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The AuSM Blog
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Back to School
It's back to school time. Many of you are thinking of your child's education and what this year may bring for them. AuSM invites you to share your thoughts and experiences on education for children with autism or Asperger's. What has and has not worked for your child? How has your child been meaningfully included in the school community? What are your frustrations? Do you have questions for other parents? This is a place for sharing constructive ideas and suggestions. While you are free to discuss negative experiences, this is not a place for bashing teachers, schools or districts. Please be tactful. Posts that do not meet these guidelines will be immediately deleted, and the poster may be banned from further posts.
Thanks for initiating this discussion topic.
Our son Paul is an exceptionally bright boy who has had an Asperger's diagnosis since 1st grade. He is going into 6th grade. This will be his 5th school since kindergarten. Several of the moves were involuntary due to Minneapolis district school closings or moving to sites with specialized services. However, we initiated several moves due to uninformed, untrained, and yes, uncaring staff.
We have found that even with all the laws, due process and protections, an IEP can never legislate the kind of heart-felt caring that students with special needs, in particular, require. You can nominally get the services you want only to see them delivered by that teacher or aide with a cold stare and harsh voice.
We have been disappointed that schools won't try and match our expectations for our son, that he can succeed educationally, go to college and be productive and creative and integrated.
We have also been disappointed that many people in the education system focus their understanding of autism on its limitations rather than the potential of many kids with autism. Many teachers can readily recite characteristics, for example, that children with autism cannot socialize appropriately. They don't or won't consider the idea that the the limitation is just an un- or under-developed skill, waiting to flourish with the right kind of education and attention.
For 6th grade (and hopefully beyond), we have chosen a small charter school where relationships seem to be easier to form and maintain than in the large institutional district schools. We continue to have high hopes.
I hope more schools start to understand autism. I hope that schools that do understand it and address it appropriately and successfully get recognized and emulated.
I ask fellow parents not to lower your expectations for your kids and their education. Don't be satisfied or relieved just because school did not call home today with another issue. Learn what goes on in a typical school day for your kids. Make an unscheduled visit to deliver that forgotten lunch. Look at what kind of work gets sent home with your kids. See whether notices of school activities get sent home with your kids like they do with other kids. Hold principals and teachers accountable for professionalism, meaning that they are teaching and advocating as strongly for your kids as they do for others.
Our kids deserve nothing less.
Have a great school year!
Paul-
I wish you and your family the best of luck. There are great teachers out there, you just need to find one.
My son Austin will be in 1st grade this year. He spent all of kindergarten in the special ed room and did very well. I believe his needs were being met by his para and the teacher in the room. He will start the year in the special ed room but then they will mainstream him into his "regular" class with his peers. As much as I want to see him in with his peers I am also nervous about him receiving the support he will need. I am unsure if I will know when he is ready or not. Anyone have some advice?
My son, who has Aspergers, is entering 2nd grade this year in a Mpls public school, which will be his 2nd year there. He didn't qualify under the ASD dx when evaluated in kindergarten. However, his behavior and aggression caused the school district to give him an EBD dx instead. So, he is in the SPEN program which consists of up to 12 students and 3 behavioral specialists. I am frustrated with the seemingly lack of current knowledge the autism specialists in the school district have. It has taken a year to get an autism specialist on my son's IEP team and the teachers in class have no formal autism training. Has anyone had success in the Mpls school district with their child who has Aspergers?
I am responding to anonymous who's son is in 2nd grade with Aspergers. My son is in 1st grade and has a diagnosis of PDD-NOS(high funtioning like AS). This is our second year in the MPLS school district and we quickly learned last year that you need to be in a school where there is a Autism Program. We started our son at our local community school thinking that things would be ok but the staff there was not experienced or nor did we feel that they even wanted to deal with it. Within 6 weeks we moved him to a school where there was a Autism Program and it made all the differnece in the world. The Autism program also has children there that qualify under EBD as well.
