Falls Church City vs South Arlington Elementary schools for autism

[Anonymous]

Avoiding FCPS for concerns about outplacement? I would think that FCPS would have a lot of services/resources to provide as such a large district with classrooms that are categorized? I might be wrong. I don't know how many students they end up paying for to go elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Avoiding FCPS for concerns about outplacement? I would think that FCPS would have a lot of services/resources to provide as such a large district with classrooms that are categorized? I might be wrong. I don't know how many students they end up paying for to go elsewhere.

I’d be surprised if FCPS is outsourcing anything but extremely severe cases they can’t handle. My understanding is they have even broader resources than APS for special education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoiding FCPS for concerns about outplacement? I would think that FCPS would have a lot of services/resources to provide as such a large district with classrooms that are categorized? I might be wrong. I don't know how many students they end up paying for to go elsewhere.

I’d be surprised if FCPS is outsourcing anything but extremely severe cases they can’t handle. My understanding is they have even broader resources than APS for special education.

Agree. And definitely more than FCCPS, if more than APS too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello. We are moving with three kids with autism, all across the spectrum. We would love your thoughts on more inclusive, less bullying school communities. We can supplement tutoring, speech and OT on our own. Where are classmates and teachers more welcoming of neurodiversity? We actually dont want the school to pay for our most severe child to go somewhere else. We want to be welcomed. We are avoiding FCPS and Alexandria schools for this reason. Thank you!

For what it is worth I think there are going to be welcoming or not welcoming kids no matter where you go. I'd focus more on the resources available, what you want your kids to get out of school, and LRE.

[Anonymous]

My kids ate in FCCPS both in elementary, both with IEPs. One has been diagnosed HFA, ASD1. The other is on the waitlist for a ASD assessment. We lived in FCC before this was on our radar but I have been very impressed with how it’s been handled by the school. My kid with ASD has some very difficult behaviors and the school has been great. I have been on high alert for teasing and it has not been an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids in APS; one NT and one ASD, both in S. Arlington schools. I have not a single bad thing to say about the ASD child's experience. Our IEP team and classroom teachers have been excellent throughout. In particular, when your child is older - depending on the situation - the Autism program at TJMS (Secondary Program for Students with High Functioning Autism) is excellent, the teachers there are exceptional.

This is of course our experience - I know others who do not feel the same way. As a pp mentioned, you have much more flexibility to fix a less optimal situation in SA than you do in Falls Church City.

Good luck!

Is the kid with ASD in high school yet? A friend whose kid was on the spectrum said elementary school was amazing, MS was fine, and HS was a disaster (kid graduated a few years ago so maybe things have gotten better in HS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoiding FCPS for concerns about outplacement? I would think that FCPS would have a lot of services/resources to provide as such a large district with classrooms that are categorized? I might be wrong. I don't know how many students they end up paying for to go elsewhere.

I’d be surprised if FCPS is outsourcing anything but extremely severe cases they can’t handle. My understanding is they have even broader resources than APS for special education.

Agree. And definitely more than FCCPS, if more than APS too.

+1

[Anonymous]

FCPS definitely has the most resources because they have many many more students to serve. They have over 180,000 students in the district. APS has 27,000 and FCCPS has less than 3,000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids in APS; one NT and one ASD, both in S. Arlington schools. I have not a single bad thing to say about the ASD child's experience. Our IEP team and classroom teachers have been excellent throughout. In particular, when your child is older - depending on the situation - the Autism program at TJMS (Secondary Program for Students with High Functioning Autism) is excellent, the teachers there are exceptional.

This is of course our experience - I know others who do not feel the same way. As a pp mentioned, you have much more flexibility to fix a less optimal situation in SA than you do in Falls Church City.

Good luck!

I realize I'm pulling up an old post but I was searching for autism and APS. How does one get into this program at TJMS? My child is in 4th grade now so looking for a middle school option soon. Elementary has not been great and with all the people we've talked to, no one has mentioned this.

Also, what is the program like? Separate classroom all day? Any details would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Better quality responses are more likely by posting in Special Needs forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids in APS; one NT and one ASD, both in S. Arlington schools. I have not a single bad thing to say about the ASD child's experience. Our IEP team and classroom teachers have been excellent throughout. In particular, when your child is older - depending on the situation - the Autism program at TJMS (Secondary Program for Students with High Functioning Autism) is excellent, the teachers there are exceptional.

