Does anyone in Wellington have a child with Aspergers? (Palm Beach: rental, middle school)

[lmax2468]

Were considering moving to Wellington but I have concerns with the support that will be given to my 5 year old son who has Aspergers. If staying in NY he will be placed in a typical Kindergarten clasroom with one teacher and a special ed teacher in the room also. Does that happen in FLorida as well? Everytime I mention Aspergers, people direct me to Palm Beach School for Autism. That isnt the correct setting for him. I would love to talk to other parents who have children with high functioning ASD.
Thanks

[dreamjourney]

I don't think there are any schools in Palm Beach that have both a regular ed and special ed teacher in them. It is rare to find a regular ed teacher and aide or para in a classroom. There are some schools where the special ed teacher will come in to work on a specified skill or subject which is done as a replacement for pull out but they are not in the classroom all day. Palm Beach School for Autism is getting a lot more children with Aspergers but I'm sure it isn't appropriate for all kids in that category. Your best option is going to be to try and contact the ese contact for the school in the area you are looking to move, by phone or email, and asking if they offer that service at the school. You may have to make repeated attempts to try and get a response as, I am sure you are aware, they don't like school shopping.

[lmax2468]

Thank you very much. I did contact the palm beach school for autism & spoke with a very nice mim who's child is there. She said its just for kids with autism not aspergers. I looked into many charter schools and we have decided to stay in NY. It's sad that I couldn't find a school to fit my sons needs. I even contacted FAU/card and they were not very helpful either. You have been so I thank you again!

[Razz2525]

Hi lmax, I'm going through the same thing. After finally seeing a child psychologist and having him tested, it appears that my son has "high functioning" Aspergers, so instead of exhibiting signs all the time of Aspergers, there are certain triggers that set him off. We're still going through the lengthy process/forms we have to complete for Palm Beach County so it's too late for this year but we are hoping we get an additional teacher or resource in his 1st grade class next year to assist with him with transitioning from one activity to another, speaking out of turn, talking about subjects that don't relate to the subject the teacher is talking about, etc.

[milan534]

IMAX my daughter is 7 and has ASD same as aspbergers. I have been working on finding the right solution and I will tell you that you will need an ESE Advocate for your son (McKay scholarship). The public schools are not yet equipped to handle children with Aspberger's yet. If you are thinking of moving to Florida check out Oakstone Academy (West Palm ) you will be pleasantly surprised & pleased. They have a website explaining their approach and strategies for children who need more than traditional public school approach which does not work for our children. There is one more school for you check out as well its called "The Open Door". There is help for your child but it will not come from public school - private school is where it's at. Hope this information helps you or at least points you started in the right direction.

[U120]

Originally Posted by milan534

IMAX my daughter is 7 and has ASD same as aspbergers. I have been working on finding the right solution and I will tell you that you will need an ESE Advocate for your son (McKay scholarship). The public schools are not yet equipped to handle children with Aspberger's yet. If you are thinking of moving to Florida check out Oakstone Academy (West Palm ) you will be pleasantly surprised & pleased. They have a website explaining their approach and strategies for children who need more than traditional public school approach which does not work for our children. There is one more school for you check out as well its called "The Open Door". There is help for your child but it will not come from public school - private school is where it's at. Hope this information helps you or at least points you started in the right direction.

I agree with Oakstone. My issue was its tuition cost upwards of $20k per yr

[whisperpan]

Hi
The Open Doorway Inc does not charge beyond the McKay and I know for private students the cost is only 6,000 for the year. They have students with disabilities and typical students who just did not do well in a regular traditional setting. They also accept the McKay 504 with just adding 2000.00 to that amount. They keep the tution down because they understand the situation and yet also offer the less then 5 to 1 ration in elementary and a less then 6 to 1 in the middle school and high school. Check it out; they also have 0ver 90% of their students graduate with a regular diploma and attend local colleges and unversities in the area.

[James Mika]

Originally Posted by lmax2468

Were considering moving to Wellington but I have concerns with the support that will be given to my 5 year old son who has Aspergers. If staying in NY he will be placed in a typical Kindergarten clasroom with one teacher and a special ed teacher in the room also. Does that happen in FLorida as well? Everytime I mention Aspergers, people direct me to Palm Beach School for Autism. That isnt the correct setting for him. I would love to talk to other parents who have children with high functioning ASD.
Thanks

Hi. My name is James Mika, please call me if you are still considering florida. I have the lifetime solution for you. My # is 561-8893468. Please call been through it all. My son is 16 now with Aspergers.

[groveperson]

It looks like my family is likely to be moving to Palm Beach County within the next month or so. We need to find a rental and schools quickly. My son is going into 2nd grade and has Asperger's. This past year he was smarter than the rest of his class but had issues that are similar to Razz2525's description of her son. RAzz2525 - did you get the help you needed or find somewhere else?

We are currently in the Dayton, OH area and are in a district that is supposed to be good for kids on the spectrum. We became so frustrated during his 1st grade year that we have him enrolled in a private Montessori for next year. We could only afford it with a bartering arrangement and that is unlikely to change with this move. From what I can tell about the McKay scholarship, your student has to be enrolled in a public school for a year before you can take advantage of it. We were hoping the PB School for Autism would fit the bill, but it sounds from this and other conversations that he would be too high functioning for that.

Any advice/insight would be appreciated.

- Melissa

Originally Posted by Razz2525

Hi lmax, I'm going through the same thing. After finally seeing a child psychologist and having him tested, it appears that my son has "high functioning" Aspergers, so instead of exhibiting signs all the time of Aspergers, there are certain triggers that set him off. We're still going through the lengthy process/forms we have to complete for Palm Beach County so it's too late for this year but we are hoping we get an additional teacher or resource in his 1st grade class next year to assist with him with transitioning from one activity to another, speaking out of turn, talking about subjects that don't relate to the subject the teacher is talking about, etc.

[anthonysmom1025207]

Originally Posted by James Mika

Hi. My name is James Mika, please call me if you are still considering florida. I have the lifetime solution for you. My # is 561-8893468. Please call been through it all. My son is 16 now with Aspergers.

I saw this and thought your information may have changed since this post. Can you email me info? My email address is [EMAIL="anthonysmom10252007@yahoo.com"]anthonysmom10252007@yahoo.com[/EMAIL]
My son has Aspergers and is going into the 1st grade. Trying to switch schools as he was suspended 4 times from his charter school who does not have ESE classes. I have the list of public schools that take the McKay option. I was trying to research reviews on PB county public schools programs and came across this forum.

Thanks, Michelle