Seminars, Programs, and Conferences, Oh My!

This week my inbox is overflowing with notices of fall seminars, programs, and workshops on ASD for the coming season. Without trying to compete with the wonderful Schaefer Autism Report, here are some things to consider for your calendar:

How to Write and Develop Social Stories™ with Carol Gray at the Parkside Institute

Thursday, October 19, 2006
5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Speaker: Carol Gray is the President of The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding, a non-profit organization serving people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). She is an internationally respected author and speaker with over 20 years experience as a teacher and consultant working on behalf of children and adults with ASD. In 1991, Ms. Gray developed Social Stories™ , a strategy used worldwide with children with ASD.

A Social Story™ is a process that shares accurate social information through a special writing style and format that is consistent with the learning characteristics of children and adults with ASD. This is an introductory presentation for anyone wanting to learn to write and develop a Social Story™ according to the new 10.0 defining criteria and guidelines, and provides an excellent review for anyone who may already be familiar with the approach.

Please send a check for $35 payable to The Parkside School, 48 West 74th Street, New York, NY 10023, ATTN: Christine Hayden to reserve your seat. Provide your name, address, phone and e-mail contact with payment. For questions, please call (212) 721-8888 x155 or email institute@parksideschool.org

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Autism and Advocacy: A Conference of Witness and Hope

27 October 2006, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Fordham University, McNally Amphitheater
140 West 62nd Street, New York City

Conference is free and open to the public. ~ Registration is required:
By email: jafisher@fordham.edu or by telephone: 718 817 0662

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disability that has been the subject of extraordinary interest and controversy in recent years. Amid often heated debates over causation and treatment, the depth of commitment and service witnessed daily in the autism community merits celebration: our many challenges invite further reflection. This conference features the varieties of advocacy practiced with and by persons with autism, especially those forms of advocacy grounded in moral and religious traditions. The presentations offered at this event are intended to encourage additional reflection and discussion by members of the audience. We hope to promote greater engagement with autism advocacy as an integral component of work for social justice.

OPENING ADDRESS Timothy Shriver, Chairman, Special Olympics
SPEAKERS
Kristina Chew, Ph.D., Saint Peter's College
Salvatore C. Fererra, Ph.D., President, Xaverian High School, Brooklyn, NY
James T. Fisher, Ph.D., Fordham University
William C. Gaventa, M.Div. Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Rabbi Dr. Geoffrey Haber, Temple Emmanu-el, Closter, NJ
Bruce Mills, Ph.D., Kalamazoo College
Mark Osteen, Ph.D., Loyola College in Maryland
Gloria Pearson-Vasey, Author, The Road Trip: Life with Autism
Kassiane Alexandra Sibley, Co-Author, Ask and Tell: Self-Advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum
Lance Strate, Ph.D., Fordham University
Mary Beth Walsh, Ph.D., Caldwell College

Morning Session: Advocacy and the Traditions
Speakers will share their experience in advocacy for persons with autism in liturgical and educational settings. While they represent various traditions and approaches, this work is grounded in theological convictions on the dignity of the human person and a "spirituality of presence" for autistic persons within communities of worship and learning. Moderator: Rev. Bill Gaventa, M.Div.Speakers: Rabbi Dr. Geoffrey Haber, Mary Beth Walsh, Ph.D., Salvatore C. Ferrera, Ph.D.

Afternoon Session: Advocacy & Self-Advocacy in the Formation of Persons and Community
A condition commonly associated with social isolation and withdrawal, the experience of autism has generated innovative forms of community-building through the gifts of advocacy and self-advocacy. Speakers will treat their work in collaborative service-learning settings; in literary partnerships and the "blogosphere;" in new models of residential community; and in pioneering models of self-advocacy. Moderator: Lance Strate, Ph.D.Speakers: Kristina Chew, Ph.D., Bruce Mills, Ph.D., Gloria Pearson-Vasey, Kassiane Alexandra Sibley

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Jewish Community Center in Manhattan on First Signs, Special Needs Panels, RDI Expert, and More

JCC in Manhattan at 76th & Amsterdam has special needs recreation programs, babysitter referrals, support groups for special needs parents, sibling programs, Sunday programs, screenings of "Normal People Scare Me," and tons more. Take a look at jccmanhattan.org

