MCPS and ASD - HELP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Avoid the Bridge program at all costs.

This is not helpful. Bridge is appropriate for some students. It might be perfect for OP’s DD. Why tell her to disregard the program when you don’t know her child well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is well above grade level and needed more behavioral/emotional support than yours was in the Asperger's program. They did fine with her. They do offer a lot of individualized instruction, so I don't see why they would have a problem with your kid.

Laura Solomon is the advocate who got the placement for us. She is EXTREMELY aggressive and MCPS knows her all too well. In fact, you might get the placement just by threatening to hire her. :lol

Imagine what happens to the quality of the program if many students who are poor candidates are admitted because their parents threaten to hire an extremely aggressive advocate or attorney? How does that turn out for the students who are perfect candidates? Will they be properly served if staff is overwhelmed try to meet the needs of students who don't fit the profile the program is intended to serve?

I know because why would Special ed students need any help with anything? Everyone knows that the best special ed kids are the ones who have no issues at all. The best special ed programs should be reserved for the perfect kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is well above grade level and needed more behavioral/emotional support than yours was in the Asperger's program. They did fine with her. They do offer a lot of individualized instruction, so I don't see why they would have a problem with your kid.

Laura Solomon is the advocate who got the placement for us. She is EXTREMELY aggressive and MCPS knows her all too well. In fact, you might get the placement just by threatening to hire her. :lol

Imagine what happens to the quality of the program if many students who are poor candidates are admitted because their parents threaten to hire an extremely aggressive advocate or attorney? How does that turn out for the students who are perfect candidates? Will they be properly served if staff is overwhelmed try to meet the needs of students who don't fit the profile the program is intended to serve?

I know because why would Special ed students need any help with anything? Everyone knows that the best special ed kids are the ones who have no issues at all. The best special ed programs should be reserved for the perfect kids!

You have 0 experience with the Asperger’s programs if you think the perfect candidates need no help at all. There’s intense work on social skills and work study habits. They need support with navigating the changes in routine and productive chaos of a gen ed classroom much of the day. Shame on you for dismissing the hard work and successes of those kids because they don’t fit the same learning profile as your DC.

[Anonymous]

Your daughter will be referred to the Asperger program if and only if you can proof that the current placement (home school model) cannot support her. For example, the school staff has exhausted all resources but she's still having meltdowns every single day, interrupting the class.
If she's having only occasional behavior issues, she will stay in the current placement even though you think she can benefit from 1:1 social skills coaching. Note that even in the Asperger program, it doesn't mean that the teachers/aides will facilitate social skills at recess. Just like any other program, the Asperger program might work for some kids but not the others - it's not a magic placement.

[Anonymous]

The real issue as I see it, is that there are so few seats in these classrooms when there should be more. More kids could be served, but I don't think the Aspergers program has grown at all in the 20 years since it was rolled out. But, the incidence of autism has skyrocketed. Is it that all those newly diagnosed kids are ok in mainstream classes? I imagine that the need for Aspergers classrooms is outpacing the resources that MCPS is putting toward it.

[Anonymous]

The real issue as I see it, is that there are so few seats in these classrooms when there should be more. More kids could be served, but I don't think the Aspergers program has grown at all in the 20 years since it was rolled out. But, the incidence of autism has skyrocketed. Is it that all those newly diagnosed kids are ok in mainstream classes? I imagine that the need for Aspergers classrooms is outpacing the resources that MCPS is putting toward it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real issue as I see it, is that there are so few seats in these classrooms when there should be more. More kids could be served, but I don't think the Aspergers program has grown at all in the 20 years since it was rolled out. But, the incidence of autism has skyrocketed. Is it that all those newly diagnosed kids are ok in mainstream classes? I imagine that the need for Aspergers classrooms is outpacing the resources that MCPS is putting toward it.

But are you willing to shift some of your income toward more taxes to pay for more resources? The Asperger’s classrooms typically have 2-3 paras plus 1-2 teachers with advance degrees and years of experience and a smaller number of gen ed students in the cotaught courses so another part-time teacher might be needed to teach those kids. That’s a lot of salaries and benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could write a book here, but basically we've been struggling with MCPS for over 2 years. Our DD has HFA and some academic challenges related to her ASD. She needs increasing social skills support and 1:1 coaching to resolve social conflicts, but no other "behavioral" issues (she has not been a behavioral problem in school). We have been told twice over the last two years that the Asperger's program is not a good fit for her, but her IEP team at her home school agrees she needs more support than they can provide in the gen ed setting. We have hired advocates, consultants, therapists, we have had her therapists write letters that she needs a different placement - all to be told at a recent IEP that Asperger's isn't the right placement but perhaps her file needs to be referred to the central office. I know that means considering other placements within MCPS and maybe even private - but I'm so confused i trying to determine what is the right fit. We thought Asperger's because she has ASD and to us - all of her issues are connected with that. But the Autism Unit says no - she needs too much emotional/academic support (??!). But we think she is too high functioning for a private placement. We feel totally stuck between a rock and a hard place.

What placements have worked for your child with a similar profile? We are exhausted and at the end of our rope. We can't afford Auburn, Commonwealth, etc.

