[FEAT BC Admin]

In this discussion area, please feel free to share your experience in implementing A.B.A. programs in the school system. We would particularly like to hear from those parents who converted their school teams to A.B.A. We’d like to hear the nightmares as well as the success stories.

Any insight that can be shared by school-based special education assistants to help parents would also be very meaningful.

Topic

[Dave Collyer]

Hi Allie,

Start now!!! TODAY! Actually it would have been better to have started the conversation with SD admin a couple of months ago but such is life. I know a number of internal CUPE postings have just closed & I suspect that staffing disbursment is about to firm up. If you are moving into VIctoria proper you need to be in touch with the folks @ SD61 (there are two other districts… Sooke (62)and Saanich (63)) NOW!!! Drop me an email and I will pass on some info re contact names, process, CUPE job description etc… I have a few good contacts for SD62 and SD63 as well as SD61.

drcollyer123 (at) mac (dott) com

[Deleted User]

Looking for some advice on schools in Victoria if anyone knows any that are good or that will work with my son and his ABA program. My son has been in a program for 3yrs now. My son will be going into grade one.
Any ideas or thoughts would be greatly appreciate as I am moving to Victoria come August.

Allie

[Catherine Cooper]

I am posting this message for another family who is interested in information regarding the North Vancouver School District. This family has heard that the district has recently made a positive shift and is allowing home ABA therapists to work in the classroom with the student. The interested family is from another school district and would like information/assistance regarding ABA therapists in the classroom. Please respond to ccooper@dccnet.com and I will forward the information.
Regards
Catherine

[Peter Wong]

Dave, David, & Christine,

Thanks a lot for your sharing and information.
My boy is 5 years old and we are going to appeal the decision.

I hope we will have some good news to share in the future.

Many thanks again.

Cheers.

Peter

[Dave Collyer]

Hi again,

Peter,

If it is not a mater of the school needing to provide more information or some odd need to update assessments I thought I should also mention that your school can appeal the decision via the appeals process (deadline in October I think). I also understand that the appeals forms will be available @ the Ind. Schools Branch (electronically) next week.

Your school's administrator might find it helpful to contact Tony Arthurs (Coordinator of Special Education at the Independent Schools Branch of the Ministry of Education) for clarification.

I am not sure of how old your child is but s/he may be also be eligible for before and after school supports via Supported Child Development funding. SCDP is a MCFD (Ministry of Children and Family Development) contracted service provided by different agencies depending on your region. It may be a good idea to also have your school inquire about SCDP supports for your child with your local contracting agency.

Dave.

[Dave Collyer]

Hi all, I don't want to inundate folks with excessive amounts of material but I have found these links and resources to be of help while navigating the Public and Private education systems (in no particular order other then as they appear in my bookmarks in my web browser):

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/legislation/schoollaw/revisedstatutescontents.pdf

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/legislation/schoollaw/e/m150-89.pdf

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/independentschools/bc_guide/spec_ed.htm

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/asd_instr_supp_plan_tool.pdf

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/docs/autism.pdf

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/ppandg/planning_11.htm

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/independentschools/bc_guide/dl_program.htm

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/k12funding/funding/07-08/estimates/operating-grants-manual.pdf

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/legislation/schoollaw/

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/policies/funding_special_needs.htm

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/policies/special_ed.htm

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/policies/funding_special_needs.htm

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/policies/distance_ed.htm

[David Chan]

Hi All,

I thought I would just chime in, as a long time FEAT'er, Mr. P is now finishing grade 9 going into Grade 10, in an independent school.

At the end of the day, I will once again quote Blanche Dubois, "We have always relied on the kindness of strangers".

From what I gather from Peter's post, he does have diagnostics, and paperwork. Truth is, it depends on the folks that you are dealing with. If they have the intent to help, then the paperwork is secondary.

Lo those many years ago, when Mr. P started in grade 3, the scenario that we presented to the school was that our kid will come to school armed and ready; which is to say, there was no expectation on our part from the school to provide any intervention on our kidÕs behalf.

Think about it: your kid already has a program and consultant. Why would you need input from the school as to how to implement his or her integration ?

That said, our kid arrived at the first day of school armed with a full time aide; namely, ME. We implemented his programs from home and also integrated him into the classroom programs. This whole process went on for more that 2.5 years till we found the right person to replace myself in the middle of grade 5.