SPECIAL EVENT: Could It Be Autism: A Guide for Parents by Nancy D. Wiseman
Nancy Wiseman will be speaking of her findings and presenting the concepts in her book, Could It Be Autism, which draws on her own stories and the latest research to help parents detect autism and find solutions. Her book serves as a tool to determine whether a child has difficulties that demand immediate attention. Wiseman helps navigate through treatments with physicians and experts, and offers much inspiring hope. Wiseman, founder and president of the acclaimed organization First Signs Inc., has been interviewed by many of the leading news sources as one of the leading experts on early detection of autism.
Thu, Feb 16, 7 pm, $12/$18

Second Annual Special Needs Panels
Section 1: Navigating Special Education Services for Your Child

Thu, Sep 28
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, $20/$25

Join our distinguished panel to discuss the issues and options available to help you become the best advocate for your child and family as you negotiate the systems of the special needs world. Our panelists will address different types of interventions and related services, differences in school environments—both public and private— and the ways to access funding. Panelists include Dr. Marilyn Agin, Gary Mayerson, Esq., Dr. CeCe McCarton, Dr. David Salsberg and Dr. Davida Sherwood. Moderated by Vanessa Markowitz, Esq.

Section 2: Sibling Relationships: When One is Different
Thu, Dec 7
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, FREE

This panel discussion with adult siblings who grew up in families with a developmentally challenged child will focus on the impact, feelings and experiences that contributed to shaping their lives and will be a valuable resource for gaining insight into how to support the non-disabled family members.

An Introduction to Relationship Development Intervention - RDI

This workshop will introduce Relationship Development Intervention, RDI®. This approach to intervention, developed by Dr. Steven Gutstein, is for children who have Autistic Spectrum Disorders. It confronts the core deficit of autism, i.e., the establishment of a dynamic system of information processing. This approach helps children develop relationships with other people by enhancing emotion, sharing, social referencing, social coordination, declarative language, flexible thinking, relational information processing, foresight and hindsight. RDI is both developmentally based and systematic in presentation. Presented by Dr. Nancy Schwartz, certified RDI consultant. For parents and professionals.

Fri, Oct 27
9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
$100.00 - Member, $125.00 - Non-Member

Location: The JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St. (Program room assignments will be available at the JCC Customer Service Desk, in the lobby of the Samuel Priest Rose Building.)
For more information, or to register, please call 646-505-5708.

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Sinergia Metropolitan Parent Center Fall 2006 Education Advocacy Series

• The Rights of Parents
  
• The Special Education Process
  
• Early Intervention
  
• Advice and Strategies for Parents

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 1 PM, October 3, 5, 10, 12, 17,& 19
134 West 29th Street, 4th Floor

Refreshments will be served, Simultaneous Spanish translation available upon request

Register by phone or e-mail: Contact Godfrey Rivera
grivera@sineragiany.org
212-643-2840, ext 320

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Ackerman Center for Families Offers Series for Parents of Young Children With Special Needs

Wednesdays, October 25; November 1, 8, 15; 9:30-11 AM

Facilitator: Judy Grossman, DrPH, OTR, FAOTA, is the Associate Director of Ackerman's Center for the Developing Child and Family, an occupational therapy and public health educator, and a consultant to community agencies. She has conducted early intervention and special education policy studies, held a number of academic appointments, (NYU, SUNY-Downstate Medical Center, Yale School of Medicine) and published an presented in the areas of family resilience, parenting, mental health consultation and best practices in special education. Her private practice in family therapy is located in NYC and Westport, CT.

Fee: $200.00

This discussion group is being offered to help parents cope with personal and family stress associated with having a child with special needs. The purpose it to share the experience with other families, increase social support, expand health coping strategies, and promote satisfying co-parenting relationships and sense of competence in the parental role. Some of the topics will include:

• Perceptions and reactions to the child's disability
• Impact on the marital relationship, siblings, other family members and daily routines
• Impact on your role as parents
• Thinking about the future

To register or for more information, contact Brenda Nerenberg, 212-879-4900, ext 108 or e-mail bnerenberg@ackerman.org

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Eden II Programs/KeySpan Foundation Autism Workshop Series and Kickoff Celebration

KeySpan Foundation, in conjunction with The Eden II Programs, is proud to offer a series of free workshops designed to educate on topics related to autism spectrum disorders.

Please join Bob Keller, Executive Director, KeySpan Foundation and Joanne Gerenser, Executive Director, Eden II Programs to celebrate as we kickoff this Autism Workshop Series.