I live in Arizona but enjoy reading about Minnesota because I believe your state has more programs for disabled children and adults...and I think it's fantastic. Our son, now age 13 just recieved the diagnosis of PDD-NOS as the doctor's here could not seem to diagnosis him properly. We have been through all of the headaches in public and charter schools. My husband and I decided to tough it out and put our son in a private school for high functioning autism, asperger's, NVLD, PDD-NOS that just opened in North Scottsdale, Arizona. It's a fantastic program and the teacher's are all trained and focused on helping the kids find their personal best. I'm hoping that somewhere in Minnesota a school like this opens.
There is still an incredible amount of ingnorance surrounding Autism and all the the spectrum disorder's. We decided that we only have a few more years to help our son and we want those years to "count". Tammy Gibson
My son Ryan is a very special 9 year old who is now in 4th grade in the Eagan/Savage school district. The school district has helped Ryan tremendously and he has come so far. He was diagnoised the end of kindergarten with PDD/ADHD and Aspergers. Since his diagnoises he has been on so many medications to help him function on a daily bases with his emotions. I am very concerned about all the side effects from these drugs. He is taking Focalin XR for ADHD and he has no appetite, isn't growing because it stunts his growth and he has developed tics also. We are checking with another doctor to see if there is anything else he can take that wouldn't be so harsh. He is also taking two other drugs to help him with the Asperger symptoms. I hope and pray that there will be something else out there to help him without all the side effects.
Does anyone know what the state (mn.) requires as a minimum of time spent on speach therapy for a non speeking 6yer. old child with autism? My sons teacher is only recomending 20 mins in a 6 hour day.
Hi, I am thinking of using behavior therapy, like the Lovaas method for my 2 year old son. Has anyone had any experience with it?
To Diana Jasa, I have an eighteen year old son with high functioning autism. We had very good luck with prozac. It didn't have very many side effects for us and it really smoothed out his emotions. I did have one friend who tried it on her young autistic son, however and he suddenly became very violent toward table lamps of all things until he was removed from prozac. I have heard that other SRI's work just as well, but prozac or its genric are less exspensive
My issue is that my son unofficially finished high school last year and we live in the small town of Prescott Wisconsin, in Pierce county. The school really has nothing for him even though they are responsible for him until he is 21. What is he supposed to do take senior english over again? It was so hard the first time. He is just sitting at home watching TV and playing on the computer. Piece county has no money they keep telling me, over and over again. They do not have a provider for supported employment either. Does anyone have any ideas of where to go next?
My son along with his wife have taken the responsibility of caring for my daughter who has Asperger. Is there any support group that they can get some kind of information on what kind of long term options are available for his sister if his seek outside help. As to group homes or workshops for adults with Asperger.
Marian
My family and I are relocating to the Eden Prairie area of the Twin Cities next spring. We have a 5 year old with PDD-NOS/Asperger's and we would like any advice on good schools. He will be in Kindergarten next year. We would like to identify a school district that is supportive and then will find a house in that area if possible. Any suggestions/ recommendations would be appreciated.
To Diana Jasa - My son was diagnosed with PDD NOS (subsequently changed to Asperger's) with ADD symptoms after Kindergarten. We tried several of the stimulant ADD medications with no real results. We finally took him off those meds on vacation in first grade when we walked into EPCOT and he had an anxiety attack.
Since about the end of first grade he's been on guanfacine (which is actually a hypertension drug) and a B6/Magnesium supplement. I don't know if it was the drug, the vitamin supplement, or the assistance he received at school (EXPO Elementary in Saint Paul. Wonderful school for special needs kids) but second grade was much better.
By the end of second grade he was making friends (still hard) and getting along much better socially.
Things aren't perfect of course but I definitely think the guanfacine/B6 regimen helped. Good luck.
Brian E.
