Special education for Autism in Fairfax county (Alexandria, Annandale: for sale, homes)

[OrangeFish]

Originally Posted by Hephzibah77

Thanks for this very useful info. Is it possible to arrange a meeting with the special ed office before actually moving to Fairfax if i have a sense of where i might want to live ?

Contact the Special Education Committee chairperson, Sheree Brown, of the FCCPTA (http://fccpta.org/homepage_files/meet_the_board.htm - broken link). She'll be able to give you a candid opinion and can put you in touch with parents at FCPS schools you are considering.

[choff5]

Originally Posted by Hephzibah77

Thanks for this very useful info. Is it possible to arrange a meeting with the special ed office before actually moving to Fairfax if i have a sense of where i might want to live ?

As you can tell, you will be hearing many different experiences here on this forum regarding special education. Truth in advertising here: I work in an elementary school that has a self contained autism program, and I know ABA is used. Can't say if it is used as parents or all would like, but there is training.

My suggestion is to investigate on your own. FCPS is set up in Clusters due to its size. Work through either the special ed office or the cluster office for the area where you think you may be moving. Check out, Fairfax County Public Schools - Departments, Clusters This page identifies the clusters by their high school pyramids, with links to what feeder schools go to those high schools. Each cluster has an identified person listed for special education. Also, on this page is the link to the special education department. Within that link is a page regarding ABA, Applied Behavior Analysis Program Check that out if you haven't.

Special ed programs are just like regular ed when it comes to level of satifaction. So much of it depends on that individual teacher, so the level of service can vary within a school division, like everywhere. Knowing this, and knowing you may have very specific needs, it's always best to start out with the plan to work together collaboratively, to meet consenses, and see where it goes from there.

Good luck!

[choff5]

Originally Posted by Hephzibah77

Many thanks for the update, makes me stop and really think about my options. So what's available in the NOVA community in terms of:

1. Respite

2. Adapted recreation

3. Private tutors (ABA)

How are (1) and (2) funded? Over here respite is funded via medicaid and there is a waiting list of up to 6 months to obtain 10 hours /month (in-home) and up to 2 years for out of home respite.

Thanks!!!

I don't know the answers to this, or have any personal experience, but you can always start with the county website and go from there. Here's a link I found with information on respite care: Kinship Care - Child Care Services*- Fairfax County, Virginia (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/adultselderly/kinship/kinship-child-care-services.htm#rc - broken link) Fairfax Parks & Rec do offer adaptive programs. Here's a link to some information on that, Adapted Sports and Recreation Fair for Individuals with Disabilities*- Fairfax County, Virginia

Also, Fairfax County has a generic phone number for Coordinated Services. It is 703-222-0880 I believe it's only 8:-4:30 Mon-Fri, but it is answered by a social worker who can find out information for you. Again, best of luck.

[Skatergirl]

Originally Posted by choff5

I don't know the answers to this, or have any personal experience, but you can always start with the county website and go from there. Here's a link I found with information on respite care: Kinship Care - Child Care Services*- Fairfax County, Virginia (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/adultselderly/kinship/kinship-child-care-services.htm#rc - broken link) Fairfax Parks & Rec do offer adaptive programs. Here's a link to some information on that, Adapted Sports and Recreation Fair for Individuals with Disabilities*- Fairfax County, Virginia

Also, Fairfax County has a generic phone number for Coordinated Services. It is 703-222-0880 I believe it's only 8:-4:30 Mon-Fri, but it is answered by a social worker who can find out information for you. Again, best of luck.

****

Don't assume the county's website will provide you with the answers. Because, the autonomy of each school allows the prinicpal's much power to do as litlle as they please. Because it is shown on the website doesn't mean that you will get the service you seek.

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by Hephzibah77

It does not identify Math specifically but rather, has a "basic cognitive/Daily living skills" goal. The only thing sounding mathematical is being able to "count different coin combinations" . Any math homework sent always appears new to our son and we find that we essentially have to teach him from scratch. The work has not been restricted to coins; it has been pretty much 3rd grade math .

Do high functioning autistic 3rd graders in FCPS get modified Math curricula and are they working towards a regular or IEP high school diploma?

