4 year old just diagnosed with autism (what was Aspbergers)--what should we do with schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no letter B in aspergers.

S/ someone who has it. 😬

Persnickety pants

Ha! Literally had the same reaction. “Oh, look [ASD son] has joined the chat.” 😆

You guys are jerks

Nah. Just trying to lighten the mood a little. And to get OP some cover from what could be viewed as criticism, even if not intended as such. OP is clearly new to all of this and has a lot to learn and the determination to do so.

[Anonymous]

To build on some of the previous responses: the Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI) are considered at the forefront of ASD teaching and learning right now. There are only a handful of them, and in our area the only one I know of is through Kennedy Krieger and is called Achievements. ESDM is another one, but there aren’t many certified practitioners in ESDM in the area. They are referred to as NDBIs because they draw from developmental psychology and behavioral sciences. Check out the Mind Institute in CA for good info on this - or Sally Rogers and/or Geraldine Dawson. There are parent coaches you can work with virtually who are very good. Hopefully the NDBIs will make it into other schools - public and private - in this area. It’s worth doing some digging into these methods when you have time.

[Anonymous]

An Early Start for Your Child with Autism by Rogers, Dawson, and Vismara.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no letter B in aspergers.

S/ someone who has it. 😬

Persnickety pants

Ha! Literally had the same reaction. “Oh, look [ASD son] has joined the chat.” 😆

You guys are jerks

Nah. Just trying to lighten the mood a little. And to get OP some cover from what could be viewed as criticism, even if not intended as such. OP is clearly new to all of this and has a lot to learn and the determination to do so.

I'm one of the "jerks" and I agree! My smart, hilarious, and extremely rigid-thinking son would be the first person to acknowledge that he has to compulsively correct spelling errors. I'm not making fun of him ... I'm acknowledging one of the ways he meets the world differently than NT folks. (He also prefers ASD to Aspergers, but that's another story.)

[Anonymous]

Hi Op-I know it’s quite overwhelming! What worked well for our son (now in elementary MCPS home school model class with 4.5 hours of support a day) was to get him into Pep and then go to Maddux but keep the IEP active as a service plan. There are a variety of Pep programs but I think you should definitely check out Pep Collaborative (only at certain MCPS elementary schools-it’s an inclusion model with universal Prek students) and maybe Pep Itinerant to go into a private preschool where they are open to kids with ABA shadows (like the Gan at Adas Israel or Potomac Glen Day School). I am not sure if you are going to go the ABA route, though. I love Early Start Denver Model but there aren’t any therapists I could find that do it here in Moco. We have found with our son that you need a shadow at the mainstream preschools if there are behavior issues.

When you say behavioral issues, it would be helpful to know what those are if you are willing to share? You should also check out Diener as they are able to provide more behavioral supports than Maddux. Maddux is amazing, though, for social skills and social thinking etc.

Also, the MCPS “Aspergers” program is awesome but doesn’t start till first grade so that won’t help you for kindergarten. It doesn’t sound like your daughter is a good fit for the MCPS Learning Centers so I think MCPS homeschool model at Takoma Park with a lot of IEP goals for social skills or maybe Maddux or Diener for kindergarten. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi Op-I know it’s quite overwhelming! What worked well for our son (now in elementary MCPS home school model class with 4.5 hours of support a day) was to get him into Pep and then go to Maddux but keep the IEP active as a service plan. There are a variety of Pep programs but I think you should definitely check out Pep Collaborative (only at certain MCPS elementary schools-it’s an inclusion model with universal Prek students) and maybe Pep Itinerant to go into a private preschool where they are open to kids with ABA shadows (like the Gan at Adas Israel or Potomac Glen Day School). I am not sure if you are going to go the ABA route, though. I love Early Start Denver Model but there aren’t any therapists I could find that do it here in Moco. We have found with our son that you need a shadow at the mainstream preschools if there are behavior issues.

When you say behavioral issues, it would be helpful to know what those are if you are willing to share? You should also check out Diener as they are able to provide more behavioral supports than Maddux. Maddux is amazing, though, for social skills and social thinking etc.

