No I can't. You worded it perfectly. A High School diploma ONLY says what a child can do academically. And that is JUST in the classroom. MOST older ASD kids, even the highest functioning ones, have GREAT difficulty applying their academic skills in life. MOST get scores on the Vineland II that are dozens of points lower than their IQ scores. Many ASD kids with normal IQ's score in the MR range on adaptive tests. This tells the story. Also, the current stats that show that there is less than a 10 percent chance that a person with ANY form of autism (including Asperger Syndrome) will lead a fully independent life. IDEA 2004 STATES that the purpose of special education is prepare kids for positive post-secondary outcomes, which include higher education, employment and an independent adult life. There is no point to having a piece of paper saying you're a high school graduate if you don't have the skills to get a job, keep a job, socialize on the job, shop, cook, take care of your functional needs, have a circle of friends, find love. IDEA 2004 also now REQUIRES that schools follow graduates who got special education to track the post-school outcomes. The schools will eventually be holding the bag of it turns out that their "graduates" are all on disability because they can't cope. This is the LIKELY outcome, not the exception, with ASD kids. I attended six weeks of two hour lectures this past fall. The lecturers were experts in transitioning Spec. Ed. teens from the world of school to the adult world. They knew they were speaking to the parents of ASD kids (about a hundred of us attended this workshop). Many of the parents have kids who WILL be attending college. Each and every lecturer (they were not related to one another and came from ALL kinds of local organizations) suggested that even those kids who were college bound should be kept from graduating on time. Autism is a DEVELOPMENTAL disorder. Just as our kids tend to not be ready to potty train until closer to 5, our kids are NOT ready to be adults at 18. Closer to 21, if then. Every lecturer said to figure out a way to keep our kids in high school as long as possible to ensure a better post-school outcome. The best suggestion I heard was to make SURE our kids get vocational training while still in HS. The point was that vocational programs ALWAYS teach kids job skills and organizational skills in addition to the actual skill set they will need for that particular job (graphic arts, culinary, retail, small engine repair, etc.) The skills you and I consider simple common sense need to be specifically TAUGHT to ASD kids. And there is simply NO TIME to teach these kids those skills while they're also learning algebra, geometry, trigonometry, world history, American history, civics, biology, chemistry, physics, foreign languages, art, music, and gym. These are REQUIREMENTS for a high school diploma. Especially for college-bound kids. Where in the 6-hour day will they also get their therapies, their social skills training, their organizational skills training and their interviewing skills training? The statistics out there are ABYSMAL. And they show that people with autism don't work because they don't have the social skills and organizational skills working REQUIRES. If the point of getting a high school diploma is to say that a student is ready for a job and the world of adults, then simply passing academic courses won't do it. It's NOT doing it. We have to FORCE the schools to genuinely prepare our kids, not simply push them through. IDEA 2004 HAS the language in it to make this happen. But it is we PARENTS who have to hold the Districts accountable. And they really can't provide our kids all the help they need to succeed if the time doesn't extend past the age of 18.
Last year at a CSE meeting for my son, I was shocked that my advocate would suggest to me or even consider "having him fail". After the meeting I confronted him about this, his answer was very simple. Most people in mental institutions have a HS diploma. I didn't get it at first. I think now I understand, if I don't allow him to mature, learn how to handle disappointments, coping methods etc. than what on earth will he do with a diploma? Use it for TP I suppose. Point being, If he has the academics but, lacks the skills for the world, what's a piece of paper.
Tzoya probably can word it much better than I.
Tzoya, I have a question. You know more about older children since you have one yourself and know what is offered for them. I haven't yet gotten to that in my masters classes and since my BS wasn't for older kids, I don't very much in that area. Here is my question.
If a child, no matter what the deficeits are, is making the grades and passing tests to earn enough credits in high school to graduate with a local dipolma (which I am guessing the same thing as graduating with an academic dipolma in my state) why would you not want you child to get that? If, based on grades and passing tests and passing whatever state and district tests that are given before graduation indicate that a child can graduate on a dipolma that will allow for college entry, why would you not want that? I understand the whole bit about services through public schools stopping at the time of graduation vs. continuing on until 21. I would just think that if a high school student could earn that dipolma IN SPITE of all the problems that that would mean something.
Can you please explain to me why it's better to "make sure he fails" so he doesn't get the dipolma? I am not being ugly or rude. I just would have advised a different way and wonder your stance on the issue now. Thanks!!
Yes Tzoya! We had our son evaluated privately with a PHD who was recommended by our neurologist. He was a ABSOLUTE QUACK and said our son had a host of conditions (all part of autism) but removed the autism diagnosis and told us if we would just be more firm he would eat and do what we wanted him to do. So we just threw that out (at the advice of our neurologist) and found someone else. I would also agree with you, Tzoya to get outside evals. I would never use our school systems psychologist as he has a bad track record and I also feel you will get an unbiased report if you go outside the school system.
It is NEVER to late Jean. You can do this and get your son what he needs. Keep up the good work and keep in touch.
He is now a junior, and currently attends a special ed. school in Mt. Kisco, NY. They swear they are able to meet his needs. At my request recent testing has revealed that he should receive Speech and O.T., CSE agreed.My son doesn't feel the need for such things and has refused speech, he feels talks just fine. However, both expressive and receptive language is estimated to be at a 10 y.o. level. They have decided that Speech on a consult with his teachers each once a week is fine. The school does not provide O.T. so the district provided a therapist and she saw him 3 or 4 times before she informed me that her agency wasn't going to pay her rate so she was no longer going to see him. The district has not found a replacement.
I blame myself for being such a dope. How could I be that trusting? The only one who is going to suffer is him. He is so good, but, very, very fragile. He doesn't have the skills needed to function in the real world. Do I let him graduate with a local diploma or keep him in district until 21? Vocational training or college? If areas of speech and language and O.T. are not addressed then will he be able to have a job or go to college? my head is spinning!!!!!!
Any advice?
Thanks for reading.
Jean
I know of a good advocate who lives in Chappaqua and may be able to help you. I have to say, that I feel somewhat the same about my 16yo and I have been on top of the law all along. Still, we parents are SO close to our kids that it is sometimes hard to see what is REALLY going on. If you want the name of the advocate, email me at TZoya@aol.com My pm here is not working.
PS -- DO NOT LET HIM GRADUATE WITH A LOCAL DIPLOMA!!! Make SURE he fails at getting a Regents diploma so that he can continue to get services through age 21. Also, he should DEFINITELY have a good Transition Plan in his IEP right now. Ask for reevals of all areas of concern. If the tests come back and say something you disagree with, ask for an Independent Educational Evaluation. I am just warming up as far as getting my son more help is concerned. It is NEVER too late, as long as we address our kids' issues BEFORE age 21 or BEFORE they get a HS diploma.Jean,
If you are now happy with his program I would keep him at this school until age 21 to give him more time to catch up before selecting a college or vocational school.
If the school is not providing what your son needs then you will have to work with them to get what he needs. If this isn't going to work I would look for a different placement for next year and start looking right now. Special ed law says they have to provide what your son needs but we have found they will not give it to kids whose parents are not willing to fight for it. Do you have an advocate? They are extremely helpful. Invite as many people who know and work with your son outside of school too as they can support your arguments for his needs.
I know there are others here who have good ideas too. I am sure they will respond.
Merry
Thanks for reading and responding. tzoya I will email you ASAP. Thanks. I hope others who read this post may possibly learn from my experience. Even if you think or just want to believe your child is improving, do not ever, ever, ever, ever (did I say ever) agree to have services decreased. If your child is not able to tie their shoes when they are 12, this is a problem.Thanks...We had a private neuropsych. done in 12/05. I submitted it to the CSE, we met and addressed the concerns raised by the report. The report indicated that he would benefit from O.T eval, speech eval and psychiatric all have been completed and all have stated that he needs services. The report also stated that a more restricted environment would be beneficial to address his multitude of disabilities. To provide a more structured environment with an emphasis on life skills. I requested a vineland be done so I can try to register him for OMRDD the test they gave was called the Scales For Independent Behavior-Revised. In which I answered questions and so did his teacher. The teacher actually scored him lower than I did. He was found to have limited skills in all area's. We met again to discuss this test and the O.T. felt that his scores were reflective of his severe sensory avoidance. She has since left and they have not yet found a replacement. That was 6 weeks ago. He has also had a voc level 1. In which they recommended he be enrolled in the exploratory program at BOCES. When I showed him the choices he had no interest in any of them. At our last meeting the head of pupil personal who has been chairing the meetings was going to go and visit his school. We are suppose to reconvene by the end of the month. I still have not received any notification.We have met to discuss his placement and services 5 times in the past year and I am still where I was last year. How do I make them realize that his needs are not being met. They have sent his packet out to several schools and there isn't any room for him.
I just want his school to back down and say they are not able to meet his needs. Why won't they do this? Where is a program that offers services to kids in the gray area? It is soooo frustrating and unfair.
His scores will show lack of progress. Point this out to the schools. Mention to them that no progress equal lack of a free appropriate education. Seems like this is the time to get an advocate involved. Go to this NYS site to search the advocacy organization they fund in your area. Call them to be pointed in the right direction: http://www.cqcapd.state.ny.us/ Since your private eval is old, try to get them to perform the SAME tests with their own people. IF the tests come back worse, that is WORSE for them and better for your son in the sense that they will have to SCRAMBLE to help him or face a HEaring Officer, and that could cost them TONS. Good luck