When: October 4, 2006

Where: The Vanderbilt at South Beach
300 Father Capodanno Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10305

Time: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. – Presentation by Dr. Joanne Gerenser
“Autism Intervention and Best Outcomes: What Does the Research Tell Us?”
7:30 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. – Cocktail Party

Space is limited. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Marissa Bennett at 516.937.1397 X217 or by email, mbennett@eden2.org

[Note: Workshops are free but may be in a different location.]

10/19/06 — Overview of Autism
11/16/06 — Introduction to Discrete Trial Instruction
12/4/06 — Promoting Speech and Language
1/12/07 — Overview of Autism and ABA
2/16/07 — Managing Challenging Behavior
3/12/07 — Beyond Discrete Trial Instruction
4/16/07 — Managing Challenging Behavior
5/10/07 — ABA in Less Restrictive Settings
6/1/07 — Overview of Autism and ABA
7/19/07 — Utilizing Video and Computer Technology in Autism Education

Workshop Series funded by KeySpan Foundation

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Special Camp Fair on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2007

Parents and caregivers of children and teens with disabilities can plan ahead for summer with the wealth of information offered at the 22nd annual free Special Camp Fair on Saturday, January 27, 2007 from 11 AM to 3 PM. at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, 405 W. 59th Street NYC (Entrance to Fair on Columbus Ave. near W. 60th St.) . The Fair is presented by Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc., (212) 677-4650.

Representatives from 70 New York City day camps and sleepaway camps in the northeast will be on hand to help parents and professionals plan productive summer experiences for children with disabilities. The Fair will also feature information on travel programs, remedial education programs, volunteer and job opportunities and early childhood programs. Spanish and sign language interpreters will be available.

Visitors to the Fair will receive a free copy of the Camps 2007 Guide. The Camps 2007 Guide (publication date January 2007) is also available by sending a check for $25 plus $8.00 postage and handling to Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc., Dept. PR1, 116 E. 16th St., 5th Floor, New York, NY 10003.

NY State Regents on Aversives

You may have seen news items on the proposed use of aversive stimuli policy being considered by the New York State Board of Regents, which have mainly followed one of two hysterical themes:

1) concerned parent of high management needs student who has only been safe to himself and others when schooled at the Judge Rotenberg School in Massachusetts, where some students are subject to electric shocks and other harsh aversives, doesn't know where else to send their child if new aversives policy is not made permanent
OR
2) Regents' new policy will allow all special education students statewide to be subject to aversives including strangling, electric shocks, and confinement in windowless rooms without review

Concern about the new policy has led to the Regent's deferring a final decision on the policy at their September meeting, but extending the emergency regulation so that Rotenberg students can stay where they are. Meanwhile, a federal judge struck down the regulations' application to the Rotenberg Center at the request of a group of NY parents of students there.

So what is a calm but concerned parent of a special education student to think?

You could read the entire proposed regulation, availalable at http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/behavioral/requirements606.htm

When I did, I came away thinking there was so much review of the procedures by state ed -- called by the acronym VESID in much of this debate -- of the procedures to be used for each child, that the necessity of such measures would be required to be shown by the proposing school officials, and that permission was likely to granted only when less restrictive alternatives had been exhausted.

But disability advocates insist that this will not be the case, and that regulations that require student level review by VESID in a range of other subject areas are regularly granted on a rubber-stamp or blanket basis.

Here's a summary of what the New York Civil Liberties Union has to say about their efforts to block the regulation:
http://www.nyclu.org/nysed_specialed_behaviour_rules_pr_081406.html

And their testimony to the Regents regarding the regulation gives a good summary of the legal arguments they would use if the regulation was made final:
http://www.nyclu.org/nysed_specialed_behaviour_rules_tstmny_081406.html

Elsewhere on this blog you'll find a collection of resources on Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS), an approach that as a spectrum parent I wholehartedly support and try to implement in my own home. On the other hand, I am also a parent who walks her 8-year-old with a leash, a measure made necessary by his history of running into busy streets. It gets me funny looks, but I continue to have a little boy instead of a road pizza -- my experience tells me this is a necessary tactic, even as we continue to work on his compliance and safety awareness so that it may someday not be needed.

And my concern is compounded by the fact that our school does use manual restraints to correct that child's flopping on the floor and eloping from the classroom. But before they implemented a well-documented protocol to limit his freedom of movement and stand him up from the floor, they reviewed it in detail with my husband and me. If restrained, he has the opportunity for freedom every 30 seconds, and he is never left unattended in a time out because the condition for ending it is that he is quiet. In short, they follow principles laid out in the regulation if it were ideally carried out. They tried and found wanting less restrictive responses, and they trained all staff and briefed parents, obtaining consent, before implementing. (All this happened before the regulation, and I'm frankly not clear how they will handle it differently in the future.)

