Good luck!

OP here: Thank you very much everyone. We are excited to be heading back to the USA, and are looking forward to being back in the DC area. I really appreciate each of you taking the time to help us navigate our way back and for introducing me to the complex process facing us as we try to find the best support for our DD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Thank you everyone. I will try to make an appointment for an assessment/evaluation in the DC Metro area for sometime in August. Unfortunately, flying home now isn't an option. Too much packing to be done here, goodbyes to be made, and the trip home is super long, and I can't imagine doing it now, and then again in June. My daughter gets very stressed from traveling. We leave in about seven weeks, and will be in NY for a month before heading down to DC. I guess I am torn about doing the appointment before I see how she does in school there. I keep deluding myself she will do better in a US school than she has here. Also, I know there may be questions/forms for the school to fill out for the evaluations, which may be difficult in getting from here once we leave especially during August school break time. For those of you who have done the outside assessments: are there forms for the schools to complete as part of the evaluations? Are in class-evaluations part of the process of outside assessment as well? I would love any further recommendations on testing centers/people. Thank you again everyone.

OP, It will most likely take months and months to get an appt.

Sometime in August may already be booked. I think that Kennedy Kreiger was running 9 months at one point.
Plan ahead.

As someone who went down this track with an sensory issues/ADHD/ASD kid and was told "he gets great grades and is bright...needs nothing" by the school, you will want to get a solid evaluation and diagnosis in hand ASAP.

I concur. I'm the PP who suggested flying back to start the process. You will need private testing done (3 days) plus a good diagnosis and preferably some team members (therapist, tutors, psychiatrist, psychologist, tester) to go with you to the IEP meeting.

Anonymous wrote:Lab School

Lab school does not take students with ASD. Also, if the kid with ASD does not have any learning/academic issues going to Lab is unnecessary.

Lab School

11:33. For a social skills group, you can try:

http://www.interactionsslp.com


Good luck to you and your DD!

11:33 again. DS did not have behavior issues until 2nd grade and having an IEP in place was very helpful in resolving his behavior issues. Not sure what we would have done if he did not have an IEP. DS probably would have been expelled and we would have had to find another school.

When he received the IEP in prek4, it was having a diagnosis that has an "educational impact" that determines getting an IEP not whether or not someone has behavior and/or academic issues. DS's main issue in prek4 and what made us get him evaluated was that he would not play with other kids.

Having an ASD diagnosis is considered by most school systems to have an "educational impact". Ask the school for an IEP and give them the private neuropsych report. You never know, you may not have issues getting an IEP.

Thank you very much prior 2 posters. We recently moved here from out of state and also did just get a formal Aspergers (the equivalent thereof) diagnosis from a neuropsych. But the neuropsychologist told us it would be very difficult for us to get an IEP (and I'm still trying to figure out these various terms here in Virginia) because DD is at the top of the class grade-wise and no behavior issues (eh thought maybe we could get a 504?). It's been a really long road to finally get this diagnosis (pediatricians and prior schools telling us nothing was wrong) and I am feeling completely overwhelmed/drowning right now. Is there a parent support group in NoVa anyone could suggest? Any recommendations for private speech therapists in NoVA to help with social pragmatic speech over the summer?

Anonymous wrote:Thanks--I didn't know you could get those different types of services at school (I'm very new to this). About how much time per day does your DC receive these services? Can you get any of these with a 504 or just an IEP? Can you get these services at most schools? Thanks in advance.

DS has an IEP since prek4 when he was evaluated by the school and privately. No problems getting an IEP with an ASD diagnosis for us. It was a very straight forward process. Should add that DS is at a language immersion charter where most of the kids have "soft" SNs; my kid with ASD/ADHD is about as "severe" as it gets at the school. DS does not have academic issues so other than the OT all of the supports are for social and behavior.

DS gets OT, speech and social skills once a week for 45 minutes. He is fully mainstreamed in an inclusive classroom. This year, we tried push-in services where all the service providers went into the classroom but other than the OT, DS did not like them coming in so we are back to pull outs for speech and social skills.

OT, speech and social skills are pretty standard services for kids with ASD and you should definitely expect the school to provide them. You can only get services with an IEP.

Also for problem behaviors we found having a behavior plan after a FBA MUCH more effective than simply having behavior goals in the
IEP. The behavior plan gives my son the structure and feedback he needs throughout the school day and basically got rid of all his problem behaviors.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks--I didn't know you could get those different types of services at school (I'm very new to this). About how much time per day does your DC receive these services? Can you get any of these with a 504 or just an IEP? Can you get these services at most schools? Thanks in advance.

Can't get school-based services with a 504, need an IEP.

Most parents will tell you that getting services is a bit of a battle. Some schools / some school districts are less able or willing to provide them than others.

Getting a good assessment that documents an educational basis or need is the best first step.

It isn't fair or right but legally schools don't have to provide the 'best' education for kids with SN, just 'an appropriate' one.

Thanks--I didn't know you could get those different types of services at school (I'm very new to this). About how much time per day does your DC receive these services? Can you get any of these with a 504 or just an IEP? Can you get these services at most schools? Thanks in advance.

Anonymous wrote:Newbie here: what kind of services/classes would school provide for someone with high functioning Aspergers? Social skills? Help with processing speed?

Depends on the need so it's helpful to get a neuropsych eval to see what supports and services will help. My 2 nd grader kid with Asperger's gets pragmatic speech with SLP, social skills with school guidance counselor, OT for fine motor (currently keyboarding instruction)and a behavioral plan. His processing speed is in the 99% so he does not need help for that.

Im not the OP, but thanks for all the helpful info. looking into relocating to Moco, and it seems that schools that feed Tilden middle school have a strong program for aspergers and HF Autism. We are planning on traveling to the area to get to know the area better, any recommendations for realtors that work in the Tilden area?

thanks much.