I have a child who we knew something I not quite right with sense he was about 2. He was in a co-k program for kindergarten and struggled through it though he made it! This year he is at a school with an Autsim program and my son was diagnosed at Fraser was PDD-NOS this summer. The school is confining him into a room with just himself and another teacher, he only plays with kids at recess and lunch when they say his behavior permits. They want me to look at taking him to a Level 4 school and I think it is very wrong and don't know what to do. He has no friends and is a great kid, very smart, very loving, I feel totally helpless and don't know what to do next. I feel like everyone pushes him away. He too is in his 4th school in 3 years and it breaks my heart how the district just pushes these kids from school to school and has no care about their feelings they more or less "PAWN" them off on someone else and I'M TIRED OF IT!
My son has PDD-NOS and I am looking for someone to talk to who has a child about the same age who would like to get the kids together to play.
The school isolates him from the other kids and now is trying to remove him from the district and put him in a special ed district called 287. I am tired of him being pushed around and not able to make or keep friends.
My child is 6 1/2 and in first grade. If anyone can give me advise, want to talk, or interested in a play group...click on my link and email or blogg me.
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To Diana, regarding medications. The most current thinking on autism is that medications are generally NOT appropriate or effective to directly treat its symptoms. They may SOMETIMES be helpful for co-morbid conditions (if a qualified practitioner has found that the condition truly exists) such as anxiety or OCD. Even then, medications must be prescribed with extreme caution because people with autism have reactions/sensitivities to medication that differ from neurotypical people and may respond to much smaller doses. If your child has been prescribed medications with harmful side effects, please take him to a qualified practitioner who has significant and documented experience treating people with autism and does not routinely/automatically prescribe drugs to them. Ask how you can safely get your child off the drugs. Then find appropriate treatment (nondrug) for your child, such as behavioral therapy and/or cognitive behavior therapy. Too often, it seems that practitioners who are not well-trained regarding autism and don't know about effective treatments are taking the easy way out by writing prescriptions that can be dangerous for our kids.
To Frustrated Mom & Alex's Mom. It sounds like your schools are isolating your children from typical peers and trying to push them to alternative, nonmainstream placements. Quite likely, they are not giving your children the behavioral support and instruction they need to participate in general classes, as they are required by law to do he greatest extent possible. You might want to contact ARC of Minnesota, PACER, or an attorney to advise you of your child's rights and inform you what steps to take to protect your child from bad treatment and get an appropriate educational program and placement. ARC & PACER are free. AuSM can probably give you contact info or you can find their websites.
To anonymous, who is moving to Eden Prairie: I hope this is not too late, but you should seriously consider the District 112 school system, which is near EP, but doesn't include EP. My 6-year-old with Asperger's attends an elementary school in District 112, and my husband and I have been incredibly impressed with the wonderful attention and services we have received. The principal and our special education teacher have been just phenomenal, showing saint-like patience and keeping us in the loop every step of the way. Lynne Patterson (the autism specialist), Jacob's teacher,the principal and the special ed teacher met with us during the summer (at our request) before Jacob even started school to get everything rolling in order to get him an IEP. We moved here from the east coast in 2004, and I am thankful every day for that decision, given the kind of experience we have had with District 112.
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For Marian - are you by any chance living in Hennepin County? You can get a social worker for your daughter by caling 612-348-4500, and that person should be able to tell your brother what options are available to her. If you aren't in Hennepin County I would recommend going to your county's website and doing a search under "developmental disabilities".
