Relocating & ? about Aspergers (high functioning autism) Schools in Tulsa Suburbs (Broken Arrow: co-op, homes)

[nevadamamabear1972]

Hello,
My husband is being transferred to the Tulsa American Airlines hub so we're thinking of relocating the family to the area.

My MAIN concern is I have a 14 yr old son with Aspergers. He is currently in a small private school here in Reno, NV for kids with Asp. Public school was completly overwhelming here and we tried home schooling however he and I butt heads too much.

Has anyone had any experience with a child with Aspergers attending public schools in the Tulsa suburbs? We're leaning towards the Broken Arrow area or maybe Bixby or Owasso.

While in public school he did have an IEP however things like navigating through the busy/crazy halls were extremly panic envolking to him. While he looks "normal" and has a high IQ, socially he's very immature and stands out like a sore thumb here in Nevada. He doesn't make friends easily (unless online but that's a whole other can of worms) but yerns for the same relationships his peers have.

I would love to hear of any experiences anyone has in regards to this issue.

Thank you kindly

[flyingcat2k]

I have a future (we are engaged) step son with high functioning autism. We live in the Edison Prep School district and have been fairly impressed with the program. My fiancé lived in the Union district and was very unhappy. They had too many autistic kids and basically focused on the worst cases. Her son was really not doing anything in school so she pulled him and taught him at home last year. He's being integrated into some higher special ed classes now and likes the social interaction.

[nevadamamabear1972]

Originally Posted by flyingcat2k

My fiancé lived in the Union district and was very unhappy. They had too many autistic kids and basically focused on the worst cases.

First off, Congratulations on your engagement!

You're comment above is exactly what I'm worried about. While in public school even though the psychologist saw his Aspergers the teachers diagreed. They told me he was just lazy needed to step up to the plate, not understanding the stress & anxiety he was experiencing just maintaining normalcy in a regular classroom. All the staff at his school for aspergers understand completly, he looks completly "normal" but they understand the truth. It's almost as if we need the ones who make the decision where to place kids with Autism related issues, to live a week with us, to see exactly what we deal with before making their quick decision.

Thank you for your post, we'll definitely avoid Union school dist!

[ProactiveTeacher]

I live here in tulsa. I currently teach here in tulsa schools. I highly recommend looking into private schools in Owasso , an ultimately peaceful community with family values built into everything they've homegrown throughout the city . It is a fairly young community and completely opposite of tulsa and broken arrow attitudes and perspectives. You just feel welcome there and they make an effort to help without overstepping parental boundary lines. Also in private homeschool situations with many kids but small class sizes. This will provide the advantage of peer to peer structure in baby steps allowing him to adjust and become confident with his interactions with others and with himself before moving into more complex settings. Most cases of Kids with aspergers I've seen is with the kids that have been forced to move at someone else's pace rather than allowed to adjust themselves in a supportive environment....but thats just my observation, I'm just a substitute. I haven't been indoctrinated by all the political and corporate malarkie. The school systems actually have a seperate set of rules for us and the students to follow when it comes to substitutes. We're treated better than teachers in a sense... but we're able to look at the students objectively and as people with unanswered questions rather than have the tunnel vision that normally can be associated with mainstream 30 plus year teachers who are juggled and mistreated often....Resulting in their focus leaving the students and leaning more towards school policies, procedures, and skemantics.

I apologize for rambling, most of this is my experience. I hope it is helpful.

[nevadamamabear1972]

Originally Posted by ProactiveTeacher

Most cases of Kids with aspergers I've seen is with the kids that have been forced to move at someone else's pace rather than allowed to adjust themselves in a supportive environment....but thats just my observation .

YOU hit the nail on the head, that's exactly how our aspies are
They are extremly intelligent, but on their own terms and schedule. A stressful situation (something as small as the stench of a permanent marker) can cause them to wig out. The thought of having to navigate a noisey school hallway, figure out how to open a locker lock and choose the right books for the next class is enough to envoke a panic attack. Funny part is, this is the same child who can take apart that same padlock to figure out how it works, or dissemble the dvd player and figure out how to make a lazer out of it's parts.

And as far as your comment about you "just being a substitute" PLEASE don't EVER say that, the knowledge you provided in your post is way more than the "real" teachers at my sons middle school could have ever come up with. They're suggestion "he needs to step up to the plate, he's just lazy". UGH! I wanted reach across the table and strangle them during several IEP meetings.

Thank you again for your kind words, I will have to look into Owasso private schools

[Ihatethisplace]

Originally Posted by ProactiveTeacher

I live here in tulsa. I currently teach here in tulsa schools. I highly recommend looking into private schools in Owasso , an ultimately peaceful community with family values built into everything they've homegrown throughout the city . It is a fairly young community and completely opposite of tulsa and broken arrow attitudes and perspectives. You just feel welcome there and they make an effort to help without overstepping parental boundary lines. Also in private homeschool situations with many kids but small class sizes. This will provide the advantage of peer to peer structure in baby steps allowing him to adjust and become confident with his interactions with others and with himself before moving into more complex settings. Most cases of Kids with aspergers I've seen is with the kids that have been forced to move at someone else's pace rather than allowed to adjust themselves in a supportive environment....but thats just my observation, I'm just a substitute. I haven't been indoctrinated by all the political and corporate malarkie. The school systems actually have a seperate set of rules for us and the students to follow when it comes to substitutes. We're treated better than teachers in a sense... but we're able to look at the students objectively and as people with unanswered questions rather than have the tunnel vision that normally can be associated with mainstream 30 plus year teachers who are juggled and mistreated often....Resulting in their focus leaving the students and leaning more towards school policies, procedures, and skemantics.

I apologize for rambling, most of this is my experience. I hope it is helpful.

This is great advice. I was also going to suggest that she might like to look into this school. My dd has dyslexia and most likely when we move she'll go here: Town & Country School - Tulsa, Oklahoma

PT,
Would you please explain this "Also in private homeschool situations with many kids but small class sizes."? I don't understand. Are there schools in the area that teach homeschool curriculum but are actual schools? I'd like to learn about this. There is only one Barton System tutor in the whole state of OK.

Thank you.

[nevadamamabear1972]

Thank you for the suggestion of T&C School. I'm on the fence about having to pay $1,100 a month though. I think a homeschooling co-op may be a better fit for our financial situation. I too am interested in the comment about private homeschool situations . Here in NV we have homeschooling communities that get together and offer enrichment classes for home schoolers in a co-op setting.

Originally Posted by Ihatethisplace

My dd has dyslexia and most likely when we move she'll go here: Town & Country School - Tulsa, Oklahoma

PT,
Would you please explain this "Also in private homeschool situations with many kids but small class sizes."? I don't understand. Are there schools in the area that teach homeschool curriculum but are actual schools? I'd like to learn about this. There is only one Barton System tutor in the whole state of OK.

Thank you.

[nevadamamabear1972]

[quote=Crash Girl;21992353]You may want to research Town and Country School in Tulsa.

Thank you so much for all the time you took to research my question. I will def have to look into the voucher program

[blessedaspies.mom]

This is my first post.

Did you find a suitable school in the Tulsa area? I am currently searching for educational options for my son. He is 10, and he is currently in the 5th grade in public schools and we will be removing him from public school setting in the 6th grade. He has Aspergers, ADHD, and OCD. He is very bright but the social realm is very challenging. I did read another post about Owasso, so I will see what I can find.

Any information or suggestions are greatly welcomed! Thank you

[19hsm]

Did anyone have anything o add? Great advice. I'm curious of homeschool and private option.