We'd been planning on sending DS1 to a nice private school that has small class numbers and 60 kids total for k-5, curricula we think is better, a beautiful setting, and some really nice kids. We started looking at private because of his temperment.
Last Dec. he was diagnosed with aspergers. I'm not 100% that's what he has, but definitely something in the asp/spd/severe anxiety area. He was in a sped. ed. preschool this spring and it really helped with his social skills which are lagging. DS also hits. It happens when other kids get to close to him and he's worried about his resources.
The spec. ed. preschool basically said that they didn't think he needed any special services next year because he was fine. We knew he needed something. I mean, he was selectively mute at his regular ed preschool. The school district observed him and agreed he needed something. (One of the spec. ed. teachers mentioned he looked depressed at a later meeting, so I'm not sure if that was part of the reason.)
We were undecided where to send him, but at his IEP meeting, we were really comfortable with what the public school was going to provide him. While they have to provide it at public or private, he would basically get better services at the public school because they would be more coordinated and flexible. He would also get the help of floating aids. We also really liked the OT.
So we chose public. One of the biggest reasons was because I know he'd have problems on the playground at the private school because he doesn't know how to interact with kids. I didn't want him to get kicked out because they won't tolerate him pushing and they don't have the staffing for someone to be with him out there.
The problem now is that he's in a class with 20 other kids. All 4 kindy classes share an aide, so it's basically one teacher and 21 kids most of the time. The district is giving us a hard time about putting his aide requirements in the iep. At the meeting they said it would be for transitions, unstructured time, and large group activities. DS was put in a class with a child from his preschool who introduces him as bad eventhough we requested he not be. We evidently didn't talk to the right person and when we went to the principal, he said he'd try to figure something out. He didn't, but what really bothers me was that he never got back to us saying he couldn't do anything. At the open house, he didn't even acknowledge me -- and he must remember me. We met a couple of weeks ago. The psychologist is going to try to be in there with him as much of the first few days as she can, which should be a good amount.
But I just feel horrible. I don't want to be a PITA parent, but I feel like I'm having a hard time talking to the teacher about Ds's needs, the principal is acting weird and I can't do anything without being a jerk, DS is in a huge class, and the school district isn't doing what they said they would.
He doesn't start school until Wed, but I can't stop crying thinking that we made the wrong decision.
Last Dec. he was diagnosed with aspergers. I'm not 100% that's what he has, but definitely something in the asp/spd/severe anxiety area. He was in a sped. ed. preschool this spring and it really helped with his social skills which are lagging. DS also hits. It happens when other kids get to close to him and he's worried about his resources.
The spec. ed. preschool basically said that they didn't think he needed any special services next year because he was fine. We knew he needed something. I mean, he was selectively mute at his regular ed preschool. The school district observed him and agreed he needed something. (One of the spec. ed. teachers mentioned he looked depressed at a later meeting, so I'm not sure if that was part of the reason.)
We were undecided where to send him, but at his IEP meeting, we were really comfortable with what the public school was going to provide him. While they have to provide it at public or private, he would basically get better services at the public school because they would be more coordinated and flexible. He would also get the help of floating aids. We also really liked the OT.
So we chose public. One of the biggest reasons was because I know he'd have problems on the playground at the private school because he doesn't know how to interact with kids. I didn't want him to get kicked out because they won't tolerate him pushing and they don't have the staffing for someone to be with him out there.
The problem now is that he's in a class with 20 other kids. All 4 kindy classes share an aide, so it's basically one teacher and 21 kids most of the time. The district is giving us a hard time about putting his aide requirements in the iep. At the meeting they said it would be for transitions, unstructured time, and large group activities. DS was put in a class with a child from his preschool who introduces him as bad eventhough we requested he not be. We evidently didn't talk to the right person and when we went to the principal, he said he'd try to figure something out. He didn't, but what really bothers me was that he never got back to us saying he couldn't do anything. At the open house, he didn't even acknowledge me -- and he must remember me. We met a couple of weeks ago. The psychologist is going to try to be in there with him as much of the first few days as she can, which should be a good amount.
But I just feel horrible. I don't want to be a PITA parent, but I feel like I'm having a hard time talking to the teacher about Ds's needs, the principal is acting weird and I can't do anything without being a jerk, DS is in a huge class, and the school district isn't doing what they said they would.
He doesn't start school until Wed, but I can't stop crying thinking that we made the wrong decision.