It's really unusual for them to jump over the Asperger's program for a child with no behavioral issues and who is at or above grade level. I think you need to get more information from the autism unit. Did they do a formal observation and produce a written report? What do they mean by too much emotional support if she doesn't have behavioral issues? What type of academic support does she need? How many hours are in your child's IEP? If private placement at Auburn is a possibility I would strongly urge you to take a look. It looks like a terrific school based on our tour-felt like an ordinary, NT school based on the students but I saw they had charts and social skills reminders on the walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is well above grade level and needed more behavioral/emotional support than yours was in the Asperger's program. They did fine with her. They do offer a lot of individualized instruction, so I don't see why they would have a problem with your kid.

Laura Solomon is the advocate who got the placement for us. She is EXTREMELY aggressive and MCPS knows her all too well. In fact, you might get the placement just by threatening to hire her. :lol

She is extremely unpleasant too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your daughter will be referred to the Asperger program if and only if you can proof that the current placement (home school model) cannot support her. For example, the school staff has exhausted all resources but she's still having meltdowns every single day, interrupting the class.
If she's having only occasional behavior issues, she will stay in the current placement even though you think she can benefit from 1:1 social skills coaching. Note that even in the Asperger program, it doesn't mean that the teachers/aides will facilitate social skills at recess. Just like any other program, the Asperger program might work for some kids but not the others - it's not a magic placement.

So we were told 6 months ago that the entire IEP team agreed she needs rhe Aspergers program. After multiple delays the Autism Unit rep finally came out only to be told that Asperger’s was not “a good fit” because of her mild academic needs and “emotional problems” (she is in no way a behavioral problem). The IEP team said at the same meeting they can’t meet her needs in the Home School. They said they will refer the matter to central but need more paperwork. It is maddening. Meanwhile, we have no idea where our kid is going next year. We have been agreeable and collaborative the entire time and just feel like the rug got pulled out from under us. If in fact Asperger’s isn’t a good fit, they could have told us that 6 months ago. And if it isn’t a good fit, what is? My kid is a relatively typical presentation of HFA. High cognitive ability, ADHD and anxiety, executive functioning issues, needs a lot of social skills support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is well above grade level and needed more behavioral/emotional support than yours was in the Asperger's program. They did fine with her. They do offer a lot of individualized instruction, so I don't see why they would have a problem with your kid.

Laura Solomon is the advocate who got the placement for us. She is EXTREMELY aggressive and MCPS knows her all too well. In fact, you might get the placement just by threatening to hire her. :lol

She is extremely unpleasant too.

There are so many threads about this topic. Yes, she is polarizing. She is also, in my case, proven to be extremely effective. So honestly, I don't care. Beyond that I actually liked her.

[Anonymous]

OP -- you need to fight back. It sounds -- on the surface from what you have said -- that she is a good fit. From experience, I had to fight. It took 2 years of presenting data (outside therapist and medical reports, an advocate, classroom observations, etc) to get the right placement.

Also, from my experience, a lot rests on the opinion of your Instructional Specialist. Is this person participating on your IEP team? You MUST have the right people in the room or you will never get a decision made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is well above grade level and needed more behavioral/emotional support than yours was in the Asperger's program. They did fine with her. They do offer a lot of individualized instruction, so I don't see why they would have a problem with your kid.

Laura Solomon is the advocate who got the placement for us. She is EXTREMELY aggressive and MCPS knows her all too well. In fact, you might get the placement just by threatening to hire her. :lol

She is extremely unpleasant too.

There are so many threads about this topic. Yes, she is polarizing. She is also, in my case, proven to be extremely effective. So honestly, I don't care. Beyond that I actually liked her.

+1 She was effective in my case as well, and I was able to deal with her. DW hated her. I only suggested her to OP because she has tried other advocates and Laura specializes in autism placements. Normally I don't recommend her because of her difficult personality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is well above grade level and needed more behavioral/emotional support than yours was in the Asperger's program. They did fine with her. They do offer a lot of individualized instruction, so I don't see why they would have a problem with your kid.

Laura Solomon is the advocate who got the placement for us. She is EXTREMELY aggressive and MCPS knows her all too well. In fact, you might get the placement just by threatening to hire her. :lol

Imagine what happens to the quality of the program if many students who are poor candidates are admitted because their parents threaten to hire an extremely aggressive advocate or attorney? How does that turn out for the students who are perfect candidates? Will they be properly served if staff is overwhelmed try to meet the needs of students who don't fit the profile the program is intended to serve?

I know because why would Special ed students need any help with anything? Everyone knows that the best special ed kids are the ones who have no issues at all. The best special ed programs should be reserved for the perfect kids!

You have 0 experience with the Asperger’s programs if you think the perfect candidates need no help at all. There’s intense work on social skills and work study habits. They need support with navigating the changes in routine and productive chaos of a gen ed classroom much of the day. Shame on you for dismissing the hard work and successes of those kids because they don’t fit the same learning profile as your DC.

I think PP was being sarcastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real issue as I see it, is that there are so few seats in these classrooms when there should be more. More kids could be served, but I don't think the Aspergers program has grown at all in the 20 years since it was rolled out. But, the incidence of autism has skyrocketed. Is it that all those newly diagnosed kids are ok in mainstream classes? I imagine that the need for Aspergers classrooms is outpacing the resources that MCPS is putting toward it.

But are you willing to shift some of your income toward more taxes to pay for more resources? The Asperger’s classrooms typically have 2-3 paras plus 1-2 teachers with advance degrees and years of experience and a smaller number of gen ed students in the cotaught courses so another part-time teacher might be needed to teach those kids. That’s a lot of salaries and benefits.

You are in the SN Forum. Most of us would happily pay more tax if it meant more services for our kids.