Rachel
YOUR RIGHT..IGNORANCE IS RAMPANT....Autism is the result of untreated Candida/Leaky Gut...if not treated ASAP after diagnosis(well Doctor's will tell you Candida Overgrowth doesn't exist-so how does one get diagnosed), permanent brain damage WILL result. DO YOU HAVE A CHILD WITH IT...First get him off of SUGAR and onto vegetables, protein and some fruit(salads and soups are GREAT) also supplement a product called ThreeLac with Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes(take enzymes on empty stomache)...also take a fiber product once a day also 2 hours before or 3 hours after meals.Defeating Candida Overgrowth and Leaky Gut is the key to CURE Autism, it has to be done early-which it NEVER is, because the idiot doctors won't diagnose it early, they wait until it is full-blown Autism and by then it is too late.
to Brian E -
can you tell me more about EXPO? I have mixed response to it, thought it might still be a bit too much sensory overload for my child and also the SPED director said they do tend to send kids home if they end up in the office (where can they go to cool down if they have an escalation?)
i have a 6 year old just diagnosed with Aspbergers/anxiety after quite a bit of difficulties as you can imagine. trying to find a school with the kind of environment and supports where he might succeed.
also, does anybody out there know of an afterschool program in or near st paul that might also have supports and allow for individual attention that he might need? we had to pull him from the standard program he'd been in for almost 3 years due to his behavior and they couldn't adapt for his needs.(they couldn't give him the option to lie down in a quiet place after a long day, that kind of thing...)
thanks -
looking for answers
We will be moving to the Twin Cities this summer. My son who has autism is seven years old and will be in first grade in the fall. We appreciate any information about the programs available in the public schools and how helpful they are to children with autism. Furthermore, is the ABLLS-R approcah used in evaluating and following students' progress in these schools? I appreciate any help that you can provide me. Thanks
I am trying to see if this works. I have tried in the past but my message was not posted.
We are an American Family living in Tarsus, Turkey where my husband is a guest teacher. We are thinking about moving to Minnesota to obtain services for my daughter with PDD-NOS, as we do not have any services here and her only consistent playmate is her younger brother. I am home-schooling this year to keep Amelia's education in our native language, English. My husband has a two year contract, and we need to break it after the first year, so that we can get special education for Amelia.
We need some basic information on special education in Minnesota. For example, are parents generally happy with the level of services that they receive? As we have never had any services, I'm not sure how to find the best match. Are teachers generally informed about issues that ASD kids have? Do school districts provide services during the school day? Do service provides have reasonable case loads, or are they overloaded?
Are there districts that have less of a wait for services? How hard is it to find information, or services from state agencies? I ask, because I don't want to have my husband break his contract to go back just to wait for services for a year or more.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Heidi
My Son has Asperger's. He was late to be diagnosed (5th gr) and is now finishing up 6th grade. His/our problem is that he is so angry all the time. He lashes out at other kids when he gets teased. He gets extremely upset/angry when asked to do something by a teacher that he doesn't somehow see in his mind as necessary.We had him evaluated last summer for Meds, and at that time the Dr. didn't feel he was depressed. But said we could try some drugs to take the edge off of his anger. At that time we chose not to persue that course. But now in light of the last few months at home and school it may be time to reconsider this course of action. Anyone out there have experience with this? Sharon
Our 15-year-old daughter is currently in residential treatment in St. Paul. She has bipolar and asperger's dx which really complicates things. When she comes home, they will recommend an ASD program in school. I have been searching for a district close by with something for the ASD. So far I have come up with Annandale. What should we expect from such a program? Thanks. Sandie
My son, Aaron, is moving to his second school since his diagnosis at age 11 of Asperger's. He will be starting 9th grade at Simley High in Inver Grove Hts. he is leaving a small school environment to enter a large high school. What are some ideas to get Aaron into small class settings, yet still let him take classes that can prepare him for college (his desire and I support it). He is scared about going to this new school. Are there ways that I as a parent can help him with the transition without making him feel like his mom is 'tagging along'? When Aaron gets overwhelmed, he tends to get aggressive and this is probably both his and my greatest concern. Any suggestions? Thanks. Lynne
To anonymous with the 6 year old non speaker-I don't know if the state has a requirement for speech, but have you looked into private therapy? Any child can get medical assistance through the county regardless of parental income. You may have to pay a monthly fee-depending on how much you make, but 20 minutes a day may be all the school can afford. It doesn't sound like very much to me. The program through the county is TEFRA.
