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I have a 5 year old daughter with PDD. She is going to go to kindergarten this year. We are living in Northern VA right now, but may move to MO. Does anyone know how the services are for autistic children in MO compared to Northern VA?
Insearchofzen, I live in the Leander ISD which is North/northwest of Austin and I have been very happy with them so far. Nothing like you other post have said about NYC. Round Rock ISD is also good for special needs. DM me is you need more info. Leander ISD has a program, SCSS which is social and communication supports and services for ASD kids and he loves it. He is mainstreamed but has a tracking teacher who helps with the learning side and makes sure that is going well and the SCSS teacher helps him learn how to make choices and she uses social stories (helped him learn about plane for the vacation and security in the airports). Next week the SCSS kids (about 12 in the school) are going to a therapy riding place for a few hours then to Mc D to make a fast choice! That should be fun! They are starting a parent support group in LISD for ASD parents. Are you moving down here?
Location: Pelion, South Carolina/orig. from Cape May, NJ
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilymag
Could anyone give me some specific areas in NJ that offer the best services for children on the spectrum?
Bankbridge School in Sewell, NJ is excellent. In fact ALL of NJ is excellent for providing services for disabled children.
We made the mistake of moving to SC...services are next to nil here. The schools do what they can, and my daughter is improving, but when it comes to offering vouchers, stipends, respite care, etc., SC sucks. I really regret moving here.
Taxes may be high in NJ, but remember you get what you pay for. High taxes= services.
Insearchofzen, I live in the Leander ISD which is North/northwest of Austin and I have been very happy with them so far. Nothing like you other post have said about NYC. Round Rock ISD is also good for special needs. DM me is you need more info. Leander ISD has a program, SCSS which is social and communication supports and services for ASD kids and he loves it. He is mainstreamed but has a tracking teacher who helps with the learning side and makes sure that is going well and the SCSS teacher helps him learn how to make choices and she uses social stories (helped him learn about plane for the vacation and security in the airports). Next week the SCSS kids (about 12 in the school) are going to a therapy riding place for a few hours then to Mc D to make a fast choice! That should be fun! They are starting a parent support group in LISD for ASD parents. Are you moving down here?
We are thinking about it for a couple years down the road. Thanks for the tips I will check it out.
My grandson - now 8 - was diagnosed with autism before age 2. He is high functioning, but it's been quite a journey (as all who have an autistic child in their family well know); fortunately on Long Island (NY) there are many good school districts prepared and willing to work with the parent(s).
My daughter found out about a special school with limited available spots and after over a year, he was invited to join. The ratio is about 1 1/2 - 2 students per one teacher, and his progress has been great; he can read at grade level, although his speech still requires plenty of work) and enjoys math, etc. If needed, he can stay until he is 21 years of age. He also gets 2 hrs of services five times a week (after school) and this one-on-one training includes personal care, i.e. how to property brush teeth, taking a shower, etc., etc.
This is all paid for by the local School District; not to say that there aren't some districts that will fight you tooth and nail--in fact, a couple of SDs have been taken to court because they didn't want to pay for necessary services.
So Long Island would be a good alternative for someone looking for good services - just make sure to ask around about the right SD (or ask me ).
Good luck with your son! I know it's a tough road...
I moved from Ny to NC I can personally verify the schools are horrible. My 9 year old was verbally abused, locked in rooms, and they tried to ship him to an all ages throwaway school. We would have 6 hour IEP meetings that never resolved anything. I had to deal with the district, state, and filed national complaints only to end up pulling him out of school for his own safety. They are still able to paddle children here and many districts have padded rooms. Check out the Coalition for Positive Behaviors and Interventions Blog. Many of her posts on NC were about my son. Plus he used to ride the special ed bus that had an 18 year boy molest a 7 year old. I can tell you the state offices in Raleigh did not care. Plus in Special Ed they modify the curriculum so high functioning kids are getting dumbed down diluted education with many subjects missing.
Stay far away from davidson County. Plus their have been major cuts here statewide to an already underfunded program.
Texas - you have to look at the individual school district
Quote:
Originally Posted by Veekay
Thanks everyone for the replies. It definitely helps. Right now we have zeroed down to 2 options - Plainsboro/West Windsor/Lawrenceville areas in NJ and Plano in Texas. We are still in research mode on Plano. The pros are we have family there and it certainly helps to get some compassion and help if you have an autistic child.
It will be great if someone who has a child on the spectrum and is going to Plano schools, share their experience, pros and cons of Plano School District
We are in Pearland, near Houston. The district has lots of problems. Katy has much better services. Also if you need a special school, you need to check out the area for that. When we moved here, we had my grandson set up in a great autism program (ABA) and it closed before we got here. We had to scramble to find one to enroll in.
I think you need to check out the school districts with your own child's needs in mind. Our district has a great self-contained school for severely impaired kids who need modified schoolwork. Their autism program is, from what I've heard, more-or-less adequate for the lower end of the spectrum. Their provisions for fairly high functioning, fully mainstreamed kids? Not so much. Be prepared to fight at every IEP meeting.
And if your child is 2E....forget it. RUN AWAY.
If anyone knows good schools for ASD for Riverside Ca area, please post. My son has ASD-mod/severe with behavioral issues. Just want second opinions, thanks!
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Texas - you have to look at the individual school district
