Best Long Island School Districts for Special Education (Levittown, Wantagh: cost of, moving)

[lilibrarian]

Did anyone see the article in yesterday's Newsday about HHH school district's program for teaching autistic students? Worth a look.

[LItransplant]

I have a son with Down Syndrome and we moved here 3 years agofrom another state . South Country district has been a nightmare. The head of Special Ed is horrible. They had an "inclusion" program in one of thier kindergartens but the effort was horrible. They have no training and no patience. Inclusion means 20% "disabled" and rest typical children. 1 special ed teacher, regular teacher, and assistant teacher. My son had an aide to assist with food and diaper changing (not potty trained yet). They had no idea how to modify his program or anything. I could have fought but just because a school offers inclusion doesnt mean they do it well. Their self contained class at the time was horrible with grade levels k - 3 in there. Safety issue as too many big kids with small children. We were told to look at the BOCES program in Oakdale (premm learning center), one in Southhampton, and AHRC in Islandia.

Currently we are in the Premm Learning Center.

Pros:
6:1:1 ratio or 8:1:1 or 12:1:1 (mine is in 6:1:1)
great therapists
awesome principal
brand new school as they redid it this summer
a/c in all rooms
great teachers and therapists

Cons':
hour bus ride to school (from bellport)
bathrooms for older kids as this was a middle school (not helpful for potty training when you cant climb onto the potty)
no typical children

I love everything about Premm except that my son gets no interaction with other typical children (except his sisters) and he doesnt get to go to the same school as his sister.

He gets speech 5 days a week, Feeding Therapy 2x week (had to fight for that but won), PT 3x a week, OT 2x week, augmentive eval and assistive technology system. (he is 7)

I am a fighter and i know my rights and have also brought a lawyer in when needed. You should be able to get what you need from the District regardless of what they "say" you need. Do your homework, know the laws, get an advocate to help you. Trust me, when the District knows you know your rights, you have more power.

Although i hate that he goes so far to another school and is not in any type of situation with "typical" children. This is the best we can find at this point. Just because a district has programs in their public schools doesnt mean they do them well. I was really upset to have to go to BOCES but really, for the services he needs, the attention he needs in academics, and general overall understanding of the fact he has special needs, this was really the best choice. AHRC looked really great too and that was our next choice.

It can be hard at first to see your child in a school only for special needs but i would investigate it for those with children with more severe delays. I have to say all the teachers/therapists/aides at this school have been nothing short of spectacular and caring and really helping us with his growth.

South Country is great if you dont have any special needs. My daughter goes there and no problems with that. Just wish they had more options for my son.

Hope this helps and sorry so long.

[okaydorothy]

I have heard that with South Country ; the only way to get what your child needs is to hire a lawyer.
There are so many children from South Country in our catholic school. If any of the children needs resource or anything else, their parents have to beg for it. and beg and beg. Then the response is ; well if you send your child to public school, we can give them more help.
They even dropped one bus at the beginning of the year. Only to have the parents take a stand and insist that it be put back. The kids were spending over an hour on the bus, and had at least 3 to a seat.

d

[mommytochris]

I have to say my son just started at Premm after having a rough 3 months at a school district previously mentioned that starts with an 's'....I can only say that Premm has been great. They have seen my son not as a 'problem' but as a little boy they can help with what they have to offer. They are giving him a chance to succeed and his teacher expected more of him which in turn gives him the opportunity to feel successful. His behavior has been soooo much better no where near what was happening in his last placement. Also the transition that I panicked would be so hard on him went so smoothly. A few bumps but nothing like what was happening before. Sadly we realized he is much less stressed at home and we didn't notice how tense he was until now we see how happier he is when he gets home. So him having a better day in school definitely shows at home.

I agree with the last poster that the Principal of Premm is fantastic. He is definitely genuine and you can tell he is truely in it for the kids. It is refreshing to have someone like that at the helm of the school. The Assistant Principal impressed me too. My son got really overwhelmed when we visited and he didn't even blink while I was mortified and upset because my son was upset.

Overall Premm gets 5 stars from me so far. I must say to to other parents certain professional have told me that Boces is a place where districts dump their lowest functioning children and kids they cannot handle/help and that is so not the case. My sons current class is academically ahead of the class he was in in district. He comes home with work that he wasn't doing before. So I think that this myth that the children in Boces are the lowest functioning is a scare tactic so that the district doesn't have to pay the extra money it cost to send the kids there.

Yes the children are disabled but the staff seems more equipt and trained to accomodate their needs. I feel my son isn't the unique child there. They have had children like him before so they know what he needs and how to teach him appropriately, helping him to be successful. I am actually getting reports home that he is cooperating and making psoitive choices at school So he must have felt relief to be in the new environment.

[yeaitsme]

Good news on Premm (Bocese) thanks for posting litransplant and mommytochris.

[yeaitsme]

Originally Posted by lilibrarian

Did anyone see the article in yesterday's Newsday about HHH school district's program for teaching autistic students? Worth a look.

While it is awesome that they portrayed a successful child from Sachem most of the autistic children in this district have lost their TAs and have to beg and plead to receive the appropriate ABA instruction. The Step program that was once well regarded is shredded. So it really irks me that more information on what is really happening with Sachem's autistic children isn't being researched and just one example was given of how they helped ONE child. It is deceiving because most of the children are not getting the appropriate support or education they need.

[nbres]

I've heard very negative things about a particular Northport-East Northport's special education teacher that would make me avoid that district at all costs.

[mommytochris]

Originally Posted by nbres

I've heard very negative things about a particular Northport-East Northport's special education teacher that would make me avoid that district at all costs.

That is disturbing. I hope they take care of that.

[yeaitsme]

Anymore input? There are alot of schools and districts yet to be covered

[jaust]

anybody hear of the brain balance centers on long island?