Special Needs School or Pubic with 1:1 Aide

[Anonymous]

Hi All,

DC has been scored 3 points shy of Asperger's, or possible Social Communication Disorder. My question is this: would he be better off in a mainstream with a 1:1 aide (if we can get that), or should we put him in a special needs school (like Auburn) straight away. He's entering K this fall. Its apparent to his father and me that he needs a lot more help than what he's been getting the past couple of years- OT 1x week, SLP 2x week, and that he needs more intensive help.

Any and all input would be most appreciated.

[Anonymous]

A lot depends on your finances and your time and ability to fight the school system. Also what school system do you live in?

My choice for my two kids was a private school. While expensive for us it has been worth every penny. I started my kids in a private school focused on kids with learning differences in pre-first and first and they are now going into tenth and eighth grades and I believe that it is the best value for those $s.

[Anonymous]

I'm not trying to be hurtful, but the chances of your being able to get your child either of these options is quite small. A one-to-one full-time aide for a child without a physical disability is just not going to happen. And a child without an actual diagnosis of HFA is not going to be accepted to Auburn.

My advice is to step up services and get an IEP. Can you tell us a bit more about what your child needs?

[Anonymous]

Our rising K DS who does have an AS DX was turned down for an 1 on 1 aide at his public immersion language charter in DC. He actually did well and improved dramatically with only his IEP so we were ultimately happy with the decision. I was told it is very difficult to get a dedicated aide for Aspies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not trying to be hurtful, but the chances of your being able to get your child either of these options is quite small. A one-to-one full-time aide for a child without a physical disability is just not going to happen. And a child without an actual diagnosis of HFA is not going to be accepted to Auburn.

My advice is to step up services and get an IEP. Can you tell us a bit more about what your child needs?

Agree with the pp about the one-to-one aide. Do not agree about Auburn. There are kids there with other diagnoses. They definitely take non-HFA kids with social communication issues. Op, I would also look at Diener and McLean. Diener may not be challenging enough academically for your dc but they definitely work on the social piece. McLean does not work on the social piece but it will have a small class.

[Anonymous]

My thought would be you should go through the IEP process to see what you can get. My child with HFA gets 10 hours a week of in class services plus 1 hour a week of Speech. We supplement with private OT and a social skills group. Working out great here.

[Anonymous]

DC is our system. I'm skeptical. I have the energy and time to fight for him, but we can also afford a number of years of private, just barely. I guess I'm wondering if anyone out there has had the experience of both private and public with a child like mine, and if there is some kind of benefit from being mainstreamed, or included, that I'm not considering.

[Anonymous]

be aware, too, that there are many, many downsides to 1:1 aides. there is a growing body of research that says ultimately more harmful than helpful.

[Anonymous]

OP here again. thanks for the candid feedback about 1:1 aide, I appreciate it. Wow, that's really an eye opener that the !:! can end up being more hurtful than helpful. And then also, nearly impossible to get.

His needs are social; understanding reciprocity and being more flexible, as well as academic; he has interests I can't keep up with; my kitchen is a perpetual experiment zone and I'm running out of energy. Our biggest concern/challenge is that it takes him months to get used to a new school, and we need a place where they'll hang in there with him and teach him out of some of his avoidance behavior and get him relaxed enough to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. thanks for the candid feedback about 1:1 aide, I appreciate it. Wow, that's really an eye opener that the !:! can end up being more hurtful than helpful. And then also, nearly impossible to get.

His needs are social; understanding reciprocity and being more flexible, as well as academic; he has interests I can't keep up with; my kitchen is a perpetual experiment zone and I'm running out of energy. Our biggest concern/challenge is that it takes him months to get used to a new school, and we need a place where they'll hang in there with him and teach him out of some of his avoidance behavior and get him relaxed enough to learn.

How would/could a 1-1 aide help with this?

[Anonymous]

maddux?

[Anonymous]

OP- right the aide would only help with behavior, not learning. just figured that out.

[Anonymous]

oops-meant OP Here in previous post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- right the aide would only help with behavior, not learning. just figured that out.

A 1/1 aide helps with issues like toileting, seizures, mobility issues (child can't walk without falling), eating and feeding (child can't self-feed), movement in the classroom. A 1/1 aide really can't help your child socialize, can't make your child behave, can't break the social ice for your child, can't stop your child from "wrecking" the classroom, and can't be your child's private tutor.

[Anonymous]

a BIP might get you one but my aspies at our school gets aid when they go in mainstream class not when self contained.FCPS