Feedback and input needed please

lovelyboy

Member
I took my liitle one for a neuro assesment yesterday....
The neuro also saw my oldest son a month ago, who confirmed AS diagnosis.
She was strongly advising us to move both our children out of their current mainstream, private school.....because of the high amount of pressure they put on the kids.

The school she suggested is also private, but from gr 0000-12, they only have 410 kids, 70 of them being death. The classes are fully equiped with FM systems, and they specializes in accomodating death children and children with auditory processing disability. They dont have more that 25 kids in a class and they have a quilified assistant in each class for little ones. My little dude will be tested next week, but he surely have Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) and big issue with talking and language. She diagnosed possible ADHD and wants to start on very low dosage Ritalin. Little dude doesnt cope at all in current school, so this is good option for him...BUT logisticly I cant have 2 kids in different schools. This school is 45 minutes drive from our home.

My Aspie (oldest son, in gr3) functions well in his current school, but struggles to keep up with confusing noise levels but his auditory processing has improved alot. But he often still misunderstands stuff.
Do you think its fair and ok to move oldest to accomodate little dude?
Whats your thoughts on putting oldest in school with kids with hearing and Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) problems, do you think it will upset him to be with hearing disabled kids? They also have kids with normal hearing....And presents classes in English and Afrikaans(our mother tongue, that will benefit both)....
I showed oldest a video re this new school...he seemed very impressed and he looked happy because of less pressure and some one who will understand his problems with understanding language. And he seemed relieved to see a school that is so quiet! The noice in his current school makes him very anxious and tired......But then he also said he loves his current school and will never want to leave!
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InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
You - not the kids - will have to make the decision.

But you asked for my opinion, so...

I see it as a good sign that oldest recognizes some benefits to this "new" school. Of course he doesn't want to change schools - NO kid likes that transition, and even kids with "normal" challenges (LDs, Auditory Processing Disorders (APD), etc.) have more problems with transitions.

It isn't like this "new" school caters solely to kids with disabilities and challenges. Both kids would have the advantages of being both supported and challenged. It isn't the "public" school, with all it's challenges either. And I'm impressed with their approach on languages.
 

Ktllc

New Member
I would visit the school. Maybe ask to be there all day (without your kids of course).
It sounds like it would be good for both kids. Whereas the current school is only good for one kid (with some major noise issue nontheless).
If you like what you see: I would move both kids if I were you.
Sometimes you have to do what is best for the family as a whole. And it is nothing to be sorry about. That's what family is about.
Transitions are always hard, but look beyong the transition when it comes to make a decision.
And sure, ask your kids how they feel about it, but be very clear YOU and husband are making the decision, not them.
As far as being mingled with deaf kids: why not? There can be no harm to it. only benefits: teach difference, acceptance, learning and living with one another as human beings and not as "deaf kid" or "Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kid".
As you might know, we have a mix social group (disabled and non disabled kids): it goes great and Partner for instance don't see any issues with it.
I also remember as a kid having a neighbor and friend with down syndrome. She was in my class for the 3 years of nursery school and remained my friend through adulthood. I would go ring her door bell to play with her. I would lend her my baby books as she was learning how to read. Slowly, as I grew older, I realized that she was different. But she was my friend first. If you teach kids acceptance, a lot of good can come out of it. The benefits go both ways.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
It sounds good on the face of it. But I don't know how they will transition. Go check it out and see at what level the kids are functioning.

I almost had a heart attack reading the word "death." I think you meant "deaf." :) It's too early in the morning for me ...
 

buddy

New Member
Having grown up with kids who are deaf (my schools had the mainstream programs and they taught us sign lang and we had a theater for the deaf which was 50% hearing and 50% deaf /hard of hearing kids...) my bias is that it is a low issue on the worry scale. Im attending the wedding of a daghter of.one of my classmates thos weekend. Esp. given that the boys have Auditory Processing Disorders (APD)'s which will naturally be accommodated for in a setting where things are set up to be more visual and the FM systems ...well that is a great thing for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Auditory Processing Disorders (APD), adhd, Learning Disability (LD), and more ....research is strong on that as you know. Of course you should visit to see what you think and if it is as good as it sounds.
Your #1 is doing better for now but here are some common issues (may not happen for him ) kids who are AS often have increasing challenges both socially and academically as they get into the upper elementary levels. Support and flexibility from staff and understanding from admin (esp if the school is not specifically set up for these issues ) can decrease because the kids sometimes look and sound like they should be able to behave differently . So..thinking ahead would it be worth it to gamble on more supports in one setting versus another should his needs or problems increase?
If you can't do two schools then that might answer the question for you. Are there other schools to investigate? If both do go....45 min would be another lower level issue (I leave at 1:30 to pick q up at 3 when he has therapy ...rush hour traffic and construction always complicates the trip, sigh ).

If you see it and end up liking it, I hope it works out. Change is hard and I obviously get that.....but we do it when we have to and somehow survive ......I just warn everyone during those transitions!

by the way .....having grown up in deaf ed. programs and having taught in them I promise you deaf kids are not quiet! Just depends on how the school regulates noise. People who are deaf sometimes don't hear if their voice is on or off so it can be a new experience for people who have not been around that. Lots of IEP goals are written to help kids be aware of when they are making noise and also on modulating voice. Just sharing that it could be that the movie was staged a little. It is pretty typical in terms of noise levels in my experience. Quiet times and noisy times (big smile ).
 
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