[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

[Tina]

Hi All, I need your advice!!!!
My 6 yr-old autistic son enrolled Kindergarten in East Vancouver last September and he has serverly speech and language delay. I've been asking the school for an SLP since he has that needs and also had the report from his previous SLP (from Ever Green) saying so. I talked to the principle several times and she was really mean. End of this January, she promised to let me know when my child would get that service in 2 weeks. I had waited for 3 weeks and hadn't heard from her . I called her yesterday and she said she had no idea when my son would get that service. She said she would be using the fund from the school board to hire an SLP , and didn't know when that would be done; she also said after she hired the SLP, my son would later be considered ( BY HER ) if he would eligible for that service or not, and if she thought he wasn't qualify, he would not get any SLP service. I said it seemed to me that it would take for ever to get this service. She was very rude:"Yes, it will take forever, and if you want more services, you can go to get the private SLP". She told me to go and get private SLP even though she knew that I have financial problem, running ABA at home, facing the cut of the funding. I also asked her what if once my son got the service, if he needed to start to wait again in the next school year. She said: " Don't worry about him in grade one or you'll be crazy".I just couldn't beleive a principal could tell a parent those ridiculous words, not to worry about your child in the near future.I am exhausted dealing with this principle who is new to this school and am wonedering how she got her job in the education system. I will make a complaint against her and I am very unfamiliar to this.If you have any ideas how to the school system works or how to deal with this very unprofressional person.Would you please share with me. It will be greatly appreciated.
My email address: tnkaccount@yahoo.com

Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing from all of you.
Trinh

[Tina]

Hi All, I need your advice!!!!
My 6 yr-old autistic son enrolled Kindergarten in East Vancouver last September and he has serverly speech and language delay. I've been asking the school for an SLP since he has that needs and also had the report from his previous SLP (from Ever Green) saying so. I talked to the principle several times and she was really mean. End of this January, she promised to let me know when my child would get that service in 2 weeks. I had waited for 3 weeks and hadn't heard from her . I called her yesterday and she said she had no idea when my son would get that service. She said she would be using the fund from the school board to hire an SLP , and didn't know when that would be done; she also said after she hired the SLP, my son would later be considered ( BY HER ) if he would eligible for that service or not, and if she thought he wasn't qualify, he would not get any SLP service. I said it seemed to me that it would take for ever to get this service. She was very rude:"Yes, it will take forever, and if you want more services, you can go to get the private SLP". She told me to go and get private SLP even though she knew that I have financial problem, running ABA at home, facing the cut of the funding. I also asked her what if once my son got the service, if he needed to start to wait again in the next school year. She said: " Don't worry about him in grade one or you'll be crazy".I just couldn't beleive a principal could tell a parent those ridiculous words, not to worry about your child in the near future.I am exhausted dealing with this principle who is new to this school and am wonedering how she got her job in the education system. I will make a complaint against her and I am very unfamiliar to this.If you have any ideas how to the school system works or how to deal with this very unprofressional person.Would you please share with me. It will be greatly appreciated.
My email address: tnkaccount@yahoo.com

Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing from all of you.
Trinh

[Tina]

Hi All, I need your advice!!!!
My 6 yr-old autistic son enrolled Kindergarten in East Vancouver last September and he has serverly speech and language delay. I've been asking the school for an SLP since he has that needs and also had the report from his previous SLP (from Ever Green) saying so. I talked to the principle several times and she was really mean. End of this January, she promised to let me know when my child would get that service in 2 weeks. I had waited for 3 weeks and hadn't heard from her . I called her yesterday and she said she had no idea when my son would get that service. She said she would be using the fund from the school board to hire an SLP , and didn't know when that would be done; she also said after she hired the SLP, my son would later be considered ( BY HER ) if he would eligible for that service or not, and if she thought he wasn't qualify, he would not get any SLP service. I said it seemed to me that it would take for ever to get this service. She was very rude:"Yes, it will take forever, and if you want more services, you can go to get the private SLP". She told me to go and get private SLP even though she knew that I have financial problem, running ABA at home, facing the cut of the funding. I also asked her what if once my son got the service, if he needed to start to wait again in the next school year. She said: " Don't worry about him in grade one or you'll be crazy".I just couldn't beleive a principal could tell a parent those ridiculous words, not to worry about your child in the near future.I am exhausted dealing with this principle who is new to this school and am wonedering how she got her job in the education system. I will make a complaint against her and I am very unfamiliar to this.If you have any ideas how to the school system works or how to deal with this very unprofressional person.Would you please share with me. It will be greatly appreciated.
My email address: tnkaccount@yahoo.com

Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing from all of you.
Trinh

[Tina]

