Education for your child

​Autism from a mama who has been there. I am going to try to post every day this month. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments.

Education for your child:

Our son attended five school districts in four different states. We found that some states had much better programs than others, and even within a district, there was a measured difference in each school. And in a school, you would find cooperative teachers and recalcitrant ones. Although the laws were in place, some teachers were not just reluctant but openly defiant. Change teachers, change classes, change schools, do what is best for your child.

Most of the time, we were blessed. In Arizona, where he was diagnosed, he was placed in the Early Intervention Program. In Utah, the local school district allowed my son to learn in the least restrictive environment (mainstream classroom) and gave him an aide until he no longer needed one in the third grade. Let’s not even talk about California. (That would need its own post.) In Texas, we worked with a combination of programs tailor-made for him. (Including a few months in an outpatient program for another problem.) 

Junior high school and high school are going to be hard no matter where you are, and we moved back to Utah during this difficult time. Again we were blessed with wonderful advisors who allowed him to be on “home hospital” while we worked out another medical issue, allowed him to attend half-day, and helped him transition to the Star Program after he turned eighteen until he graduated when he was 20 years old.

There are so many new schools and programs that weren’t available to us back then. Do your research, interview teachers, explore programs, and choose what best fits your child’s needs.

Celebrate the small stuff. Be flexible. Laugh.