Expert: James Michael Roan - 1/3/2006

Question
Hi,Hope your holidays were great!
I have 2 questions!
1st,My son is pdd -nos,He was diagnosed at 5yrs old,He goes to a public pre-school for typical and atypical children,He has made remarkable progress,He is excited about school and life,I fear him starting kindergarden at a public school I'm concerned that he will not get what he needs! And he will loose that momentum that we have going right now. How can I asure myself that the school system is going to do there job,
2nd, I would like to find children like my son, The support groups that I have gone to have children that are way worse than mine so I feel out of place, How can I hook up with people that have children like my son? any input will be most appreciated !
Thanks Sandy in Ohio

Answer
Hi Sandy;

Keep in mind that your son may have high functioning autism/Asperger's Syndrome. It is essential to have the special education team reevaluate him well in advance of next year. I suggest you ask for an IQ; occupational therapy evaluation; a receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language evaluation(thorough); a Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS); and a Gilliam Asperger's Disorder Scale (GADS). Ask the psychologist to rule out a Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD). This will help identify the specific areas of need. Next, you will want to make sure social areas are properly addressed in his IEP. Make sure he has access to a classroom assistant who can help him to work on his social development and interactions with peers. Finally, you are most likely going to have to monitor his day to day program yourself. Ask for daily reports from the teacher in terms of his behavior and social exchanges. You are his Mom, school employees are just that. This battle will not end until he is much older. Please feel free to stay in touch with any questions or situations you may need clarification about.

Kind Rgeards,
James