I don't recommend this to any parent out there; it was just not a fun thing to do! However, my point is that my skill set is not unique; it can be taught to an aide. Granted, I was more vested that anyone I could possibly hire, but none the less, the process is the same. Skilled aide with kid, then slowly integrate into classroom activity….That at least in our case was the key.

Truth is after one year of success, and then the second, pretty soon your kid becomes a fixture in the school. Your kid becomes an asset, rather than a problem THEY have to solve. You've already done the problem solving in advance, from home. The school is a venue for you to implement your kid's programs, and for him/her to learn school and social stuff.

You have to start off successful– there is no other option. Once a kid goes south in a school setting, it will take almost an insurmountable amount of work to bring it back, it's almost better to start fresh.

We also know this from painful experience because our guys K and Grade 1 year was less than stellar, and grade 2 lasted 21 days before we pulled him out of school, and home schooled and LovaasÕed at home for a year. What fun!

Success begets success. All situations are great till they are not. You never take the good moments for granted. Just because he had a good year this year is no guarantee that next year will be as good or the wheels may come falling off. This after 6 years in the independent school system.

Again, we are always relying on the kindness of strangers.

On a much happier note, we are preparing a science 9 exam, and and english 9 exam. Hell on wheels to teach that stuff to any kid, let alone one on the team, but wow when he gets it, what a buzz it is.

Best of luck to everyone, and just 3 more years in the secondary school system for us.

Keep us in your thoughts too, Ôcause always remember, Òit's great until it's not great any moreÓ.

Slugging it out in High school,

Mr. P's mom and dad

[Christine Hung]

Hi Peter,

I like to share my experience. My daughter is going to K this year as well in a Christian school. As soon as we sent in the application, the resource teacher called and asked me to provide all the diagnose and assesement (which were mostly done in Aug 2005, less than two years ago). Then she told us that we have to get a more recent assessment from at least two professionals. I was quite surprised and confused at that time as I was under the impression that once an ASD diagnose was given there should be no time limit.
Te resource teacher then explained to me that the government has made it really hard for private schools to get funding, so instead of going back and forth and running the risk of not getting funding when school start, she rather ask me to get all paper work done ahead of time. Anyway, we ended up providing assessments from ABLE, SLP and OT.

I don't think it's fair that we are asked to do all these assessment just to get the funding that our kids are entitled to (and we are paying out of our own pocket), but in order to have a smooth transition for my daughter, I didn't say anything…..I don't want her to suffer while we are wasting time on paper work and bureacracy.

One reason makes me willing to do it is the attitude from the school. The resource teachers are really experienced and have been really helpful. They spent time talking with me on the phone and in person, observing my daughter in preschool and supporting her during the orientation day, and all these are initiated by them instead of me.

My suggestion is that you talk with the school first and find out exactly why the funding is denied, they must be given a reason. And it will be interesting for all of us to know….

Best of lucks
Christine

[Dave Collyer]

Hi Peter,

Did the school offer a reason as to why the application for funding had been turned down? It is usually a mater of the school filling out the forms with the correct documentation every year.

How old is your child's diagnosis?

It is my understanding that once the diagnosis of ASD has been given that there is generally no need to have a second assessment for ASD in order to qualify for L2 funding… IF a BCAAN (BC Autism Assessment Network) form was filled out. These forms were generally used after January 1 2004 and SunnyHill is part of the BCAAN. Unlike other assessments there is no time limit. ( Someone correct me if I am wrong). There is also no need to have secondary reporting done like SLP, WIATs, WISCs, once the BCAAN form has been completed as that would have been part of the process. Beyond that no additional assessments should be needed in order to qualify for L2 funding. Diagnosis of ASD is all that is required.

There are some considerations to review if your child's diagnosis occurred before Jan 1st 2004.

Go here for the BC Min. of Ed Special Ed. Services Manual: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/special_ed_policy_manual.pdf

Review pages 80-86…

Is the school accredited with the Independent Schools Branch?

Dave.

[Peter Wong]

Dear parents:

I registered my son for his Kindergarten in an independent/private school. Today the school told me that the autism funding for school is denied by the government. My boy was diagnosed by Sunny Hill with ASD. It is impossible to believe it. One possibility is that our formal assessment was kind of old. We are going to get an updated speech assessment for my boy. What else should we prepare for the appeal process?

We will love any sharing and experience.

You can share to the group or email me privately to vancouverpeter AT gmail.com.

Thanks a lot.

Peter

[Author]

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