MCPS Connections is not for dysregulated students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you confirmed that ivymount has space? This might not be an actual choice.

OP here. I assume there's a spot , since the school offered the placement to my friend's child.

And to the other poster, yes, it's entirely possible this child presents very differently in class than he does at home. At home he seems exceedingly bright, impatient, with a great vocabulary, culture and sense of humor. My friend got the impression Ivymount would perhaps be the right place for the anger and big feelings, but maybe not cater to his intellectual side.

I would not assume that. You don't have all the info. Your friend may want to get legal advice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bridge and Connection are not for kids with emotional dysregulation or behaviors. MCPS will place such a student in SESSES, at which point Ivymount is a much better choice. tell her to take it.

Kids who are exhibiting these behaviors are doing so for a reason. That is the key. My DD did not until 8th grade when the social and academic expectations exceeded her abilities in public school. Bridge was not for her, because the environment and approach was not supportive of her needs. It’s a catch-all for any kid (primarily with an Autism diagnoses) that MCPS can’t handle elsewhere. It was an awful fit for my DD. Might be a good fit for some. She was more dysregulated there than anywhere else, and they don’t tolerate those kinds of behaviors or have the ability to prevent them. She is now in a small, supportive non-public placement and guess what? No more dysregulation.

Thank you for sharing, this outcome is very encouraging. We just have to keep faith and keep looking for the right supports for our kids. Would you mind mentioning the name of the placement school and whether you got the placement via IEP process or doing private pay?

I would love to know this as well. Mine is finishing 6th and has become more dysregulated, even refusing to attend a particular class because of how the special ed teacher is treating them, and is being bullied. There is a safety plan that has hardly been implemented or is being implemented in a way that is a lot less clear or consistent than what we signed off on. Of course we have no idea what is happening to the bullies. Now my child is calling regularly from school with a constant complaint of stomachache.

My child is behind 1-2 grade levels in at least 2 subjects (English and Math) and it's clear no progress has been made for awhile based on data. I hired an advocate. I'm not sure bothering with ARS or Connections (which it seems like she might not qualify for anyway if the re-testing shows that she truly is behind) and think we should advocate for Ivymount?

It seems like nonpublic placement is better for an autistic child who is behind and is experiencing social skills challenges, bullying/safety issues, other health issues (won't mention them here) and now a noticeable increase in emotional dysregulation. What did others present as data to show these less quantifiable factors?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bridge and Connection are not for kids with emotional dysregulation or behaviors. MCPS will place such a student in SESSES, at which point Ivymount is a much better choice. tell her to take it.

Kids who are exhibiting these behaviors are doing so for a reason. That is the key. My DD did not until 8th grade when the social and academic expectations exceeded her abilities in public school. Bridge was not for her, because the environment and approach was not supportive of her needs. It’s a catch-all for any kid (primarily with an Autism diagnoses) that MCPS can’t handle elsewhere. It was an awful fit for my DD. Might be a good fit for some. She was more dysregulated there than anywhere else, and they don’t tolerate those kinds of behaviors or have the ability to prevent them. She is now in a small, supportive non-public placement and guess what? No more dysregulation.

Thank you for sharing, this outcome is very encouraging. We just have to keep faith and keep looking for the right supports for our kids. Would you mind mentioning the name of the placement school and whether you got the placement via IEP process or doing private pay?

Anonymous wrote:Bridge and Connection are not for kids with emotional dysregulation or behaviors. MCPS will place such a student in SESSES, at which point Ivymount is a much better choice. tell her to take it.

Kids who are exhibiting these behaviors are doing so for a reason. That is the key. My DD did not until 8th grade when the social and academic expectations exceeded her abilities in public school. Bridge was not for her, because the environment and approach was not supportive of her needs. It’s a catch-all for any kid (primarily with an Autism diagnoses) that MCPS can’t handle elsewhere. It was an awful fit for my DD. Might be a good fit for some. She was more dysregulated there than anywhere else, and they don’t tolerate those kinds of behaviors or have the ability to prevent them. She is now in a small, supportive non-public placement and guess what? No more dysregulation.

Ivymount is a fortune. If the other school district will pay and the child can get in go. It's not a permanent placement. Go for a year, see if it gets the anger under control and then the child can switch to a less restrictive placement. Ivymount can work at any academic level. That's the beauty of paying 90k a year. They have tons of staff to personalize a program

Anonymous wrote:Not op but what would make a public school system pay for private school?

If they aren't able to provide fape. Either year after year of not making progress on IEP goals or significant emotional dysregulation.

Not op but what would make a public school system pay for private school?