ASD-1 kindergartener - moving to DMV

[Anonymous]

I don't know if you are tied to public, but our DC with similar challenges found the Maddux School in Rockville a very good environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

This is so individual, but since he currently has an IEP that definitely gives you a basis for some level of support in kindergarten. I don't know what that would look like necessarily.

My kid was a little like this at age 4 and is still very difficult to engage academically at home. At 4 would need a lot of handholding to complete tasks that she was cognitively able to do - she was just very anxious. Now she just finished K in Montgomery County Public Schools and she has truly flourished in school. Can follow routines with no issues, completes tasks, independently participates in class, has made friends, just has some minor accomodations in a 504 plan.

We never had an IEP (long story) but do weekly OT and social skills classes outside of school and that seems to have really helped. But not sure how 1st grade will shake out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Maddux, Newton, Diener, Linder, Auburn.

[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.

Not Falls Church City. There is only one HS.

Find a neighborhood you like in FCPS that is good for your commute and a house you like that you can afford. The truth is, schools and programs change drastically. My kids are in HS. The schools are nothing like when we bought the house 10+ years ago. One of mine is now in private and the other is in public. But they grew up in a nice, safe, walkable neighborhood that worked for our commute.

I am not familiar with MD schools.

[Anonymous]

10:57 again and I’m throwing this out there. Does anyone know anything about Loudoun? If we could do it again now, we would buy there but my kid is different than OP. It’s less congested and we would get more for our money. We rarely need to go into DC for our jobs though.

[Anonymous]

Falla Church City Public Schools saved our sanity. The real estate market is bonkers but our ASD kiddo, now grade 4, thrives due to excellent, and abundant neuroaffirming support.

[Anonymous]

Oops! PP directly above, meant to write FALLS church city.

[Anonymous]

Also--you may want to consider renting as you figure out the school situation, and then buy after you have had a chance to settle in. The school situation has been so variable for our similar child, and having the flexibility not to be tied down by location has been helpful.

[Anonymous]

Have you considered talking to an educational consultant? Since you have so much flexibility, they might be able to help you sort out public and private options.

[Anonymous]

Educational consultants are a waste of time and money.
Not too long ago an OP was livid after her ASD child got rejected from all schools they applied to.
Their educational consultant recommended mainstream privates and SN privates well known for rejecting all ASD applicants.