Originally Posted by
egoldber
Where are the other children in his current class going next year?
DS's class includes students in grades 3-5; so most of DS's classmates will stay right where they are. Generally speaking, the majority of the students in DS's classroom go into the middle school's Community Based Program. I observed this program recently and it is not a good fit for DS. Although it has the structure and supports he needs, it is not have the academics he needs. The students all take the alternate assessments (to the State mandated tests) and are not on a track to receive a regular diploma. DH and I have fought to keep DS on the regular diploma track and will continue to fight for that.
Originally Posted by
sste
I guess I do not understand the distinction between a "functional" skill and a "normal" one? Is that you are able to do X but in the former you can do it with whatever manner, affect, mannerisms etc so long as X gets done? Or something different? It does sound to me like a difference that the staff would need alot of training in and a willingness to embrace, I agree.
Is moving an option for you? Of course, observe first! But it always nice to know when other options are on the table.
In the context of autism, "normalizing" means to make a child with autism indistinguishable from typical peers. In other words, it is an attempt to rid the child of his/her autistic traits and behaviors ("extinction" is a common term). Teaching functional skills means teaching a child how to deal with his/her environment - coping skills; this takes into account that individuals with autism may have different social, communication, and sensory needs than typical individuals.
Moving is not an option for us.
Gena
DS, age 11 and always amazing
“Autistics are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the hammering is hard work. It's that you're destroying the peg." - Paul Collins, Not Even Wrong