If the IEP doesn't identify math goals and adaptations, do you think it should? If so, you could reconvene the IEP team to address it.

[Skatergirl]

Another parent's perspective:

Directly due to the pressure of an impending ABA/VB charter school sponsored by (POAC, a parent group), FCPS made significant improvements in the autism programs a few years ago. In the space of a year FCPS pulled a complete reversal and switched from testifying in due process hearings that ABA produces robots to declaring itself thoroughly and solidly based in ABA/VB. Classroom staffing ratios improved and some good quality ABA/VB training and support is in fact now available from a core group of FCPS central staff. However, the chief thing to remember about the autism programs in FCPS is that they are highly de-centralized. Each school is different and is run by the principal. Principals, not ABA/VB experts, hire and evaluate teachers and IAs. Where the rubber meets the road the quality of each classroom varies widely - school-by-school and teacher-by-teacher. There is no effective quality control of any kind, other than the familiar old standby - parent complaints.

*************

[Skatergirl]

Originally Posted by choff5

My suggestion is to investigate on your own. FCPS is set up in Clusters due to its size. Work through either the special ed office or the cluster office for the area where you think you may be moving. Check out, Fairfax County Public Schools - Departments, Clusters This page identifies the clusters by their high school pyramids, with links to what feeder schools go to those high schools. Each cluster has an identified person listed for special education. Also, on this page is the link to the special education department. Within that link is a page regarding ABA, Applied Behavior Analysis Program Check that out if you haven't.

Special ed programs are just like regular ed when it comes to level of satifaction. So much of it depends on that individual teacher, so the level of service can vary within a school division, like everywhere. Knowing this, and knowing you may have very specific needs, it's always best to start out with the plan to work together collaboratively, to meet consenses, and see where it goes from there.

Good luck!

Investigating is absolutely a necessary part of this process. But, if you're so new at something, or new to an area, you may not know what to look out for. You stand the chance of not really knowing what to look for.

But, to not take into deep consideration the input from parents who have been down the road long before you and have years of experience, well, it would be foolish to discount that feedback. Most of us first starting out in the world of special education don't want to believe that a principal would lie to us at the cost of our child. Or that the school would hide informaiton that could help your child, or that they would do the absolute minimum at the cost of letting your child fall through the cracks. Who would want THAT reality? When you finally get to that place, you'll look back and wish you hadn't been so naive. When you meet a parent that's new at it, you'll want to give them the facts, too.

[OrangeFish]

Originally Posted by Skatergirl

But, to not take into deep consideration the input from parents who have been down the road long before you and have years of experience, well, it would be foolish to discount that feedback.

Absolutely agree. Thus my (prior) recommendation of contacting the Special Education Committee Chair of the Fairfax County Council of PTAs. Special Education PTA representatives work with the Chair to communicate what is going on at individual schools (where services are quite varied due to site-based management).

The list of reps is posted on the FCCPTA web site (http://fccpta.org/special_ed/special_ed_reps.htm - broken link) but I would contact the Chair directly to get the most up-to-date information.

[Hephzibah77]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

If the IEP doesn't identify math goals and adaptations, do you think it should? If so, you could reconvene the IEP team to address it.

I absolutely agree that it should! I'll certainly reconvene the IEP team to address it Thanks!

[Hephzibah77]

Originally Posted by choff5

I don't know the answers to this, or have any personal experience, but you can always start with the county website and go from there. Here's a link I found with information on respite care: Kinship Care - Child Care Services*- Fairfax County, Virginia (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/adultselderly/kinship/kinship-child-care-services.htm#rc - broken link) Fairfax Parks & Rec do offer adaptive programs. Here's a link to some information on that, Adapted Sports and Recreation Fair for Individuals with Disabilities*- Fairfax County, Virginia

Also, Fairfax County has a generic phone number for Coordinated Services. It is 703-222-0880 I believe it's only 8:-4:30 Mon-Fri, but it is answered by a social worker who can find out information for you. Again, best of luck.

Thanks! helpful links. Will now proceed to do my own investigation but with Skater Girl's and others input at the back of my mind though!