Ugh, sorry OP. Kids with behavioral challenges are the red headed stepchildren of the SN world. Trust me, I know.

Anonymous wrote:Did they recommend another social skills group?

It seems crazy to me that they said "Our social skills group is a bad fit. Try our full-time school instead!" ??? That doesn't make sense.

No, they did not recommend another social skills group but their school, specifically the MAP, which currently costs 50-80k a yr and which most students attend with public funding. They said they could not implement a behavior plan in the Unstuck program which I understand and I agree they have every right to reject students that don't "fit" into their Outreach program.

However, the fact that they told us that he was accepted into the program and then "changed their minds" a month later is a very poor way to run a social skills program for SN kids never mind any other type of therapy, business, school, etc. It's like bizarro world at Ivymount.

My son did a social skills group at Ivymount and loved it. I am sorry that this incident happened to you, but I would encourage you to call and speak to them about other options for your child.

For others on the fence, please don't discount Ivymount completely. My son gained valuable skills there that allowed him to succeed in elementary school.. He's now a fairly well adjusted middle school kid.

I don't understand how a child with autism can not be a good fit for a social skills group for children with autism. ???

Social skills groups seem like the biggest PITA therapy.

My cousin was told that her child's social skills were too poor for a social skills group (this was not at Ivymount). This is a child who was mainstreamed most of the day and highly verbal etc.

Did they recommend another social skills group?

It seems crazy to me that they said "Our social skills group is a bad fit. Try our full-time school instead!" ??? That doesn't make sense.

PP I think you're out of line.

I am not OP but I can only imagine how hurtful and disruptive this could be to my own child if she were in this situation. It often takes kids with ASD a while to get used to a new situation and it isn't unusual for us to take take months… yes, months… to talk up a new class and it is very hard to shift gears without a lot of confusion/tears/tantrums.

Obviously Ivymount felt it wasn't going to be a great fit in the end but I think they owed the parent a better explanation. Also, the fact that they told her this happens "occasionally" makes me very uncomfortable. I can imagine a mistake happening once due to a child changing or the fact that all the other kids enrolled have a different type of issue but I think in the latter case they should have explained that to the parent and allowed him/her to decide whether to enroll.

I'm not saying Ivymount made the wrong decision and I don't think the parent who posted about this is either. I think that there's something wrong with HOW they communicated that decision and their policies and the possibility that the acceptance could be rescinded.

I also wanted to thank you for posting, PP. It is good for others to know how they operate. It's incredibly unkind and I can't believe they say this type of thing occasionally happens. How does it occasionally happen? If they are unsure whether someone is a good fit they should tell the parents. Not accept them and then reject them. Makes me think they weren't sure about your son but wanted to fill the group and then found someone kid who was a better fit which is just messed up.

I hope you find another group that he loves!

FYI, classes with the same Unstuck and On Target curriculum are offered at Children's. They co-developed the material.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for posting PP. This really rubs me the wrong way.

Ivymount told us that DS got into the program about a month ago so we've been telling him what a great program it is, how he'll make new friends and how much fun it'll be to get him excited about going.

What a very unkind thing to do to a little boy. They explained how this occasionally happens and how sorry they were for the "confusion" and how they think the MAP will be a better fit. Like we would ever consider Ivymount for anything after this.

Thanks for posting PP. This really rubs me the wrong way.

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this for you.

We haven't done it but are signed up for the next session. It's run by the Model Asperger's Program and designed for kids with this issue but you should call and ask if it is just for kids with ASDs.

Every child has to go to an observation and be accepted into the program. Basically, what they are looking for in the observation is if the kid is verbal enough to learn from the program.

It looks like a fantastic program and when we were there, a woman talked about how her son was in the program for three sessions and how it improved his social learning.

Worth calling them at least to get more info.

We've just been told that our acceptance into Unstuck has been rescinded. After getting an acceptance letter and being told a second observation was necessary for "staffing" issues only, Ivymount has decided that DS will not be a "good" fit for the program after all.

What a lovely and ironic way to conduct and run social skills classes!

Our son does not have an ASD. The school worked with a BCBA on his issues and she recommended the book on this topic. For whatever that's worth.

Bumping this for you.

We haven't done it but are signed up for the next session. It's run by the Model Asperger's Program and designed for kids with this issue but you should call and ask if it is just for kids with ASDs.

Every child has to go to an observation and be accepted into the program. Basically, what they are looking for in the observation is if the kid is verbal enough to learn from the program.

It looks like a fantastic program and when we were there, a woman talked about how her son was in the program for three sessions and how it improved his social learning.

Worth calling them at least to get more info.

Has anyone done the Unstuck and on Target Saturday social skills group at Ivymount? Its pretty expensive and was wondering if anyone had actual experience with it and if it helped their child. Is it only for children with ASDs? Thanks