From my experience, do NOT wait for the school! Tzoya's recommendations are PERFECT... I wish I had them this time last year when my son was finishing out elementary school/preparing for middle school. I think Tzoya hit it on the head... this has been a very big transition in our house (and yes, much bigger than K).
Mary
Start the process NOW. Make SURE he is able to visit the suggested classes. Make SURE you speak with the Middle School Principal. Make SURE the District informs you about EVERY program the MS offers. Ask to speak with a parent of a child with your son's disability and approx. level of functioning whose son has already gone through the transition (give them your number to give to the parent). This is at least as big a transition as going to K was, maybe bigger.We have visited the school, met the principal the guidance counselor and the special ed teachers for Adam already. Monday I am meeting informally with the spec ed teacher he has this year to go over what she sees as the biggest issues and start to prepare for the transition IEP. I would suggest going to the school and meeting everyone. Also, make sure they take your son to the school, and walk him through a typical day. Let him tell you what issues he thinks he will have. And what he thinks will be upsetting to him. Adam has met the teachers, counselor and principal so he has some idea of faces.
Oh, and ask if he can leave several minutes early from his class to get to or at least a head start to the next class before the halls fill with kids.
I am very concerned also. I worry everday how he will make it. The social aspect was the biggest eye opener to me when I visited the school.
Ugh! Lost my post earlier today on this subject.
I did tour the middle school before the transition IEP, and met with the Principal and Special Ed teacher. Since the school is not our resident school, the district had to approve placement there, so we requested that the district Program Specialist attend the transition IEP. The elementary school Principal attended the IEP, and she concurred that this school was the best placement for Connor, and the Program Specialist agreed to push it through.
Middle school was a horrible year for my son as he almost failed and he's very smart. We'd moved to Florida that year and they really didn't know what to do with him. He wasn't in special education as high functioning austim wasn't in the picture at that time. Somehow we surived that year and moved again to Texas. In Texas he was back in a special education class and no my husband is not in the service. To make a long story short we moved back to Maryland and he was "normal" again. Now he has PDD/Asperger (35 years old) and he'll start a training program at vocational rehabilitation next week in computer accounting (FREE). We're hoping and praying this will be the light at the end of the tunnel.