In District or Out?
It’s the perennial problem: Is it better for autistic students to be educated at public or private schools, in the district or out? From Union City (CA) to Noblesville (IN) to Atlantic City (NJ), school districts are confronting issues like these: Should they hire their own in-house autism consultants? Or seek the services of highly regarded professional from outside agencies? Should a district create its own in-district program, where autistic students are educated in the same schools as their same-aged students, and where there are ready opportunities for inclusion, and where autistic students attend school in the community they live in, and are seen? Where they are simply part of the community (as they should be)?
Too often, these kinds of decisions come down to costs, and not only the price of tuition which can be some $70,000 and more: A student who goes out of district needs transportation, and a school bus with a drive and a bus matron can cost something like $20,000.
I used to think it would be best for Charlie to be in a private school, of which New Jersey has many. The private schools seemed to have everything figured out, at least until a child turns 21. But my own district seems to be making a lot of efforts and plans to create programs for autistic students of all ages and of a range of needs, including pro-vocational training for students who (like my son) will need such. Charlie is going into middle school next year and, while he will continue to work on his reading, math, and other academic skills, teaching him self-care and job training skills will gradually be integrated into his program. Instructors of high school students also have training as job coaches, and will go out in the community with students at various local employers.
And since we are in a public school setting, we keep on seeking other ways for Charlie to be included in areas in which he excels, such as music (those cello lessons—yes, now we are practicing two instruments, piano and cello almost every day) and sports (a goal for the summer is to have Charlie run one lap around the track at the high school). These kinds of opportunities—with kids his age—-would not be possible for him if he were in a private school; for him to participate, more planning and paperwork would probably be necessary.
It’s not easy to get all of this set up in a public school district which has to provide so many other programs and curricula and more for so many other students. But the gains are there, and they’re not just about dollars saved.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: California, Education, Movies, cello
8 opinions for In District or Out?
Jill
Feb 22, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Many parents have been dealt some significant blows here in Ohio. I wish I could put links in here. Is that possible? For starters, the Ohio Department of Education found $100 million dollars of unspent money. $57 million dollars of that money was money earmarked for special education. Please keep in mind that I had the most horrific IEP meeting two weeks ago in which they refused to offer ESY and they couldn’t help my nine year old son with potty training because they are short aides. The link can be found here:
http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19308352&BRD=1698&PAG=461&dept_id=21849&rfi=8
The same day I learned this was also the same day that ODJFS and ODMRDD passed new rules that will eliminate medicaid funding for autism services.
I feel like my family is being attacked from all sides.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Feb 22, 2008 at 5:55 pm
You can send me the links at kristina AT b5media DOT com and I’ll post them. Thank you for the link to that article.
What was their “rationale” for not offering ESY—and do you have another meeting scheduled?
Jill
Feb 22, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Their rationale was that my kids have to show that they will regress if not offered services during the summer. This is the standard protocol here in Ohio. Very few parents actually win and get it here. You have to be armed with lawyers and therapists to get anywhere.
Barbara
Feb 23, 2008 at 1:51 pm
We’re in Blue Ash, Ohio, and have had the opposite eperience of Jill. Two years ago, at our spring IEP meeting, when everyone agreed my kid needed ESY, the teachers ran through the list of ESY qualifiers, looking for the best one, and he’s had ESY ever since, without any questions asked. And I see the teachers in the learning lab at my kid’s school working very hard to toilet train the kids who need it. When one approach doesn’t work, they try something else. They’re also always calling in the psychologists from Children’s Hospital’s autism center for advice.
From what I’m able to see from the area-wide support meetings I go to, things vary VERY widely from district to district. I know the only reason my kid gets what he gets is that we live in a very well-funded district. For now. Like Jill, I worry about the long-term prospects here in Ohio. Our state is in terrible shape, financially. We have a terrific new governor, but his hands are tied by the mess left behind by his predecessor. I’m afraid he’s going to get the blame from people who weren’t paying attention when Taft and his associates ran Ohio into the ground.
