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I am moving my family to Charlotte in June. We have two children ages 5 and soon to be 3. Our 5 year old this year has gone through an evaluation by our current county in Oregon and was found to be within the "Autism Spectrum". She is very high functioning and at first notice she appears to be well beyond her years for intelligence, especially vocabulary. She runs into problems with her behavior and some social interactions. She is adored by most children who meet her, even though they have a hard time understanding her. By going through this evaluation here she gets assistance when she starts school. Basicially an autism specialist would work with her kindergarten teacher on teaching methods so she could transistion and be succesfull. Transistion from one activity to the next is one area she has trouble with. I just wanted to know if the school systems in Cabarrus County, where we want to live, are good about integrating children with these issues into the system?
Welcome to the board. And congratulations on the early diagnosis! You've won half the battle already.
While I am neither a teacher nor educator in the ps system and I have little to no familiarity with Cabarrus County, this topic has been discussed many times on the board. You can do a search and should come up with some helpful information, at the least, something to get you started.
However, I must warn you, that many of us with children on the autism spectrum, or other special needs, have chosen Union County as our new residence and are probably biased. However, I believe it was only a couple of Sundays ago that I read a very touching story in the Charlotte Observer about a former Mecklenburg County family's struggle to get their two boys' special needs addressed in the Char-Meck school system and they ultimately relocated to Cabarrus County, which accomodated them appropriately.
If you decide that Union COunty is a possibility, get in contact with Dr. Nancy Macciomei – Exceptional Children’s Director. Email: nancy.macciomei@ucps.k12.nc.us She is a wonderul, kind hearted and knowledgable woman with lots of experience with exceptional children! She happily addressed my concerns prior to our relocation to UC and got the ball rolling while we were enroute, and her work resulted in a seamless transition for us.
For the record, I am hearing wonderful things specifically about New Town Elementary (Waxhaw, Union County) about their handling of children on the autisim spectrum, and I mean truly wonderful.
I encourage you to also make contact with The Autism Society of North Carolina. Their website is http://www.autismsociety-nc.org/ and your local ARC, http://www.arcnc.org/ The ARC of UC has been very insightful with the down and dirty stuff when it comes to acquiring needed services.
Ooops, almost forgot another resource, TEACCH (often referred to as the gold standard in diagnosis and evaluation of autism spectrum disorders in NC). Their site is http://www.teacch.com/ Their locations are regional and I believe whether you settle in Cabarrus or Union County, the nearest to you would be in Gastonia. They are funded by UNC at Chapel Hill. And they are extremely knowledgable when it comes to ASD and can link you the right services -- another invaluable resource.
Whatever you decide, good luck!!!
Sincerely,
SL
Last edited by saralee; 05-11-2007 at 04:58 PM..
Reason: added another website
New Town Elementary has not opened yet. They are going to have four classes specifically for children on the autisim spectrum (I understand you're looking for your child to be mainstreamed), the main population is coming from Weddington and someone in the field is referring to the plans for their autisim classes as "top notch." I would very much trust the assessment of the individual who relayed that to me. I had to look over my notes to recall all of the details.
I am moving my family to Charlotte in June. We have two children ages 5 and soon to be 3. Our 5 year old this year has gone through an evaluation by our current county in Oregon and was found to be within the "Autism Spectrum". She is very high functioning and at first notice she appears to be well beyond her years for intelligence, especially vocabulary. She runs into problems with her behavior and some social interactions. She is adored by most children who meet her, even though they have a hard time understanding her. By going through this evaluation here she gets assistance when she starts school. Basicially an autism specialist would work with her kindergarten teacher on teaching methods so she could transistion and be succesfull. Transistion from one activity to the next is one area she has trouble with. I just wanted to know if the school systems in Cabarrus County, where we want to live, are good about integrating children with these issues into the system?
Thanks for Your Time
I would make sure you can find what you need for your child before moving and choose your home location based on your child's needs. I've heard the programs here are not as good as some other areas in the country so you may be disappointed. Then again, you may find just what you need. I know a lady that is having a hard time mainstreaming her child because they're not getting the help that they were accustomed to in NJ. They want to send her child to a special school and she wants him mainstreamed in the local school. I believe it's CMS. She also wishes that she had not had him classified, I think it's EIP???, because that's just giving CMS reason to force the child into the special school as opposed to mainstreaming him. Do your research and do not set your sights on an area unless it can accommodate your child's needs.
I would make sure you can find what you need for your child before moving and choose your home location based on your child's needs. I've heard the programs here are not as good as some other areas in the country so you may be disappointed. Then again, you may find just what you need. I know a lady that is having a hard time mainstreaming her child because they're not getting the help that they were accustomed to in NJ. They want to send her child to a special school and she wants him mainstreamed in the local school. I believe it's CMS. She also wishes that she had not had him classified, I think it's EIP???, because that's just giving CMS reason to force the child into the special school as opposed to mainstreaming him. Do your research and do not set your sights on an area unless it can accommodate your child's needs.
