ASD-1 kindergartener - moving to DMV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One big piece of advice: don’t rush to buy right away. Even in areas with strong reputations, a school's effectiveness—especially for neurodiverse learners—can vary widely depending on the specific staff and special education (SPED) team in place that year. Things can change quickly with turnover, leadership shifts, or budget impacts. Renting gives you flexibility if the school doesn't end up being the right fit for your child, and it also gives you time to really get a feel for the community.

Also, as soon as you know your base school, reach out to them. Whether your DS currently has a 504 or an IEP—or you're not sure what’s appropriate—you'll want to check eligibility and possibly update or start the process. Each district handles ASD-1 a bit differently when it comes to accommodations and services, so initiating contact early is helpful.

Can you describe/give examples of what you mean when you say each district handles ASD-1 differently?

PP:

I don’t have a child with ASD—my experience is more anecdotal since my child has a different diagnosis—but I’ve noticed that some districts seem to take very different approaches. For example:

Eligibility criteria: Some schools may require a full medical diagnosis before initiating services, while others might evaluate and qualify a student under educational criteria for autism without needing a formal outside diagnosis.
Types of support offered: One district might offer a dedicated autism support classroom or social skills programs, while another might provide only minimal in-class accommodations.
IEP vs. 504 Plans: Some schools lean more heavily on IEPs for ASD students, while others may initially suggest a 504 Plan unless the child has significant academic needs.
Staff training and understanding: In some districts, teachers and aides have more specialized training in ASD and behavior supports, whereas in others, it can be more generalized or inconsistent.
Parental involvement: Some districts actively collaborate with parents as part of the planning team, while others can be more rigid or procedural.

[Anonymous]

Do you have any sort of budget? What are your child’s challenges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old is your kid?

I think FCPS or Falls church city public schools. I think ten years ago MCPS would have been the move but I’ve heard that there’s not much support for milder kids and that the good programs they have LD/GT for example are really hard to get into.

We are in APS and have had a good experience but my sense is it’s a bit more hit or miss.

FYI FCPS is a very small district, one each of elementary, middle, and high school. I am not sure what their resources are for SPED, and I personally would be concerned about no optionality to switch schools get a transfer, etc.

[Anonymous]

Public schools don’t work for a lot of ASD1 students. If the child can access the curriculum FCPS will only offer minimal support.
Private might work better for OP’s child.

[Anonymous]

Homeschool

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public schools don’t work for a lot of ASD1 students. If the child can access the curriculum FCPS will only offer minimal support.
Private might work better for OP’s child.

+1

If the child can access the curriculum and is at grade level, FCPS (probably most districts) will only provide a 504. It is very hard to get the minimal support they offer (30 minutes a couple of times a week with a special education staff member in a group setting) without behavior and educational needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public schools don’t work for a lot of ASD1 students. If the child can access the curriculum FCPS will only offer minimal support.
Private might work better for OP’s child.

What privates should I look into?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have any sort of budget? What are your child’s challenges?

We will be priced out of some areas, but can potentially afford up to $1.5M for a home. But not 1.5 and private school.

[Anonymous]

Wayland, MA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old is your kid?

I think FCPS or Falls church city public schools. I think ten years ago MCPS would have been the move but I’ve heard that there’s not much support for milder kids and that the good programs they have LD/GT for example are really hard to get into.

We are in APS and have had a good experience but my sense is it’s a bit more hit or miss.

FYI FCPS is a very small district, one each of elementary, middle, and high school. I am not sure what their resources are for SPED, and I personally would be concerned about no optionality to switch schools get a transfer, etc.

I assume you mean FCCPS? FCPS is huge. POAC did some report on the NOVA districts a few years ago and FCCPS did the best in terms of inclusion probably because of the size. So if OP’s kid is the type that won’t need a ton of support, which maybe they are given level 1, it seems like a good fit.

[Anonymous]

One thing to know about Montgomery County schools for this age is that the schools with larger percentages of kids receiving free or reduced price meals (FARMS) will have smaller class sizes at the elementary level which can be really helpful for kids with ASD. My child had 16 kids in her Kindergarten class in her ES in Silver Spring. Friends with the kids zoned for wealthier schools seem to have larger Kindergarten classes.

The problem is that this generally does not extend to the middle school level. Middle school is the weak link across the system but from what I have heard the lower income middle schools are worse than the higher income ones.

So not sure what the answer is. One thing to look at is the MCPS school climate surveys to get a sense of the atmosphere at different schools.

But it will be hard to predict what supports you will get at any given school. My kid has ASD1 and was found ineligible for an IEP but I know a few other kids that have gotten an IEP and are happy with the services.

[Anonymous]

You should not be anywhere near DC if you’re serious about education for that kind of child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wayland, MA

Thanks for the Massachusetts votes/info. Unfortunately our careers are not Massachusetts-able.

[Anonymous]

There’s major school rezoning underway in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public schools don’t work for a lot of ASD1 students. If the child can access the curriculum FCPS will only offer minimal support.
Private might work better for OP’s child.

Right now (in PK-4 setting with an IEP for OT, PT, SPED minutes) I'd say DS's main challenge is needing multiple prompts to get through tasks and his lack of motivation to do the work. He also has difficulty initiating some tasks and needs help to have them broken down into smaller, do-able parts. At home it is exceedingly difficult to get him to do anything he does not want to do at that particular moment (and certain tasks/activities he just never wants to do). So any sort of learning/working on letters/letter sounds/etc., is almost a non-starter, because he will just not engage. It is different at school where he understands the expectation, but he is resistant there as well. Ultimately he does not refuse tasks at school, but still is not a jump right in and do it type of student and likely complains and makes negative comments (which we hear a lot at home). I feel sure there is an aspect of anxiety involved, and maybe some performance demand challenges mixed in with some autism rigidity? I'm guessing that as scholastic demands increase we will learn more about what his challenges.

What I can tell you is that his ST says he does not need social skills class and that he can phase out ST (which was done in a group/classroom/playground setting with a main goal of facilitating peer-to-peer engagement). We will need to focus on finding a great play-based therapist and eventually a talk therapist, as his various providers all agree that DS will need help learning to live in and navigate the world and the rules we all have to play by.

Can anyone tell me what DS's profile means in terms of his ability to access the curriculum? Or how various school systems might view/approach DS's scenario?