they do.

[nole361]

piherman,
Thanks so much for your helpful feedback. Can you offer a little more guidance on how you rate Bethany and Andrews? I am trying to choose an elementary school in this area and I've heard Andrews, Mathews are good schools for autism. Curious what your experience in Bethany has been in specific. Thanks in advance

Originally Posted by piherman

We have lived in Plano for 15 years. Our youngest is HFA, and just finished seventh grade. I have been very pleased with the schools here. He did start out with a one on one person, full time, and over the years, that has slowly gone away. At least in his case, he has been able to handle the mainstreaming, and we have been very pleased with the progress through the years. Very communicative school personnel, very reasonable teachers. A lot of creative approaches to finding ways to help him learn.

I have been told that the quality of special ed in PISD is tied to the principal in each school. We are now in Rice MS, and he did elementary at Andrews and Bethany.

For what it's worth.