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Asperger's/Autism spectrum and public RI or MA schools

post #1 of 14
6/12/11 at 2:26pm
Thread Starter 

 If you have a child with Asperger's syndrom, PDD-NOS, or high functioning autism and he/she goes to a public school in RI/MA, please let me know if you like the program/school system or not.

 

 I'm looking to move but haven't decided where yet.  My son is not doing well at all in the class/school he's in now.  I will not have him return to it!

 

 Feel free to send me a private message or respond in this thread.

 

 

Thank you so much!

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post #2 of 14
6/15/11 at 5:55pm
Thread Starter 

Bumping this up.

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post #3 of 14
6/15/11 at 6:02pm

Wish I could help! My (limited) experience has been with parents who started public and ended up in private and/or home situations.

 

Wishing you the best of luck!

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post #4 of 14
6/22/11 at 6:28am
Thread Starter 

Thanks.  I've narrowed it down to a handful of towns/cities.

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post #5 of 14
6/22/11 at 1:29pm

Glad to hear it!  Good luck

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post #6 of 14
6/25/11 at 6:21pm

I just saw that Old Rochester Regional Schools is looking for an autism specialist. i think that they have such a position may be a good sign.

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post #7 of 14
6/26/11 at 8:26am
Thread Starter 

I prefer a well established program.  But, I'll look into that.  Thanks!

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post #8 of 14
6/26/11 at 1:36pm

In our experience, new blood in schools isn't usually a bad thing, though we are coming from a very different angle. Good luck!

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post #9 of 14
6/28/11 at 10:07am

Are you still looking for schools?  How old is your child and where on the spectrum?

I have 3 with varying degrees of special needs ... 8 with autism, 5 with ADHD and 3 with autism.  I am happy with the autism programs ... not the ADHD but we're working on that.  There are very few ASD kids in our town and that makes SPED clueless when it comes to arguing with me.

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post #10 of 14
6/28/11 at 4:43pm
Thread Starter 

I'm always open to ideas but am not currently looking at this point.

 

My son is in elementary school. He has Asperger's and ADHD. (he has major sensory issues and gets overwhelmed at school.)

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post #11 of 14
6/28/11 at 8:48pm

Lots of kids are privately placed when the schools just give up.  Without accommodations, I'm sure that'd be the end result with my 5yo.  He also has lots of sensory issues and melts down frequently, he's a perfectionist but has fine motor issues, so there's always an explosion on the horizon.  Worcester isn't a great idea, and I've heard not great things about many of the Blackstone Valley towns (I grew up there and considered moving back until I heard autism services were poor).  Many towns have satellite schools run by New England Center for Children, and I know a few people very happy with the satellites.  I am waiting on my son's official diagnosis to see what the school has to offer ... I'm relatively sure they're going to just cave and give in as privately placing him will cost over 50k a year.  

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post #12 of 14
6/30/11 at 2:54pm
Thread Starter 

Hah!  I only wish my district would give up and send him out of district.  

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post #13 of 14
7/28/11 at 10:06pm

My son is 12 with Asperger Syndrome and Anxiety. We spent pre-k through grade 4 in district school without much luck. It really depended on the teachers each year, his 1:1 aid, and the therapists he got. It ended with a child who was basically "maintained" through the day with all of his school work coming home with his homework. The district finally agreed to an out of district placement when he was so depressed he was leaving the school and trying to harm himself, that and a notebook full of civil rights and IEP violations!

 

The battle for out of district placements isn't easy, and is very dependent on your district and your child. The next issue is appropriate private schools... If your child is average/above average IQ, most won't meet their academic needs. They are also mainly behavioral which in my opinion isn't a good match, at least not for mine. My son has been in a private placement for 2 years that has now kind of gone sour...not because it isn't working but because of their administration. So, I guess I'm back in the same boat, what school is right?!

 

If anyone has any suggestions for private schools in RI or MA I would love to hear them because as of right now we're still scrambling to find a school for this upcoming year with absolutely no time to do a proper transition plan :(

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post #14 of 14
8/5/11 at 6:06pm

I have heard the Perkins school in Massachusetts is great.

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