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Autism/The "right" school....

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Expert: - 7/31/2005


Question
hi catherine,
i have been scouring the web for some type of general outline as to what education requirements (ie. length of school day, amt. of therapy, etc.) that a 3yr. child with autism needs. my situation is that my daughter will be entering the school district in november, they do not have an autism program (just a multiple disabilities program), and their school day is only 2hrs/day which includes any therapies they get.
she is currently diagnosed "Austistic" has no speech, "stims" all day, and is receiving 20 hrs. of early intervention services per week.
i cannot understand how the school district can believe that their general program would be appropriate for her.
they have already told me that they are not sending any children out of district at this time.....which is ridiculous.
is there some type of data i can use to show what is needed for a child with autism to succeed? i cannot count how many hours i sit on this computer looking for answers,
any help would be appreciated.
thanks, Lori crouch

Answer
Hi Lori,

Since every state has a different educational system, this is a hard question to answer.

It seems that 20 hours per week are currently being supplied.  Is this through the Educational Service District or equivalent?  If so, I think she's qualified to continue with them until kindergarten age.  Age three seems awfully young to be entering school.  Perhaps I misunderstand the system in your state.

Since she is not speaking and still stuck in the "stim" cycle, she is clearly in need of therapy specifically targeted toward classic autism.  I don't see how putting her in a multi-disability environment will be beneficial.  Being overwhelmed by stimuli is one of the major challenges of autism.  

You may need legal help to get the kind of services she needs paid for by the school district.  I think I would talk to her doctor and check into getting an advocate to help you negotiate this situation.

I wish I could offer you more concrete information.

Check into this web site and see if you can find an advocate or support group in your area:

http://www.autism-society.org

Best wishes,
Catherine

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Catherine Ridenour

Expertise

I can answer your questions about parenting your High Functioning Autisic or Asperger`s Syndrome child. In particular, questions about family life, discipline, siblings, finding resources, and working with (sometimes opposing) the educational system are welcome.

Experience

I am the parent of an Asperger's Syndrome child who is now 22 years old. She went undiagnosed for 14 years of her life, so I have done extensive reading and Internet research into the possible cause of her difficulties. Even a short 8 years ago, A.S. was practically unheard of by the public educational system.

We fumbled our way through her childhood and early adolescence without any effective outside support. In some ways, that may have been a blessing as we were focused on her abilities rather than a label for her disability. However, I can think of many times when knowing WHY would have been comforting.

Had we known very early on, some social skills interventions might have made her life in school easier. At this point, I like her for who she is so I do not regret how things have turned out. More importantly, she likes herself.

Education/Credentials
I have a Bachelor of Science in Education.

I have worked to educate myself about Autism in general and HFA/AS in particular.

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