Montgomery County Public Schools SPED programs - eliminating ASD programs?

[Anonymous]

I have heard from several sources over the previous couple of years that MCPS has gotten rid of the ASD programs for which they'd been so lauded. Does anyone have personal experience with SPED programs in MCPS, and particularly for kids with ASD?

[Anonymous]

OP if you search the archives here, you will find years (almost two decades) of threads that answer your question.

There's also a current thread on the MCPS forum discussing currently proposed cuts. Many of the posters have personal experience.

MCPS is executing significant changes to special education that directly affect autistic students and their families. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1309505.page

[Anonymous]

We are hoping that families will step up and speak out about this. We especially need people to contact the Board of Ed members as soon as possible to prevent the proposed cuts to the autism program.

[Anonymous]

They got rid of one a few years ago and there are probably going to be more cuts. Plan to do many things privately and fight.

[Anonymous]

Too many kids diagnosed with ASD. No way to effectively serve them all. If your kid has average or higher intelligence, and can mostly go through the day without violent behaviors, they are going to be in a regular classroom.

[Anonymous]

Completely absurd all the initiatives MCPS covers and touts, and then does this to our SN population. It's a zero-sum game with your taxes. How you vote matters.
Due to MCPS' issues of compliance with the IDEA, our child was fortunate to attend school elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

The ASD diagnosis is too broad. The range of abilities means that there is little cohesion in the ASD parent community for advocacy. This broad diagnosis also prevents a portion of the ASD parent community from wanting to cooperate with the broader special needs parent advocacy community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too many kids diagnosed with ASD. No way to effectively serve them all. If your kid has average or higher intelligence, and can mostly go through the day without violent behaviors, they are going to be in a regular classroom.

They need supports also in regular classrooms. It’s MCPS responsibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They got rid of one a few years ago and there are probably going to be more cuts. Plan to do many things privately and fight.

+1. If you have a young child, lawyer up. That is what MCPS pays attention to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Completely absurd all the initiatives MCPS covers and touts, and then does this to our SN population. It's a zero-sum game with your taxes. How you vote matters.
Due to MCPS' issues of compliance with the IDEA, our child was fortunate to attend school elsewhere.

We’ve gotten zero help over the years. No accountability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too many kids diagnosed with ASD. No way to effectively serve them all. If your kid has average or higher intelligence, and can mostly go through the day without violent behaviors, they are going to be in a regular classroom.

They need supports also in regular classrooms. It’s MCPS responsibility.

MCPS can not magically create teachers and classroom aides. Making overall class sizes smaller for ES would help a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The ASD diagnosis is too broad. The range of abilities means that there is little cohesion in the ASD parent community for advocacy. This broad diagnosis also prevents a portion of the ASD parent community from wanting to cooperate with the broader special needs parent advocacy community.

It's broad because in the past, clinicians were not great at distinguishing between autism and aspergers. Different clinicians would give a different diagnosis to the same kid. It also wasn't stable over time as needs can and often do change significantly from early childhood through adulthood.

An ASD diagnosis does not automatically lead to an IEP, and certainly not to placement in an autism program, nor would it be appropriate for every kid with an autism diagnosis. For some kids with ASD, the general education classroom is the most appropriate setting for them. The kids that have qualified for self-contained autism programs are unlikely to be the ones whose diagnoses people question.

As a parent of a kid with ASD with low support needs, I'd be totally fine if my kid's diagnosis was called something else, but until the medical establishment figures out a way to do that consistently and meaningfully, the ASD diagnosis is what we have. As a parent, I can't erase that diagnosis any more than you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too many kids diagnosed with ASD. No way to effectively serve them all. If your kid has average or higher intelligence, and can mostly go through the day without violent behaviors, they are going to be in a regular classroom.

They need supports also in regular classrooms. It’s MCPS responsibility.

MCPS can not magically create teachers and classroom aides. Making overall class sizes smaller for ES would help a lot.

Agree you need smaller class sizes but that also necessitates an increase in the number of teachers (and aides).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP if you search the archives here, you will find years (almost two decades) of threads that answer your question.

There's also a current thread on the MCPS forum discussing currently proposed cuts. Many of the posters have personal experience.

MCPS is executing significant changes to special education that directly affect autistic students and their families. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1309505.page

This is very helpful - thank you. If not MCPS, then what school districts in the DMV provide the best services for students with autism? We have an 8-year-old and have a long way to go....