School - Aspegers

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I wonder what type of school you or your child with Aspergers is attending or attended in the past. I am interested in hearing experiences with smaller verses larger class sizes, Montessori philosophy, private, public, expeditionary learning, school with limited technology in the early years, foreign language immersion, etc. The diagnosis is new to us and I am overwhelmed with the mainstream school options. My child will attend kindergarten next year and is currently going to a preschool part time. We are on a waiting list for OT for fine motor skills and the teachers are working on social skills goals at school. I am concerned 5 days of kindergarten will be overwhelming and I want a good fit to make the transition as easy as possible. Thanks for any input.

If there are some good special schools near you and you are eligible, I would look into those.

There are a few perks of special schools and these are better training of staff on special needs, better facilities (sensory rooms, toys, fewer children to share learning resources with - so better opportunities for turn taking without frustration and longer with the resource which is good if he'll need rest breaks), different expectations from the government regarding progress so the school can focus on what he needs rather than ticking boxes before he's ready and smaller class sizes.

Here we have an issue with parents really pushing for mainstream schools when actually their children would be much better catered for. And, of course, we do the best they can. But if your child is developmentally delayed putting them in a setting when they're going to be expected to be 'table ready' very early on (or where they get too big to have sessions with the younger children) is a recipe for... well, perhaps disaster is too strong but definitely frustration and tears.

Here we have schools that help children with emotional and behavioural difficulties as well as those which cater for learning difficulties.

Failing that, definitely a small class size. When teachers have 30 kids to plan for, they will do the best they can but they can't necessarily do all they'd like to and it's very likely that there will be a lack of funding for other kids in the class which means that there's a decent chance that your child's 1:1 will be shared for at least some of the day.

A school that does lots of play/free-flow for as long as possible is a good idea and, if your child likes outdoors, good outdoor facilities. Forest school is usually brilliant for children, so look for a schools that include that in the curriculum. It's also a sign that they value skill building outside of core subjects.

I would look for recommendations for a school from parents of children with similar disabilities in the area and an understanding special needs co-ordinator. Friendly staff, even if the school has a poorer rating are better than schools with strict exam focus.

I went to a school with a base for deaf children and this was one of the best resources I'd had over the three schools I went to. Even though on the books it was a 'bad' school.

Above all, go with your gut and if a school isn't working out, don't be afraid to change schools.

My kids both started with a small Catholic school because the public schools available scared me. Then we moved and they went to a regular public school. They were well served in both settings, but I do not think that either setting was "typical" for it's type. Here is what both schools had/have that has made it work:
--relatively small class sizes
--highly approachable teachers who actively seek and truly appreciate parental involvement and assistance
--administration that is focused on individual children and individual success
--a school-wide philosophy that all kids matter and that it is OK to be different
--teachers who are willing to try unconventional things to find the road to success
--a strong character development program
--a real anti-bullying program. All schools say they have one, but most of them still have teachers who stand helplessly by and don't do anything.
--a real RTI program. Again, many schools say they have one, but not a lot really do it (IMO)

My daughter went to part time preschool and then went to full-time kindergarten. She had no problem with it. Granted, you know your kid better than I do, but I have found that my kids can often handle more than I give them credit for.

Good luck finding the right school. I know these things are so important. I left everything, including my kids' dad, to make sure they were in the right school setting.

Its less about the school and more about the specific staff at each school. You may have to shop around a bit.

Please don't go to a private school that is hesitant to take kids with special needs. If they tell you that they aren't equipped to deal with certain needs, believe them! I was a learning specialist in one of these schools for a while. You'd be surprised how many parents try to slip their kid into a school which is quite upfront about not being designed to serve a certain population. You aren't doing the kid any favors sending them to a swanky school where they aren't really welcome to bring all of themselves to the table.

One caution - think carefully about your child and montessory schools. Some autistic kids love it. But for others, it's a poor fit. The motessory school way is that kids free explore a standard set of learning kits. Autistic kids by definition experience life in a different way, so they aren't going to gain the same insights by playing with these kits as typical kids. Their teachers can become frustrated when we don't develop as they've been taught to expect. Again, this isn't every instance, but its a good number of them.

A good many kiddos on the high IQ part of the spectrum enjoy free schools, but that's pretty hippy and out-there, you'd have to decide if that's the right choice for your family.

Do stand up for yourselves if you decide on private school - your son has a right to special education services, even if you choose not to go to public schools, but you do have to assert your rights to services.

I grew up where every kid I knew went to the public school closest to their house. Things are different in Detroit. Many of the public schools have kindergarten class sizes of 30 or more with one teacher. They use common core. Many of the public schools have limited recess and are 'academically rigorous' with little or no time for play, art, gym, or music. The montessori program is run for free through the public school and only has one class of 4-6 year olds, with plans to expand. Most of the schools aren't diverse in the areas of race or socio-economic status. The Detroit public and charter schools that have actually been repaired/updated have been through donations from celebrities or businesses.

The private school has a class size of 12, but is expensive. It also offers mixed-age classes and a lot of play/nature time.

There are few good, free charter schools, but they have waiting lists because of small class sizes. School of Choice is overwhelming me! Thanks to all of you for the information. I plan to keep visiting and researching. I will apply to a handful and see what he is accepted into.

Oug. Yah. I've heard stories about Detroit being in REAL trouble with all of its public infrastructure and services. I have a few professional associates who live out there. I can see why you are scrambling to look for better options.

That academically rigorous thing is politicians trying to "fix" things without actually asking teachers and experts what makes a child more likely to succeed. If I were more jaded, I'd say it's a conspiracy to keep poor kids from getting a good education. Rich school systems never do this to the kids! They know that movement, play and free exploration are essential to learning readiness. Don't know why I'm saying this. Just makes me growly.

My ASD-1/gifted son attended public school for kindergarten and first grade. Then we pulled him and his older brother out and homeschooled them. It was for academic reasons--both are gifted and were bored out of their minds in school. When he was in eighth grade my ASD son applied to an early college high school program through our local school system/community college and is now a high school senior there. He'll earn a two-year Associates in Science degree in May and get his high school diploma a couple of weeks after that.

I have some more research to do now. There are some interesting options I had not considered. I wonder how children did with foreign language acquisition in school. There are a few schools where the foreign language is used most of the day (immersion). I have read mixed reviews...some children doing fine, others finding difficulty with practicing conversations and the heavy reliance on verbal instruction.