montgomery county autism programs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are crucial decisions about diploma vs certificate made in fifth 4th/5th grade? Why is that the point in which it is decided that a kid will stay in the county services til 21? Or won't get a diploma?
?

Kids can't be more than two grade levels behind for more than 3 years. If they continue to be more than two grade levels behind their peers, they have to be in a different "learning model."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Burning tree has a learning center. Tilden has an autism middle school program. Pyle has a facilitated communication program but their teacher just left and I know nothing about the new one. A friend had to sue to get private placement. Not easy.

There are many other ways in which the link is outdated. The AAC programs now only run through Second Grade. There are facilitated communication programs for autism but they are hush-hush.

Another reason why MCPS really sucks. It is near impossible to find anything online about programs.

The website sucks, but I've talked to several people in Central Office and they were all very good about answering questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are crucial decisions about diploma vs certificate made in fifth 4th/5th grade? Why is that the point in which it is decided that a kid will stay in the county services til 21? Or won't get a diploma?
?

Kids can't be more than two grade levels behind for more than 3 years. If they continue to be more than two grade levels behind their peers, they have to be in a different "learning model."

If they make rapid progress after fifth grade, can they switch tracks?

[Anonymous]

Somebody posted above that MCPS sucks. That's what I'm trying to find out -- do the special ed programs suck? For my child it would definitely be in one of the self contained classrooms, either autism or something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somebody posted above that MCPS sucks. That's what I'm trying to find out -- do the special ed programs suck? For my child it would definitely be in one of the self contained classrooms, either autism or something else.

My DD has been in the MCPS Asperger's program for a few days, but so far it's been positive. Since your child isn't very verbal, he would probably go to the regular autism program. I've heard good things about it, but can't speak from experience. They may try to put your child in the Emotional Disabilities program, but don't let them do that, I have heard bad things about it. To figure out where your child might end up, call the special ed staff here http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/directory/directory_Boxoffice.aspx?processlevel=25102
I think Laurie Kelderman does both Asperger's and autism. You can also attend a www.xminds.org event. Both parents and school staff attend them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are crucial decisions about diploma vs certificate made in fifth 4th/5th grade? Why is that the point in which it is decided that a kid will stay in the county services til 21? Or won't get a diploma?
?

Kids can't be more than two grade levels behind for more than 3 years. If they continue to be more than two grade levels behind their peers, they have to be in a different "learning model."

If they make rapid progress after fifth grade, can they switch tracks?

I don't think the system is set up so that a child who is, for example, in the community-based curriculum, would be able to rapidly progress and get to grade level at the sixth grade. At that level, the community based kids are not handling academic subjects. And this isn't like vocational vs. college track. It's not like taking a few extra history and math courses and you catch up. Kids on certificate track lack some basic literacy skills, often not learning how to read at all beyond kindergarten level or not learning much beyond kindergarten math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are crucial decisions about diploma vs certificate made in fifth 4th/5th grade? Why is that the point in which it is decided that a kid will stay in the county services til 21? Or won't get a diploma?
?

These decisions are actually made far earlier and the reason why it's crucial to use an advocate. When my kid was going into PEP from Infants and Toddlers wanted to put him into PEP C. Do that and it's certificate only from there on out. We got the advocate and fought against the placement. My kid did fine in regular PEP and has been tested and found to have average intelligence. Do the research, look at the options, go in guns blazing and know that the system has its own agenda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are crucial decisions about diploma vs certificate made in fifth 4th/5th grade? Why is that the point in which it is decided that a kid will stay in the county services til 21? Or won't get a diploma?
?

Kids can't be more than two grade levels behind for more than 3 years. If they continue to be more than two grade levels behind their peers, they have to be in a different "learning model."

If they make rapid progress after fifth grade, can they switch tracks?

I doubt it would ever happen like that. They lower expectations for kids on the certificate track and the gap gets bigger and bigger.. A parent at my school told me about when he and a friend both had to decide on programs for their kids. He kept his kid in the regular ES at the Learrning Center and the other family chose LFI. His friend's kid never learned to read but his did. The academic skills are not stressed to the same degree in the certificate program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somebody posted above that MCPS sucks. That's what I'm trying to find out -- do the special ed programs suck? For my child it would definitely be in one of the self contained classrooms, either autism or something else.

MCPS does suck in general but I think the children that suffer the most are the ones that are mainstreamed, perform at or above grade level, are on the border of needing a program and are in wealthier areas. If you can get your child into one of the programs you'll probably find good support. The autism program in particular is known to have excellent teachers with excellent back up from the central office. You may still find a dud teacher or paraeducator from time to time but I know parents who have children in both the autism program and the Asperger's programs and they all have good things to say about the classrooms themselves. For many of them it WAS a fight to get their child there in the first place so the positive feelings they have towards the teachers and program staff does not extend to MCPS in general.

[Anonymous]

I think the self contained Autism Program is pretty good for the students who need that model. The problem I have see is that many times MCPS wants to place kids who would do well in the Autism Program in the School-Community Based Program, which is sort of a "catch all" for kids with varying disabilities. As hard as the teachers work in the SCB program, with the existing staffing is it JUST NOT POSSIBLE to manage a kid with autism, kids with moderate-severe ID, kids with mobility impairments who need to be carefully positioned, etc., all in one classroom with just a teacher and maybe 2 part time aides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somebody posted above that MCPS sucks. That's what I'm trying to find out -- do the special ed programs suck? For my child it would definitely be in one of the self contained classrooms, either autism or something else.

MCPS does suck in general but I think the children that suffer the most are the ones that are mainstreamed, perform at or above grade level, are on the border of needing a program and are in wealthier areas. If you can get your child into one of the programs you'll probably find good support. The autism program in particular is known to have excellent teachers with excellent back up from the central office. You may still find a dud teacher or paraeducator from time to time but I know parents who have children in both the autism program and the Asperger's programs and they all have good things to say about the classrooms themselves. For many of them it WAS a fight to get their child there in the first place so the positive feelings they have towards the teachers and program staff does not extend to MCPS in general.

The children who suffer the most are the ones who are mainstreamed and perform at or above grade level in wealthier areas? I don't think I follow you, PP. How are these kids suffering the most?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somebody posted above that MCPS sucks. That's what I'm trying to find out -- do the special ed programs suck? For my child it would definitely be in one of the self contained classrooms, either autism or something else.

MCPS does suck in general but I think the children that suffer the most are the ones that are mainstreamed, perform at or above grade level, are on the border of needing a program and are in wealthier areas. If you can get your child into one of the programs you'll probably find good support. The autism program in particular is known to have excellent teachers with excellent back up from the central office. You may still find a dud teacher or paraeducator from time to time but I know parents who have children in both the autism program and the Asperger's programs and they all have good things to say about the classrooms themselves. For many of them it WAS a fight to get their child there in the first place so the positive feelings they have towards the teachers and program staff does not extend to MCPS in general.

The children who suffer the most are the ones who are mainstreamed and perform at or above grade level in wealthier areas? I don't think I follow you, PP. How are these kids suffering the most?

Not the pp but those are the kids who sort of get by, who get overlooked and MCPS assumes their parents will handle therapies/tutoring privately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somebody posted above that MCPS sucks. That's what I'm trying to find out -- do the special ed programs suck? For my child it would definitely be in one of the self contained classrooms, either autism or something else.

MCPS does suck in general but I think the children that suffer the most are the ones that are mainstreamed, perform at or above grade level, are on the border of needing a program and are in wealthier areas. If you can get your child into one of the programs you'll probably find good support. The autism program in particular is known to have excellent teachers with excellent back up from the central office. You may still find a dud teacher or paraeducator from time to time but I know parents who have children in both the autism program and the Asperger's programs and they all have good things to say about the classrooms themselves. For many of them it WAS a fight to get their child there in the first place so the positive feelings they have towards the teachers and program staff does not extend to MCPS in general.

The children who suffer the most are the ones who are mainstreamed and perform at or above grade level in wealthier areas? I don't think I follow you, PP. How are these kids suffering the most?

Not the pp but those are the kids who sort of get by, who get overlooked and MCPS assumes their parents will handle therapies/tutoring privately.

Pardon me if I don't cry for the wealthy kids performing above grade level in mainstream classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somebody posted above that MCPS sucks. That's what I'm trying to find out -- do the special ed programs suck? For my child it would definitely be in one of the self contained classrooms, either autism or something else.

MCPS does suck in general but I think the children that suffer the most are the ones that are mainstreamed, perform at or above grade level, are on the border of needing a program and are in wealthier areas. If you can get your child into one of the programs you'll probably find good support. The autism program in particular is known to have excellent teachers with excellent back up from the central office. You may still find a dud teacher or paraeducator from time to time but I know parents who have children in both the autism program and the Asperger's programs and they all have good things to say about the classrooms themselves. For many of them it WAS a fight to get their child there in the first place so the positive feelings they have towards the teachers and program staff does not extend to MCPS in general.

The children who suffer the most are the ones who are mainstreamed and perform at or above grade level in wealthier areas? I don't think I follow you, PP. How are these kids suffering the most?

Not the pp but those are the kids who sort of get by, who get overlooked and MCPS assumes their parents will handle therapies/tutoring privately.

Why wouldn't their parents handle therapies/tutoring privately?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somebody posted above that MCPS sucks. That's what I'm trying to find out -- do the special ed programs suck? For my child it would definitely be in one of the self contained classrooms, either autism or something else.

MCPS does suck in general but I think the children that suffer the most are the ones that are mainstreamed, perform at or above grade level, are on the border of needing a program and are in wealthier areas. If you can get your child into one of the programs you'll probably find good support. The autism program in particular is known to have excellent teachers with excellent back up from the central office. You may still find a dud teacher or paraeducator from time to time but I know parents who have children in both the autism program and the Asperger's programs and they all have good things to say about the classrooms themselves. For many of them it WAS a fight to get their child there in the first place so the positive feelings they have towards the teachers and program staff does not extend to MCPS in general.

The children who suffer the most are the ones who are mainstreamed and perform at or above grade level in wealthier areas? I don't think I follow you, PP. How are these kids suffering the most?

Not the pp but those are the kids who sort of get by, who get overlooked and MCPS assumes their parents will handle therapies/tutoring privately.

Pardon me if I don't cry for the wealthy kids performing above grade level in mainstream classrooms.

Wow, no need to be a sh*t. A lot of kids could use social support and don't get it--regardless of their SES.