is your local school system progressive in dealing with autism?

Question

my son has aspergers and is now a sophomore in high school. when he was in grade school, our shool system had very little knowlege about his special needs, but, i must say that they have come a long way! today i got a call from the school psychologist saying that they are starting a peer support group for kids with aspergers in the high school! yeah!
my son is doing very well and i must give kudos to the local school system for continuing to go the extra mile!

Answer 1

You are very, very fortunate!

I have a son with Aspergers, he is now 28. He was 15 years old when Aspergers first began being dx'd in the U.S. and at that time it was still not very well known. Consequently he went all the way through school with no special help, as he was too high-functioning and intelligent for special ed. At 28 he lives in his grandparents basement, works at a convenience store, but has a tested IQ of 168. Very sad.



I knew from infancy he was "different" but could never get and assistance or special help for him. I learned how to work with him to get the most our of him and for him, but most people don't go to the same lengths a mother will.



I wish you the best, and be thankful for all the advancement in this area!

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Answer 2

I'm autistic. My school says it is, and I think the elementary school system is supposed to be (though I have no clue what that means, and certainly hope "progressive" doesn't mean that they give every autistic in the school ABA.) I have a 504 with a lot of accommodations that I can't use because they're so cognitively and emotionally unfriendly, so I'm basically just trying to function with no real services.



I've mentally crashed in the past few weeks, and now am trying to get through the rest of the school year at a point beyond which I should. Despite their claims of being good for autistics, it's cognitive-unfriendly enough that I'll be taking the proficiency exam this summer and going to JC in the fall rather than returning for my junior year of high school. At least there I shouldn't have to sustain processing ability for 7 hours in a row (and I think that's one of the things about autism that schools often don't realize is much of an issue.)

Answer 3

Wow! That's great! You are very blessed, because not all school systems are like this. My 14-year-old brother is autistic (high functioning), and it has been a nightmare trying to deal with our school system! It's amazing how uncaring people can be, and how they only want money. Well, don't get me started, because I'm very angry at the school district for what they have put my brother through. He attends a private school that has been very cooperative, and he's learning! The problem is that, since it's a private school, and the school district believes that they could provide him with a "quality education," they refuse to pay for his education at the private school, so it's costing us a lot of money. My brother also attends a special therapy center just for autistic children and teens, and that has helped him so much. I just wish that our school district would be as caring and cooperative as yours is. Count your blessings!

Answer 4

The school i go to (in england) is setting up a peer support group and because i am the oldest person with asperger's at the school i'm going to be one of the lead figures. My school does have a couple of problems though and thats mostly to do with exams

Answer 5

I am from Atlanta, Georgia and my step son has autism. While we were in Atlanta, he was in a class with other kids with autism. We moved two years ago to Vermont and they include all children in the same classroom. While I was EXTREMELY skeptical about this, we had no choice. I can say now that this school has been the best for my son. He has jumped leaps and bounds progressively from where I know he would have been in Atlanta. Does he still have autism, yes, but he is able to function normally in class with minimal support from a parapro.



The school stays in constant contact with me and everybody knows my boy. He is doing fantastic, absolutely fantastic.

Answer 6

My school, in Massachusetts, is a heterogeneous (sp?) setting, meaning all the kids are grouped together, not based on their intellegence, special needs, etc. And it's amazing to see how well the "special education" kids fit in with everyone else. Instead of isolating them, as it often was in the past, they get to experience "real" high school, and have to opportunity for more social experience and peer contact...something that was often deprived in the past.

Answer 7

I wish my school system would go the extra mile as yours has. the schools here are just open and that's all they have money for. our state reps keep taking money from the schools to do other things and complain that the schools dont perform well at all. some schools here have to close before the end of the school year because they cut funding so bad and cant pay the teachers.

Thanks for your opinion I wish all states had good leadership as it sounds like yours does. You remind us all how it should be everywhere. Where does all the Lottery $ go anyway? not to our schools as they say it does. anyways thanks for the realty check.

Answer 8

I live in Jensen beach , Florida and the local elemantary shcool (Jensen Beach Elementary) has a special needs programs that caters to the needs of children with Autism. My younger brother has Autism and is eight years old, attending school here for his second year.

Answer 9

My brother is autistic and in 9th grade. He's goes to a school for high functioning autistics. They teach them so well, we are so blessed. But regular public high schools with special ed. program DO NOT give them the proper education that they need.

Answer 10

In my school they have many special programs for high school kids.I urge you to advocate for others since your school has an aspergers support group. Congratulations and keep advocate for your kid and others.Thanking for asking this question.

Answer 11

My old school, which i know hasn't changed, had no facilities even for wheelchairs. Handicaps had to be on the bottom floor and the mentally retarded including austistics were not accepted into the school.