The Foorce

Stil making decisions about our 9year old daughter. Diagnosed w/ ADHD (7yo) and then ‘high function autism’ (age 9) though psychiatrist felt she has mix of both. Wife and I feel she fits more into ADHD but the ASD comes out in her social communication/comprehension. Also had a scare where she developed a sudden huge stutter (dx with strep infection)-then MD threw PANDAS at us as possibilit within past week.

HER (OUR) JOURNEY
We’ve gone from yeshiva day school (3yo)(poor-prior to dx)) to Private-CTT like environment (4yo-good experience)) to CTT- public school (5yo)-stable-optimisitc to Yeshiva (6yo w/ related services(mistake (felt she could be in jewish school w/supports) back to CTT at same public school (6yo-9yo(present)(mixed as school was pressing for self contained right way within 2 weeks of reentering school).

We pushed back b/c we felt there was not even an attempt to try services like SETTS/Para and we felt we lost a whole year at the yeshiva. We asked for repeat of 1st grade(CTT) with SETTS (mostly good year), 2nd year (they removed SETTS, added para- mixed results, mostly poor) to this year (asked for SETTS+Para). Better year though social is mixed as she struggles with making friends (seems to lean toward the troublemakers).

EXPERIENCE WITH system prior:

Our other dtr is what I would say more classically Autistic 13yo (simple ‘basic needs’ communicatin) and has been in non state approved private special ed (since age 6),yearly battle based on Floortime-DIR model.

RATIONALE FOR PRIVATE Special ed:
The battle for an individualized private approach vs what felt like cookie cutter/round peg-square hole mentality with limited to no real sensory services/ no music therapy/no good equipment/supports/ only behavioral strategies what was what left us to flee ideas of a 6-1-1 or other equivlent in public arena was more refletive of her limitations. In her school she has music therapy, 8-1-3 staffing-kids ratio that feeds her indiivual soul and a warm environment w/ parent groups/sibling groups, small school with director whos 100% accessible.

With our younger dtr
yes She is higher functioning (not minimizing her needs (sensory/social/educational). Yes, I admit there is a desire for a more traditional experience and perhaps ill opt for a non traditional environment but feel like id want to go private vs public.

Just feel the Public arena,though fits snug for some, can be wraught w/ bureacratic system that can stifle the ability of staff to try inovative approaches that dont fit the accepted behavioral system.

Im not clear where she fits in, perhaps not in CTT but not necessily in public 12-1-1 though probably would do better in smaller setting w/ teachers who understand her needs.

Tried to apply for NEST but got rejected due to standerized IQ testing was below par (believe her behaviors ADHD interfered more then her not knowing the material tested on.

APplied for OPWDD got eligibility and trying to get reshab/respite and also applied for YAI social skills group

Sorry to drone on :> AS said, each child and each decision on program should be an individual decision…not sure what road we will end up on but always open tohearing others approaches.

RYan

good luck to your son – we went from inclusion for K & 1, mainstream for 2 & 3 to contained in a private school for 4,5,6 — He just started 7th and there is just no comparison. The support – social, emotional, behavioral and academic – is beyond compare.