Now I realize this very happy situation is only possible because his school has an appropriate staffing ratio to deal with behaviors such as his, and other schools, including others we have attended, are very unlikely to be able to meet such a standard of program excellence and professional ethics.

So I find myself wanting to embrace the NYCLU position because it will make schools everywhere actually employ PBIS, as my son's does, which is precisely why they use manual restraints in limited ways with strict review procedures. I see this as just like me and my leash, which keeps my boy alive while I work actively on building his skills so as not to need it. But, I do want programs that serve my kid to have access to aversives (with reviews and limits such as those in the regulation) when less restrictive measures fail, which they sometimes do in spite of everyone's best efforts.

I think this is what happens when we are stuck between the world we want to have, that policy makers to often speak as if we do have, and the one in which everyone except the lucky few in fact lives.

March & April Events

Some upcoming conferences & events:

• Manhattan DD Legislative Breakfast

Our next meeting is March 8th, but put the Manhattan Developmental Disabilities Council's Legislative Breakfast the next day March 9th from 8 to 10AM, on your calendar if you are ready to think about political advocacy for our kids and the agencies that provide services to help them. The location is one floor up from the Cafe, so it'll be easy to find.

• Working Together ABA Conference at the New York Academy of Medicine, March 30 and 31

This conference is co-sponsored by some of the strongest ABA school programs in the tri-state area: Alpine Learning Group, Eden II Programs, Nassau-Suffolk Services for Autism, and the Connecticut Child Development Center. Sessions will be of interest to ABA professionals, who can get Continuing Education Units required for maintaining their certifications, and for parents interested in a better grasp of behavioral methods. The program for this conference is not available online, but I'll send you a .pdf if you write me at lynn_decker at mac.com

• DAN! Conference, April 7 to 10 in Washington DC

THE conference on alternative health approaches for Autism Spectrum kids is within driving distance of NYC. I've been to two DAN! Conferences, and though we still do not implement everything on the DAN menu of methods, I always find the conference inspiring, initially overwhelming, but usually a very helpful exercise in refocusing our nutritional and biomedical efforts.

February Meeting: Child Care

Our topic this month was child care and, happily, nobody had reports of any true disasters with our kids. The discussion did not include any bombshells, but did confirm some of the following wisdom, with a few additions I tracked down when I got home:

• $12/hour is the market rate for babysitting our kids, which is about 2x the federal minimum wage (not everyone gave this exact answer, but the voices in stereo were good evidence of an equilibrium)

• ABA instruction ranges from $40 to $130 an hour, which makes it unrealistic to use behavioral therapists for child care.

• To find Board Certified Behavior Analysts, go to www.bacb.com This directory does not say anything about the availability or rates of the people listed, and many names I recognized do already have
full time gigs, but it is a place to start. Also you can check whether a person really has a BCBA if they say they do.

• People who already know your child or similar children are generally worth chasing after, and that means people who work in the programs that serve the kids. School, recreation programs, and other families are the avenues through which you will find people.

• Craigslist is an inexpensive way to find people, but "you get what you pay for" in terms of selection. One person who used it got a sitter who left an expensive stroller on the sidewalk.

• Classroom assistant teachers in school age programs are more affordable than "behavioral" instructors, and preschool assistant teachers often do not have a college degree, so may accept rates closer to the $12 average, but are interested in working with special needs kids.

• Students in education programs, and particularly special education programs, may be interested in gaining experience. One of our members has had success posting at NYU's Education School. Pace and Hunter College also have special ed programs, and Columbia, Brooklyn College, and Rutgers have programs specific to training behaviorists.

• Sitters who have already worked with an ASD kid are likely to have picked up a great deal from home programmers and therapists, so it is always wise to announce your needs to your special needs parent friends who just may be willing to share somebody they used to hire before a kid started school, etc., etc.

Also, a few little pieces of organizational business:

I am working to find a location for us that will be more private and
suitable for hosting guest speakers and presentations by members.
One that looks promising is the new Houston Street Community Center
operated by University Settlement -- in the new apartment building at
Bowery & Houston. But, if we go there we may need to ask for
contributions to offset the (very modest) cost of the space. If you
find that deeply offensive, or if you know a group that might give a
grant to cover that expense, let me know.