This is of course our experience - I know others who do not feel the same way. As a pp mentioned, you have much more flexibility to fix a less optimal situation in SA than you do in Falls Church City.

Good luck!

I realize I'm pulling up an old post but I was searching for autism and APS. How does one get into this program at TJMS? My child is in 4th grade now so looking for a middle school option soon. Elementary has not been great and with all the people we've talked to, no one has mentioned this.

Also, what is the program like? Separate classroom all day? Any details would be appreciated.

You can find a description of the programs on the APS special ed website. It's called the Secondary Program for Students with Autism, and it's actually hard to get into it because the criteria is very specific. It's an IEP team decision. Students are usually in gen ed for most of their classes with self contained classes for social skills/instructional studies. Some families hire an attorney to get into the program. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ Shoot. Not Barcroft, they feed into Kenmore. Alcova Heights.

And, welcome to Arlington!

I wouldn’t worry about feeders, middle schools are open for transfers again and it’s always an option for SPED (assuming it’s the LRE)

I wouldn't take it for granted that will continue. You never know when enrollment is going to change or boundaries.

Ok, but sped transfers for countywide programs are different. You could be in the TJMS attendance zone and not get in if it’s not the correct placement.

right but that's just for countywide sped programs, many sped kids are not in those and have the same attendance zones/policies as any other kid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids in APS; one NT and one ASD, both in S. Arlington schools. I have not a single bad thing to say about the ASD child's experience. Our IEP team and classroom teachers have been excellent throughout. In particular, when your child is older - depending on the situation - the Autism program at TJMS (Secondary Program for Students with High Functioning Autism) is excellent, the teachers there are exceptional.

This is of course our experience - I know others who do not feel the same way. As a pp mentioned, you have much more flexibility to fix a less optimal situation in SA than you do in Falls Church City.

Good luck!

I realize I'm pulling up an old post but I was searching for autism and APS. How does one get into this program at TJMS? My child is in 4th grade now so looking for a middle school option soon. Elementary has not been great and with all the people we've talked to, no one has mentioned this.

Also, what is the program like? Separate classroom all day? Any details would be appreciated.

You can find a description of the programs on the APS special ed website. It's called the Secondary Program for Students with Autism, and it's actually hard to get into it because the criteria is very specific. It's an IEP team decision. Students are usually in gen ed for most of their classes with self contained classes for social skills/instructional studies. Some families hire an attorney to get into the program. Good luck!

Ask your 5th grade case carrier about it at the start of the year- call a meeting and ask the student support coordinator to attend. The program is at Hamm and TJMS dependent on where you live. It is for students who are on or above grade level and have social- emotional and attention/organization needs primarily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids in APS; one NT and one ASD, both in S. Arlington schools. I have not a single bad thing to say about the ASD child's experience. Our IEP team and classroom teachers have been excellent throughout. In particular, when your child is older - depending on the situation - the Autism program at TJMS (Secondary Program for Students with High Functioning Autism) is excellent, the teachers there are exceptional.

This is of course our experience - I know others who do not feel the same way. As a pp mentioned, you have much more flexibility to fix a less optimal situation in SA than you do in Falls Church City.

Good luck!

I realize I'm pulling up an old post but I was searching for autism and APS. How does one get into this program at TJMS? My child is in 4th grade now so looking for a middle school option soon. Elementary has not been great and with all the people we've talked to, no one has mentioned this.

Also, what is the program like? Separate classroom all day? Any details would be appreciated.

You can find a description of the programs on the APS special ed website. It's called the Secondary Program for Students with Autism, and it's actually hard to get into it because the criteria is very specific. It's an IEP team decision. Students are usually in gen ed for most of their classes with self contained classes for social skills/instructional studies. Some families hire an attorney to get into the program. Good luck!

Ask your 5th grade case carrier about it at the start of the year- call a meeting and ask the student support coordinator to attend. The program is at Hamm and TJMS dependent on where you live. It is for students who are on or above grade level and have social- emotional and attention/organization needs primarily.

Thank you for this!

[Anonymous]

If any of your kids are in the MIPA program, like others have said, they will go to the closest school with room. Those enrolled in the MIPA program stay together throughout elementary school. Let's say Ashlawn has a MIPA class, but they are all 4th/5th graders and you have a rising K student. You may not end up at Ashlawn b/c they will send your kid to the closest with a lower-years group. We had MIPA at our elementary. At our school, siblings in gen ed were allowed to come to the school, too, even though it wasn't their home school. I think that's important b/c it makes it easier for the kids and the parents.