Hi All, I need your advice!!!!
My 6 yr-old autistic son enrolled Kindergarten in East Vancouver last September and he has serverly speech and language delay. I've been asking the school for an SLP since he has that needs and also had the report from his previous SLP (from Ever Green) saying so. I talked to the principle several times and she was really mean. End of this January, she promised to let me know when my child would get that service in 2 weeks. I had waited for 3 weeks and hadn't heard from her . I called her yesterday and she said she had no idea when my son would get that service. She said she would be using the fund from the school board to hire an SLP , and didn't know when that would be done; she also said after she hired the SLP, my son would later be considered ( BY HER ) if he would eligible for that service or not, and if she thought he wasn't qualify, he would not get any SLP service. I said it seemed to me that it would take for ever to get this service. She was very rude:"Yes, it will take forever, and if you want more services, you can go to get the private SLP". She told me to go and get private SLP even though she knew that I have financial problem, running ABA at home, facing the cut of the funding. I also asked her what if once my son got the service, if he needed to start to wait again in the next school year. She said: " Don't worry about him in grade one or you'll be crazy".I just couldn't beleive a principal could tell a parent those ridiculous words, not to worry about your child in the near future.I am exhausted dealing with this principle who is new to this school and am wonedering how she got her job in the education system. I will make a complaint against her and I am very unfamiliar to this.If you have any ideas how to the school system works or how to deal with this very unprofressional person.Would you please share with me. It will be greatly appreciated.
My email address: tnkaccount@yahoo.com

Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing from all of you.
Trinh

[Geeta Jain]

Hi,
Can anyone recommend a school in surrey district that is the real well wisher of kids with autism?

[David Chan]

Dear Kathy,

As the mother of a 14-year old who's been through"the ringer", by far and away your best bet is West Vancouver. They have a different union (not CUPE) so that the needs of the child are put above the needs of the union.. However, I must caution you that you should have a clear cut protocol that works with your child, and ask that this protocol be used in school. Otherwise the school will just do whatever they think is best (Yikes!)

I had difficulty telling from your post whether your son has a Lovaas-ABA consultant or not. If not, you should retain the services of a consultant to design a program &/or behaviour intervention protocols specifically for your child. Once this is up and running at home, have your consultant meet with the appropriate school staff to discuss your son's needs at school, and how the home program can be applied to school and vice versa. If they're not willing to do this, your son will not have a successful year.

Again, there are no guarantees in this life, but West Van is your best bet. We went the independent school route with our son, but that's a lot more costly and also carries no guarantee of success.

Hope this was helpful, and best of luck to you.

Julia
mom of Mr. P

[Dave Collyer]

Hi,

I think North Van recently had a posting for a teacher who was familiar with Autism. While the posting was for only .4 of a position it differs from most other districts in that it specified some detailed background in ABA as a requirement. I suspect that NVan also does not run an effective ABA program or alternate Autism program but I speculate that they might be the best of the bunch. In contrast our local districts here in the capital region have completly missed the boat IMO regarding effective services for almost all ASD children (and those with DS and maybe those with other challenges). Although the teachers are well meaning they are undereducated in this specialized area and are not supported to become experts by those in administration or at the district level. IMO both BCTF and CUPE need to get out of the way so as to allow for outside contractors (our consultants) to work in partnership with school staff in order to provide a meaningful program for our children.

[Deleted User]

I'm new here and trying to find out if there are any schools or districts that actually implement effective interventions or strategies that work well with ASD children.

I have a very high functioning child that has been deemed nothing but a behaviour problem yet still no usable IEP or any evidence of any practical interventions.

Has anyone been successful with advocating without going through the Human Rights Tribunal?

Thanks,
Kathy

[Allyson Boyd]

Has anyone got any feedback about Churchill Secondary School's designated HFA/Asperger's classroom, for Grades 7 & 8 students?
This is the pilot year for this program and I've been in negotiation with VSB to get my 14-year old son into it for Grade 9 in Sept 2006, as the program is looking to expand into the higher grades then. From my understanding, all of the 10 current students there are capable of varying degrees of inclusion into Churchill's regular student body, and the focus of the designated clasroom is to provide individualized academics as well as social skills programming, with inclusion time as appropriate. Classroom instruction is provided by a teacher, and there are support staff as well.

The application cut-off date for consideration of students is January 18th, with Jan 19/06 as the panel review meeting (to which I've been invited).

I'd love to hear from any parents with opinions on this new program.

[Allyson Boyd]

Has anyone got any feedback about Churchill Secondary School's designated HFA/Asperger's classroom, for Grades 7 & 8 students?
This is the pilot year for this program and I've been in negotiation with VSB to get my 14-year old son into it for Grade 9 in Sept 2006, as the program is looking to expand into the higher grades then. From my understanding, all of the 10 current students there are capable of varying degrees of inclusion into Churchill's regular student body, and the focus of the designated clasroom is to provide individualized academics as well as social skills programming, with inclusion time as appropriate. Classroom instruction is provided by a teacher, and there are support staff as well.

The application cut-off date for consideration of students is January 18th, with Jan 19/06 as the panel review meeting (to which I've been invited).

I'd love to hear from any parents with opinions on this new program.

[Author]

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