Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Previous Poster. Both private evaluation and school evaluation though he was NOT on the spectrum, despite scoring in the range.
Thanks!
OP, in answer to your question, yes, my non-spectrum kid with ADHD and other things was given an aid for the classroom about the # of hours suggested for your kid. So yes, it is done. Do not be surprised if the school district doesn't mention autism at some point down the line (even if he isn't).
But really the main issue is, what does your kid really need? The public school aids, don't get a heck of a lot of training and is more of a bandaid, one-size-fits all approach. They may help redirect a kid back to his seat who has regulatory issues for example. I feel like the schools often assign them b/c it's cheaper than hiring additional STs, OTs, and actual teacher's aid, and basically helps with crowd control in overcrowded schools.
Your kid needs to be learning the skills that can help him learn to do this on his own. You need to ask questions like, how does having an aid help him meet his educational and behavioral goals? How will he learn to transition off use of an aid. Can they show you evidence that using an aid for ADHD is best practice? Are there other type of interventions that can also help him meet his goals, e.g., social skill groups, lunch bunch, preferential seating, frequent physical breaks, modifications to his chair like a wiggle seat or stretch band on the legs?
So fine if they want to provide an aid but that shouldn't be the end of the story. It might not hurt, but there's probably more that can be done to help. Find an advocate who can help you get a half decent IEP.