Also, the MCPS “Aspergers” program is awesome but doesn’t start till first grade so that won’t help you for kindergarten. It doesn’t sound like your daughter is a good fit for the MCPS Learning Centers so I think MCPS homeschool model at Takoma Park with a lot of IEP goals for social skills or maybe Maddux or Diener for kindergarten. Good luck!

Maddux is good.

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks everyone. This has been a wealth of information. Our daughter's behavioral issues are with emotional regulation -- really explosive temper, yelling (no hitting or biting, thank goodness), and difficulty paying attention, lots of running from things. She does have friends and wants to be social, though sometimes I think she can't quite figure out how to connect. She also is really anxious about new situations and transitions and gets nervous and overwhelmed in crowds. She's doing ok in a small daycare right now--they're really patient and supportive--but it's a very small class and I just don't know what a regular classroom might be like for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no letter B in aspergers.

S/ someone who has it. 😬

Persnickety pants

Ha! Literally had the same reaction. “Oh, look [ASD son] has joined the chat.” 😆

You guys are jerks

The “jerk” is the snotty person who made the unnecessary spelling correction when everyone, including that poster, knew exactly what OP meant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no letter B in aspergers.

S/ someone who has it. 😬

Persnickety pants

Ha! Literally had the same reaction. “Oh, look [ASD son] has joined the chat.” 😆

You guys are jerks

Nah. Just trying to lighten the mood a little. And to get OP some cover from what could be viewed as criticism, even if not intended as such. OP is clearly new to all of this and has a lot to learn and the determination to do so.

Np. I enjoyed the apsie deflection comment. And now ensuing non-argument. What’s the point and real question again?

[Anonymous]

Maddux sounds like a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maddux sounds like a good fit.

Very competitive to get accepted, but they are often short on applications from girls, so that's a potential strength for OP's application.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids can change a lot between 4 and the time they are ready to go to K. Ours did so I wouldn't panic yet. I would try to get her an IEP before school begins if possible so she can go in with some supports but otherwise consider putting her in a private with more support. Everybody told us that doing more when they are younger really pays off and they were right. We did a lot but we regret the things we did not do. If I had to do it over again I would have invested in private K and 1st.

NP. What private school do you think would be a good fit for kids with this profile for K and 1st?

Bump. We are in a similar situation with our DS

For ours it would have been Maddox. We know a few other families with kids with similar profiles--academically advanced but who need repetition of directions and are struggling with behaviors such as being able to sit still, pay attention, follow directions and might cry or get anxious-- who did very well there. This is for a child who was expected to be mainstreamed and he was but not without struggle. I wish we could have avoided that first year of being thrown into K with no IEP, no 504 and a hostile school environment which did a lot of damage. Friends who had kids who went to Maddox went to a mix of private and public after that and while some have more challenges than DC they were emotionally or psychologically in a better place coming out of those early elementary years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our 4 year old daughter was just diagnosed with autism. She is really bright (can already spell and write, do math, etc.) but has a lot of behavior issues. We're trying to figure out what to do for her next year when she is old enough to go to kindergarten. We live in Takoma Park, so MCPS. This is all so overwhelming. Any advice on what to do?

I have a dd with Autism and can't recommend schools but, what helped her was acting classes, particularly improv. They were more of a black/white thinker and improv helped make her more flexible. Try Imagination stage, in Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for considering Maddux. My kid, like yours, struggled with dysregulated behavior in PK, but that went away in Maddux's structured and supportive environment. And if you think the MCPS Asperger's program is a good fit after graduating from Maddux, they'll help advocate for that placement so she doesn't need to fail in gen ed first. Diener and Auburn are good choices if she needs more support than Maddux provides.

[Anonymous]

Maddux won't take kids who elope though so OP if you meant your child wants to leave the classroom when you say they run away they don't have the staff to handle that. In that situation I would try Diener or Auburn. Especially at a young age you want to be at a place that can meet your child's needs so your child isn't hurt physically or psychologically. You also don't want to be in a position where they are calling you all the time and you are under threat of losing your spot which could be very hard on your child.