I have twin boys that will be 3 in Dec. They have been in EC Special ed (Moundsview) now for a year and recently started in school special ed. The boys both do well with the one on one small group but soon they will be starting a large group setting with "normal" children. In this class its ten regular kids and five special needs with only 5 to 6 adults.
The boys have become very violent with others and both are escape artists.
I expressed my concerns with the school with so few staff on hand for large group but they brushed me off as the over protective parent.
If another child does get hurt, what happens? I trust the staff but still have concerns. How can I calm nerves and fear?
I hear that the Lakeview School District has good programs for children with ASD.
My husband and I have a 7 year old son with Asperger's. He is a wonderful little boy. We would like to attend a monthly support group for parents of children with Aspergers. We live in the White Bear Lake area. The monthly support group at the Austism Society is designated for parents of junior high school kids or older. Our son is showing a lot of anxiety about starting first grade. He has already had a few meltdowns over not wanting to go. We have three weeks to go till the start of school. I wonder how I'm going to get him into the building. The sharing of support and ideas with other parents would be great.
my son has asperger's and will soon turn 5. i'm feeling overwhelmed by the kindergarten options in the metro area. open schools and montessori sound like a good fit for him, but i can't find any public open or montessori schools with autism programs. it is also hard to find small schools with small class sizes and good autism support. my dream would be a small open or montessori school with small classes and lots of built-in support for ASD kids. any comments from parents who have been through this?
Anyone interested in ABA thearpy please consider Partners in Excellence. The are fantastic loving caring people. The school is open year round which nice too.
Our local school did not meet the needs of my son so I now have him enrolled in Connections Academy Online. I worry about his social skills at times but he is involved in extracurricular activities. My biggest concern is that he is struggling this year (9th grade) and I find it difficult to help sometimes as I don't always know the work myself. I just don't know what to do. He loves to learn but when he was at the local school, he would come home and want to die because of how he was treated. Is negative socialization worth him going back? Are there other alternatives?
To the parents of the child in the White Bear School District... I would assume that you've found out already that there is an excellent program in place.
My son is a 7th grader at Central right now and I work closely with his mainstream teachers and his supportive staff in helping him achieve realistic goals (like getting enough work in to be graded for it) while encouraging his talents (he's in fast-track math and science classes). There is no problem or lack of proactive solutions on the part of the staff at his school. When there's a problem, there's a meeting scheduled and changes are made immediately to his IEP.
You should have your child at Otter Lake Elementary (if he's attending another district elementary school) -- that's where the district's Autism center is and I can say from experience that the teachers care and the school psychologist really steps up to make sure your child has the best education reasonably attainable.
Every year my son and I go in to the school (we just check into the office... the school offices are open beginning around the first of August) and take a "tour" to make sure he knows where his locker and all of his classes are for the coming year. I've never had a problem simply walking in and asking the secretary if we could take a stroll around.
I did have my son in the South Washington County schools for several years and one would assume, being a "wealthier" district, that the system in place for special needs students. That absolutely was NOT my experience. The school drafted an IEP that we all felt would benefit my son and then it would fall by the wayside, never implemented, because "there isn't enough staff to oversee that need on a daily basis".
If parents can afford it, Groves Academy is a really good private school in St. Louis Park that specializes in non-neurotypical children.