I agree. Choose your home base with your child's needs in mind.
The quality of special education (or exceptional children) programs vary wildly across the country, and many times, even within a given state.
As for the family who moved from NJ, if they had a child on the autism spectrum, they should have stayed in NJ. The education of children on the spectrum is one thing NJ gets right. There are so many programs specifically designed for children on the autism spectrum, so much money designated, that children with other special needs frequently get overlooked. The programs are top notch and there are several throughout the state that subscribe to the different therapies.
It's quite ironic that your friend wants her child mainstreamed, and CMS wants the child in a special school. Of course I don't know the specific circumstances but many times it's the exact opposite fight. Special schools cost big money. Special schools are considerably more expensive than mainstream options and every district's first priority is to guard the budget. Funding doesn't fall out of trees and there's never enough to go around. Also, in accordance with the law, children should be educated in the "least restrictive environment."
If IEPs are new to your friend, she should definitely consult with a veteran parent who understands the language. I go to IEP meetings with my child's IEP already written. It's not something you want left up to clueless administrators guarding the pursestrings.
Give your friend the following website http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/arti..._guidance.html
She should also read A Parent's Guide to Special Education (Wilmshurst & Brue). And she shouldn't hesitate to contact a legal professional if she's not gaining any ground with the administration. Precious time is lost (and very difficult to regain) arguing with people who don't have your child's best interest at heart. We are our children's best advocate. It's not for the faint of heart and yes, the most vocal families do come out ahead.
I am moving my family to Charlotte in June. We have two children ages 5 and soon to be 3. Our 5 year old this year has gone through an evaluation by our current county in Oregon and was found to be within the "Autism Spectrum". She is very high functioning and at first notice she appears to be well beyond her years for intelligence, especially vocabulary. She runs into problems with her behavior and some social interactions. She is adored by most children who meet her, even though they have a hard time understanding her. By going through this evaluation here she gets assistance when she starts school. Basicially an autism specialist would work with her kindergarten teacher on teaching methods so she could transistion and be succesfull. Transistion from one activity to the next is one area she has trouble with. I just wanted to know if the school systems in Cabarrus County, where we want to live, are good about integrating children with these issues into the system?
Thanks for Your Time
If an IEP was written bring it with you to North Carolina. By law, North Carolina is required to adopt an out-of-state IEP, although they may retest her to see if she still qualifies according to N.C. standards. I'm quite sure they will have services for her in Cabarrus County (I've heard great things about the county). Stay on top of everything and inform the administrators when you enroll your child about her. It sounds like she may have Asperger's Syndrome which is also on the "Autism Spectrum" especially since she has a good vocabulary. Don't worry, if you advocate for her she will be fine.
If an IEP was written bring it with you to North Carolina. By law, North Carolina is required to adopt an out-of-state IEP, although they may retest her to see if she still qualifies according to N.C. standards. I'm quite sure they will have services for her in Cabarrus County (I've heard great things about the county). Stay on top of everything and inform the administrators when you enroll your child about her. It sounds like she may have Asperger's Syndrome which is also on the "Autism Spectrum" especially since she has a good vocabulary. Don't worry, if you advocate for her she will be fine.
Thanks so much for your advice. Does NC require a medical diagnosis? Our daughter has never been diagnosed by a doctor, just by the county specialists. That is why they cannot come out and say she has Asperger's, although we all suspect it. All they can say is Autism Spectrum Disorder.
My daughter has Asperger's, and we are looking into Cabarrus county as well. If I learn anything, I will try and remember to post it here for you. Likewise, if you discover "better" schools, could you be so kind as to do the same? We are looking more at MS/HS, as we hope to move back, and stay put for awhile.
One thing to keep in mind...corporal punishment still exists on the books in many parts of NC. From what I have read, looks like Cabarrus county does NOT have it. Even though people may tell you they really don't use it in other areas, all it takes is an old-school teacher, and there you go. I am an NC native, so I know what I am talking about. When you have a bright child with social skill difficulties, well, I would not feel comfortable moving to a district that allows CP, especially if they are not diagnosed yet. ASD's can be quite misunderstood as willful defiance, indifference, etc., as you probably already know. Lack of eye contact can really irk some teachers, too.
It is AWESOME you are already in tune to your daughter's ASD. Our daughter was diagnosed at 6, and we felt fortunate she was diagnosed so early. At these ages, the ratio for diagnosis of boys to girls is 10:1. Once they reach adulthood, the gap narrows considerably, and is expected to be closer to 2:1.
Best of luck!
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Special needs
