Here in Texas we have Primrose private school that will take your child with autism and allow an aide if you pay for it. Sarah got mainstreamed but her teacher confided she was scared to death to have a child with autism in her class because she didn't know what to expect even though she sat through the IEP process. She now tells me she wishes ALL her students were like her...this is because Sarah rarely talks at all so of course she loves her
The teacher makes all the difference in the world. Ours in not perfect but Sarah loves her and beams like crazy if her teacher just calls her name or holds her hand! Good luck finding the right place for your little girl. I hope you get your faith back soon:)
Blessings,
Shelley
THe school district only has control over public schools and private school that are paid for through public funds. Private means private. Unless the private school in question TAKES public funding, there may be NOTHING that can be done. Of course, MANY private schools take funding in one form or another and if they do, they ARE subject to Federal laws concerning discrimination. However, if a school came to me and SAID they couldn't handle my child, I doubt I'd want my child in that school. Unless they ALSO said they would be willing to work with the school district so that the school district could provide support. Some states allow the Districts to support kids who are parentally enrolled in private schools. Most do not, but it might be worth checking if your state does. However, it sounds as though your daughter is not welcome and if that's the case, it's all too easy for a school to make sure she starts to deteriorate so they'll have a GOOD REASON to expell her. TOO EASY. Ask the public school to show you the public placements available. You really can't move every year to put your daughter into different schools.Thanks for the support everyone. My philosophy is if they don't want her there then I don't want her there! I don't want her around people who really don't want to be bothered. It's a shame teachers have that attitude! To me, that's like a dr not wanting to heal people!!!! Anyway, the only option in the district we are in is to send her back to the school she went to back in August, which is NOT an option, because I refuse to put her in a school where they have mistreated her! I will gladly sell my house every year if that means Emily being treated properly. This will be the first time however. I've already spoken to the principle at the public school I would like her to go to and she seems really nice and actually talked to me for a good 15-20 minutes in her office even though she knew we still live in the other school district. When we sell our house and move across town we are just going to rent. That way it will be easier if we choose to move again. If she does really well and we like it then we may buy, not sure yet being military we could move at anytime so I hate to buy again until he retires. But I have a feeling the other district will be quite better compared to what we have now. And the Elem school I have my eyes on has quite a good reputation. So we will see how it goes. I know I could make a stink at the private school and maybe even make it where she can go next year.....but again, if they really don't want her there then I feel that she will sense that from them eventually and I'm not willing to let that happen, not when we do in fact have other options. Her teacher now loves her and definantly wants her to stay till the end of the year, so for now we're ok. I just hate stressing over next year. But I do sense she will do well if we move, just a feeling I have. I'm still new to all this, only about 1 yr since her official diagnosis and it just kills me the way we have to fight to get people to accept our children. And of all people, you should not have to convince true christians to give your child a chance, it truely is a shame! I went to enroll Emily at her private preschool for next year on Monday and the admisistrator basically said that the pre k 4 teachers were'nt "comfortable" with having Emily in their room! So, in other words she won't be able to attend. Her pre k 3 teacher doesn't understand it either! I am FURIOUS! Emily is doing wonderful in the pre k 3 room, we've even pretty much removed her aide from the room altogether! We are no longer having ANY issues. But the other teachers are just scared of Emily I guess. So basically we're back to square one. I refuse to send her back to the school that was so mean to her back at the beginning of the year, so basically we will have to sell our house and move across town. I'm not looking forward to it! But I did go see the principal at the Elem school she will go to if we move and she seemed real nice. It just kills me that Emily has to change school again, especially since she has made TONS of progress and knows most of her classmates by name and is participating in all the activities the other children do!!!!! I am just so frustrated! Makes me want to move me & Emily as far into the country as I can and not even deal with people anymore! It breaks my heart that people who havn't even spent any time with her just flat out reject her. I'm getting to the point where I don't think we'll ever find a place we're happy with....a place that wants to help Emily and treat her appropriately. Maybe it doesn't exsist. Maybe I just set myself up for disappointment. Seems like every time we find a good place and I stop stessing and actually feel happy with where we are, BOOM it's gone and we're back to square one. I'm to the point where I'm not even going to bother to get my hopes up any more. I'm sorry I'm being so negative. Thanks for listening to me vent!Is there any way you could ask for an out-of-district placement instead of selling your house and moving?With the assistance of her current teacher, why not try to arrange a meeting with her current teacher and the teachers who don't feel "comfortable"? Make it an informational meeting where they can ask whatever they wish so that you can hopefully eliminate their fears. Then perhaps arrange for each "uncomfortable" teacher to observe Emily in her current classroom as she is doing so very well. This may be all it takes to change their minds. These people are discriminating against your child, and I think you need to at least try to help them understand things from your point of view. Perhaps the administrator is blaming the teacher's for feelings that he/she has. Also, gather some good, practical info about autism and give it to the teachers at the meeting.
And of course, put all of this in a factual non-emotional letter, and explain where you've been on your journey, what you went through to get her in such a good situation now, and how you can't understand how anyone would deny this child the opportunity for education in a program tht she is essentially succeeding in.
Don't give up without a "fight"! Good luck!
It might be helpful to point out that most states strictly prohibit this kind of discrimination in schools- even private schools. Your state might be different, but ADA and No Child go a long way towards stopping this. Check legislation, if you are able- you might be surprised at the resources and protections available to you. (Your local ACLU chapter might help with legal assistance as well, if needed.)I don't know where you live, but I tried to enroll my son in a private (supposedly christian) school before he was evaluated by the public school district. He lasted two days. The teacher absolutely had no desire to work with him at all. He was three. The third day I picked him up because they called me because Daniel had messed himself. When I got there they had him in a nursery where all the babies were, sitting in his own poop, with it smeared everywhere. It took me 15 minutes to get him cleaned up before we could leave. His teacher also made the remark about "what is the deal with him screaming everytime I play music?" How little I knew then! He essentially got kicked out of pre-k there. Then the evaluation with the public school system started and WOW! what a difference. They rated him as autistic, but at the recommendation of the ped neuro dev doctor placed him in a dd class at a wonderful school, he gets door to door transportation and I just love his teachers. We live in Jacksonville, Florida. Now, I am not sure that I will always be happy with the public school system. I have had some run ins with them where my daughter is concerned. But, they sure do have things in place to head in the right direction of getting children with diasabilities a fighting chance. I don't know if this is an avenue you have researched yet. I'm sorry for your troubles though. I know how it feels when people don't want to deal with your child.