Concerns about Mainstreaming School districts vary.  The district where my dd goes to school has self-contained classes on every campus.  The district where I teach only has  7 self-contained classes for a district of 10,000 students.  Clearly, in the district where I teach only the most severe students are placed in self-contained classes.  Every district is different and has different qualifications for self-contained classes.  I occasionally get students from bigger districts that were in self-contained classes in their old district, but are way too high for my class. Your new school needs to put your son in a similar setting for at least 30 days then they can hold an IEP and change his setting.    I have a question for both parents as well as teachers who visit this forum.  I have a 7 y.o. high functioning autistic son and we have recently moved and I have to change his school. He is very verbal loves to play with others. His current teacher suggested to me that he needs to start out self contained at the new school. Previously he was in a self-contained setting for about 1 hr a day and mainstreamed for the rest of the day.  When I told the new district this they thought he could handle being mainstreamed with 1 hr resource.  I am now confused as to what would be the best placement. Any experiences or suggestions would be appreciated. I have recently become concerned about my 4 yr old.  Okay, that's not true, I've been concerned for quite a while, but have some new concerns as of late.  He doesn't seem to make friends very well.  He wants to be friendly but just doesn't seem to know how.  He was diagnosed with anxiety disorder, he would seem really anxious and agressive when other children or adults were close to him.  He was expelled from two daycares because of his agressive behavior and that was when he was diagnosed with the anxiety because I took him to see a child behavior specialist.  One thing that he does that really concerns me is he'll hold a toy so tight in his hand that it will shake.  While he does this he will hold it right up in front of his face.  His doctor didn't seem to think anything of it, but teachers at his therapeutic preschool have noticed it and we are all concerned.  Is this a behavior of autism, and how can I talk to his dr. so that he will check for the right things.  He especially has a difficult time with change.  All of his behaviors increase when something changes at home or school. Telulamae:  There is an online screening test by a pediatric neurologist here:  http://www.childbrain.com/pddassess.html  You can print it out and take it with you to the doctor.
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