OP, is your kid elementary school aged? Are you talking k and over, or preschool/younger?

Once you get into K, an IEP isnt going to provide you with the same therapies you will get outside of the school environment. The IEP provides for the supports that help your child so they can receive an education in the best way possible. An IEP will provide you with the tools you need but not therapies. The school is required to provide your child with an education, not ABA or ST.

My son has HFA. We get ABA and other therapies outside of the school environment. But we have an IEP because that allows him an instructional aide in the classroom for several hours/day. She helps with directions, redirection, etc. Given that there are 26 kids in the class, its v much needed. He also gets pulled out for a social skills group every day for about 30 mins to work with other kids on stuff.

If we didnt have an IEP he would just be one of 26 kids in his class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone else said, it's not just toe walking that gives it away. Even though they are noit allowed to diagnose, most educators can identify autism spectrum disorder characteristics. If you haven't gotten an IEP and disclosed diagnosis they may assume you are just out to lunch, in denial or hiding something. Work with the school to help your child, not against.

Why? Are you saying every child with ASD has an Iep?? I'm sure there are plenty of families who choose to go with all private therapies and plenty of schools who would refuse an iep to a higher functioning child. Teachers should know this.

NP. An IEP is more than just therapy services. It can provide the child with other accommodations needed while in school.

We’ll recognize the autism pretty quickly. It’s so sad to see kids that clearly have autism be denied services because pate still insist everything is fine. Why would you assume that school staff wouldn’t want to help? We’re doingvthis work because we want to help. Certainly there are poorxteachers and principals out there, as in any profession, but don’t tar us all with the same brush. And you want your kid in a classroom with an extra adult, which they can’t plan for if you aren’t honest up front.

Anonymous wrote:As someone else said, it's not just toe walking that gives it away. Even though they are noit allowed to diagnose, most educators can identify autism spectrum disorder characteristics. If you haven't gotten an IEP and disclosed diagnosis they may assume you are just out to lunch, in denial or hiding something. Work with the school to help your child, not against.

Why? Are you saying every child with ASD has an Iep?? I'm sure there are plenty of families who choose to go with all private therapies and plenty of schools who would refuse an iep to a higher functioning child. Teachers should know this.

As someone else said, it's not just toe walking that gives it away. Even though they are noit allowed to diagnose, most educators can identify autism spectrum disorder characteristics. If you haven't gotten an IEP and disclosed diagnosis they may assume you are just out to lunch, in denial or hiding something. Work with the school to help your child, not against.

Nobody should depend on school provided services for their child. You should always supplement with private therapies.

The county's focus is (correctly) on education. They will provide services as it relates to learning, but for the most part, not beyond that.

My 16 yo with HFA is an A student, she has some accommodations, mostly for limiting things that she is sensitive to during exams and a few other things. (She also sufferers from ADD and Anxiety/Depression; it was the latter -- with cutting that led to her diagnosis).

Since she has always been an A student, the school had little interest in helping; she had an IEP for delayed speech in Preschools/through third grade, but the people never suggested ASD -- she was doing fine academically.

Fight for all the services you can get and then supplement the rest privately.

Op, even if you are not happy with the service, having IEP means that the law is on your side, so go for it. I still supplement with private, but I still fight for accommodation for my kid, even if I don't get it. But I will still bring it up whenever I can and advocate for it, maybe it will not happen for my kid, but it makes me feel good that I'm at least trying and might pave the road for others.

Anonymous wrote:Is this a serious post? Your kid has autism and you think all that will give it away is toe-walking?

Is this serious? You didnt even answer the question. Why did you even post? Feel better now?

Is this a serious post? Your kid has autism and you think all that will give it away is toe-walking?

My child has HFA. We disclosed from the start. I don't believe in hiding highly relevant information. We have seen major progress over the years. Yes, there have been many bumps, but the overall growth curve goes in the right direction. My child is mainstreamed with some pull out.

I think you are setting your child up for problems if you don't disclose. Do you have an IEP in place?

Anyone satisfied with the services received and feel like child is progressing? From what I hear, services are very minimal and far from adequate such that there is little to no progress. Also, expectations for the child by staff are low. So I was thinking of providing private therapies, starting child in general ed, and not disclosing the diagnosis- though the toe walking will probably give it away. Any btdt parents or teachers can say whether the iep is really worth it?