Jill
Feb 23, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Well…I was very excited when Strickland was elected. I actually walked door to door with my children to help get him (and Jennifer Brunner) elected. Not that he needed much help. I think most Ohioans knew that Blackwell would have been a disaster. Having said that, I am really disappointed in Strickland. In the last month, I have read articles in which two mental health institutions will be closing with no plan in place for what will happen to the people that either reside or visit there. I now find out that the we had $57 million dollars in special education that had not been spent. Regarding the IEP, not only is it the district but the principal that calls the shots. And then I found out that medicaid will no longer pay for services related to autism (in Ohio). Strickland may be a democrat but he is a democrat in name only. Short of starting a bogus war against Michigan, I don’t see how he is any different from Bush. Where are the progressives? Thanks for letting me rant.
I am glad that Barbara is having a very positive (and sounds like excellent) experience in Blue Ash, Ohio. I wish all children could have that same high quality experience.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Feb 23, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Here in New Jersey—-things really vary from county to county and town to town. By moving some 13 miles away, we are in a district that provides my son with a 1:1 ABA classroom, speech therapy, OT, and APE, as well as ESY. Back in our old town, I’ve heard of families with kids with Asperger’s who have had to “share” an aide in a classroom, have been denied ESY…… the principal at my son’s current school is not involved in the IEP. Our district has its own consultants (some in-district and some from the outside).
We had regular nightmares in dealing with the district in our previous town. It got to the point when they wanted our son out. We refused the out of district placements as they did not have the quality of trained staff and supports for him—–we had to home school my son for a brief period, bring in our own autism (ABA/Lovaas agency) consultant.
I could go on and on myself! I don’t think it is as hard and certainly not impossible for districts to do the right thing, rather than paying lawyers to defend themselves in due process cases.
Jill, where is the IEP now for you son?
Daisy
Feb 23, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Children on the spectrum vary so much — both questions have no definitive answer. Public or private — or charter, for that matter? ESY or no ESY? Amigo doesn’t get ESY any more, so we work with him during the summer.
Jill
Feb 24, 2008 at 9:44 am
My children’s IEPs were signed in October of last year. I signed it and have regretted it ever since. I asked for another IEP several weeks ago and that was when I had the horrible meeting. Not one change was made. What is really bizarre is that the school was wonderful several years ago. Of course, I had much lower expectations since they my kids were originally in a special needs kindergarten in Germany. It was very difficult because everything was in German and I spoke English at home. They made HUGE gains in ‘05 and ‘06 when I moved back to the states. I then transferred them to a mental health facility where they had 1:1 ABA for 35 hours per week. My youngest went from autism to PDD-NOS. He had a 16 point gain in I.Q. (just below 70) - I think because he became verbal and can speak in complete sentences. He is so much different now than he was several years ago. I was so excited to put them back in a regular school and I was hoping to see more gains. My older son did not make as many gains on 1:1 but he is verbal now but only asks for what he wants with an occasional description of what he sees. I am luckier than most parents in that I now have a waiver from my local county MRDD. This waiver will also pay for summer camp which will help as far as respite is concerned (but not treatmet). I am also in the process of getting a consultant for each child and will build an ABA team at home (for after school/camp). I asked the school if I could bring in some people from my waiver to aide my children at school and they said “NO WAY”. I don’t know why they would say that. I have no idea if they have the legal right to keep me from bring aides in. I am absolutely clueless about these kind of things. I also don’t understand why the school would even object.
Regarding Daisy’s comment, there is no way I could work with my kids at home. I am just not a big fan of homeschooling. If other people want to do it, fine. But I would go nuts having them home 24/7.
I would love to move to your school district Kristina (or even Barbara’s). Honestly, I think NJ has the highest autism rate because many parents move there in order to receive decent services. Now…..how to get decent services in every state and in every school district…that is the question.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: