Reply to Modified curriculum in self contained autism class?

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Reply to "Modified curriculum in self contained autism class?"

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[quote=Anonymous]
In any self-contained class, you should ask to see the basic materials in language arts/reading and in math which will be used for your child for the grade placement he is in.  Reading should be pretty straightforward as it should be the same series of books used with perhaps modified tasks.

Separately, you should ask what the writing goals are as reading and writing skills are more tied together that in years past.  Then compare with the materials used in the typical class for our DC which you can ask about.  A person who should know the general ed classes is the Instructional Coordinator.  Also start with the school web site or the County web site under each subject and goals or other information listed by year.

The stronger your child seems to be in academic skills, the closer you may have to watch what is happening in the SC class.  A SC class can be very, very beneficial to work in smaller, less distracting environment, more personal attention to gain a base in core skills, ability to focus on  behavioral or other issues which may impede academic progress.  BUT you can also run into SC classrooms where it is a little too much "teacher choice" and teaching to the lower performing students' goals instead of individualizing.  Also, you do want to be sure your child/child's group gets appropriate amount of direct teacher instruction.

For a child with moderate, multiple or severe challenges, a SC classroom may be the better setting to have the best chance of mastering basic core academic skills and extending them along the way.  Also perhaps the better setting for some students to help them master related life skills to be able to function in a job setting later on.

Also life is about being flexible and just because one starts out in a SC class may not mean that mainstreaming or inclusion may not work as the LRE at certain times in ones education.  Just as some may do well with peers in early years, but if the gap widens, perhaps going to a SC or resource setting for core subjects is best alternative to getting a regular high school diploma.  Funding is not what it used to be so there are times when you have to pick and choose your goals.  In the early years I would opt for best setting to learn to read, to write, to do math - solid base and to learn computer skills to have the widest choice as school goes on.

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