PettyC

Thank you Carolyn and JSD24 for your thoughtful input! I wanted to share a couple of clarifications and follow-up questions. We live in NYC and the school system is just incredibly complicated. 1. The school noted that because their STs and OT are fully booked, that we would receive RSAs and we can work with a DOE-contracted provider for ST and OT, or see if our private providers accept the RSA (I doubt it). 2. I don’t technically disagree with the school’s assessments since I’m aware that my son gets overwhelmed when there are too much sensory stimulation in a class filled with almost 30 people (adults and kids combined), and this manifests as him appearing disengaged, unfocused or needing a walk. 3. I actually forgot to ask about getting an aide for him but that wasn’t brought up as an option even though they noted that he needs consistent adult support. I’ll reach out and ask! 4. @JSD24 I have the same exact concerns about a 12:1 classroom since it would be 1 special ed teacher with 12 kids with varying abilities. My son cries or whines when he doesn’t want to comply with demands but not to the point where it’s disruptive. The school did say that if I tour the new school and that I don’t like it, I can reject the placement and then it’s back to waiting. In the meantime they are recommending ICT plus SETSS. 5. With respect to his reading skills, their assessments did rate him as extremely hush/superior, but because he’s behind on expressive speech and his performance in related areas depends highly on his motivation and focus, they feel that he needs a lot more support than the school is able to currently offer. Because the majority of the IEP was spent on discussing his weaknesses and needs, I feel like I’m not even sure if keeping him in the same school would be in his best interest. Perhaps to both of your points, getting a neuropsych test in this case would offer a more objective recommendation. Thanks again!

My son started kindergarten this fall in an ICT classroom at a public school. Although he had a tough time transitioning and dealt with separation anxiety for a week or so, he seems to have settled into the school routine (which was a lot better than pre-K). I requested an IEP for his speech delay and sensory seeking tendencies as he had been receiving private ST and OT while he was in pre-K. We had the IEP meeting recently and everyone agreed on an educational classification of autism, and the recommendation is for a special ed instruction in a 12:1 classroom which is not currently offered at this school. They also recommended seeing a developmental pediatrician. They informed me that while we wait for a placement, the school would provide PT and counseling, but that the ST and OT providers don’t have any availability. I’ve consulted with our private ST and OT and they agreed that my son would learn better in a small classroom with specialized support. The issue is I’m not sure which school will have a placement and when, and whether it will be the best fit for my son. I’m also trying to wrap my head around next steps as I’ve been looking into different options. My son doesn’t have any behavioral issues is an early/advanced reader, but does struggle with speech, sensory issues, social/peer withdrawal and inability to engage in class without adult support. He is learning in school based on what we see at home, but he does not show it in school. 1. How important or valuable would neuropsych testing be in determining the best educational setting? It is very expensive and I would need to see if our insurance would cover some of it. 2. An alternative to a 12:1 special ed classroom would be a non-approved school in the Gersh Autism network, which is incredibly expensive and we would not be able to afford it without working with an educational attorney and sue the DOE. Would this be overkill if we feel our son has mild/moderate ASD?