I am the mother of a 15 yr old male, who has recently been diagnosed with Aspergers. I am so mad and don't know what to do whom to speak with or how to help my child. I have been through hell and back for about 4 years trying to get the right help for him with schools,doctors. And just because my son's IEP requires them to do a tri annual update IEP, we found out by sheer blessings from our son's therapist that what he is really dealing with is aspergers, however when the case manager at the mpls charter school our son attends was told that in the 1st quarter meeting there was denial, excuses " he doesn't have aspergers" and now we recently had an ADOS test done and he meets the criteria for aspgergers now they want to rush a meeting without my son's therapist and the physicolgist. Because of the constant misleadings and promises of the last 4 years, we don't know what to do. All of the new schools opening that has asperger programs are only serving younger kids that leaves our teenager out in the cold and the mpls schools do not want to deal with him because he is now showing signs of behavior issues because of the lack of structure there in the school for him....
we need help, I knew he was dealing with something, however no one was willing to help us find out what he was dealing with until now..... I feel so let down and uneasy about what the school district is saying because weekly I receive emails that make me so upset with the disconnect, and feelings of they really don't want to deal with my son, however because the law says they have to minimally serve him, I believe that is what they are trying to continue to do. Even with everything thing they have tried to do, our son is bright and he can learn and does desire to atten college, and he generally likes school. Good in science, shows promise in music, loves computers.... likes people and he wants to make friends
any answers or someone knows of a group for teens with Aspergers and information on what to do regarding school help and issues
please email: lisamoo1@msn.com
thank you,
Lisa Donovan's mom :-)
Hello all, I am the father of three Autistic children ages 5, 8, and 19. I read many of your questions and noticed many complaints about schools. You need to remember that even when the teachers want to help the bean counters are watching the purse strings. You have to make sure that what you want for you child is put in the IEP. You also need to make sure words like will are used in describing services your child will receive( Bob will swim for 30 minutes, 3 times a week/ Jane will recieve 30 minutes of direct speech therapy every day).
You need to be wary of any time being billed as "indirect" (Jane will receive 30 minutes per week of speech therapy, 20 direct and 10 indirect).
You need to know that what get put into the IEP by law has to be whats best for the child. Period!
When they tried to cut back her speech time to make more room on the speech teacher's schedule I told them to hire another speech teacher. I am not saying that you should abuse the school's budget but that budgetary concerns are not a valid reason to deny your child of needed services.
As a parent you need to educate yourself on the laws that govern the schools and then be a strong advocate for your child. I am polite but have no problem ruffling feathers if necessary.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the professional educators are very impressed with their sheepskins and rather dismissive of the hard won expertise you all have as the parent of a kid with special needs.
I'd like to say to Heidi in turkey and anyone else not in Minnesota that we have the best services of any state in the country (that I am aware of).
Finally I am not a message board type of guy but I'd be glad to offer any advice I can. I live in St. Cloud, MN so I have no knowledge of school districts etc in the Twin Cities but anything else please send me an email with Ausm in the title and I will respond.
rugrunner at hotmail dot com
hi all i have a 15 yr old with autism/pdd/ocd/and seizure disorder im thinking of moving to mn this summer, looking for a good school dist thinking about washington or dakota county area also was wondering about behavior therapy and psychiatrist to help me manage his eloping and fixation on gasoline any suggestion welcome
Renate, I have a 15 yr old son that is also a runner and huffs gasoline when he gets away. Try Radio Shack they have little alarms key pad ot keys to shut off the alarm when the door opens trust me i almost sleep nights now, good luck hun i know its hard
As an educator in the area, I have to say that I am a little disheartened by some of these comments. Much of the blame is being placed on individual educators, schools, and districts. I want to remind you that we are limited by the constraints of the government. We are limited by the restraints of the budget. So as you advocate for your children, remeber that it often goes much higher than your special ed teacher or therapist. We oftentimes are as frustrated as you are. I wish I could spend every moment of my work day with kids. Unfortunately, due process, IDEA, no child left behind etc., requires me to spend so much time doing paperwork that I spend less than 50% of my day with kids...and it is the law that requires me to do this.
I Realize there are parents out there that can get upset i also realize there are teachers that care and would do anything in the world for my child to help his succeed to the best of his ability Trust Me i appericiate you and all that you do to help your children cause you sound like you really do care
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