And I have listed the group on the Schafer Autism Newsletter resource
list, and the Autism Speaks Expert Directory, so we may start to see
even more faces. The group is included in the resources section of a new pamphlet from Advocates for Children, which you can download at
www.advocatesforchildren.org/pubs/2005/autism2005.pdf
Advocates for Children also has guides on topics like impartial
hearings and special needs preschools in NYC, at www.advocatesforchildren.org/guides.php

December Meeting Highlights

Positive reports were given for Children's Aid Society's Wagon Road Camp for summer day programs and holiday weekend sleep-away respite. AHRC's school holiday day camps also get a good review from Jill.

QSAC's Saturday Recreation program in Hollis, Queens serves kids from Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan and gets a good report from me. AMAC's Saturday Recreation was a disappointment to our household when they told us they could not safely manage our kids, but others have found it fine. AMAC also runs an afterschool program that actually picks up kids from a few D75 schools and busses them home later in the afternoon.

Special Needs horseback riding with Denise Colon at DreamCatchers (dcriders.org) therapeutic riding gets a good report, also from me, and we hear that there is a program at Jamaica Bay too. None have been there, but have heard good things. Website is seasideriding.com

For swimming, some have had good experience with special needs instruction at Asphalt Green, and SNACK now has a swim program that is held at St. Bart's in midtown. Details at snacknyc.com

Next month is the always useful special camp fair held by Resources for Children with Special Needs. Admission is free and you get a copy of the updated camp directory. Details follow.

Resources also has a thick catalog on afterschool and recreation programs serving a wide array of disabilities & ages. Website is resourcesnyc.org

SPECIAL CAMP FAIR 2006
FREE ADMISSION

Saturday January 28, 2006
11:00AM TO 3:00PM

at the
Church of St. Paul the Apostle
405 West 59th Street
Manhattan

Entrance to Fair on Columbus Avenue near West 60th Street

October Meeting Report: Turning 5

B&N at Union Square turned out to be a pretty good place to meet -- accessible to many even on this lousy wet day. The cafe did not get busy until about 11:30. So it looks like we'll be there in December and for a while to come.

Our schools conversation focused on managing the "Turning 5" process, where one leaves the Committee on Preschool Special Education system and graduates to the plain 'ol Committee on Special Education.

The Context of this Transition
The majority of school-aged special education program seats are operated by the NYC Department of Education, while most preschool seats are operated by not-for-profit organizations under contract to the NYC Department of Education. This is in some ways a subtle difference, but the switch from the DoE being only the payor, to the payor and the provider, makes a world of difference in their approach to your child as a client of the system.

For a autism spectrum child, this transition, like all transitions, will be frustrating because it means change -- except in rare instances, you will probably be saying goodbye to teachers, therapists, and other trusted professionals for reasons that are not rooted in your child's development and needs. Occasionally, you will have therapists who can and do accept reimbursement with both the CPSE and CSE. Ask your current providers if they will be able to continue with you in the school age system -- not all can but those who can are often worth trying to keep to maintain continuity for your child.

Public or Private?
This advice assumes that you plan to seek a non-public school placement for your child who is approaching school age. Some members of our group have been happy with placements in city operated programs for children on the spectrum. For kids who are lower functioning, these placements are typically District 75 segregated special education programs, usually 6:1:1 classes with children classified autistic. Higher functioning kids who have good receptive language and at least some expressive language can consider Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT) classes that have up to 10 kids with an IEP and up to 15 general eduction kids in your neighborhood school or nearby Community School District operated school. You should try to visit at least one of these programs so that you will have a point of comparison for your preferred placement. These two are not the only options within the Dept. of Education, but they are the most common I've seen.

Through this year, you will be doing one dance with the school or schools you want your child to attend, and another parallel dance with the Department of Education. In simplest terms, you want to pursuade a program that it wants to serve your child, and pursuade the DoE that it cannot properly serve your child in programs that it operates.

An alternative to this second dance, which is relevant to only some schools, is to simply place your child in the school and basically sue the school district to fund it after the fact. This is called a "Carter proceeding". This route really requires that you retain an education attorney, and your settlement with the DoE, if you prevail, is a percentage of the actual tuition, paid as much as a year after the fact. Your proceeding will be heard by a hearing officer who is like an administrative law judge, and should you pursue this you will want to build a record of your child's needs and settings or practices that have been unsuitable, ineffective, or incompetently administered. This is a stressful and contentious route, and it is more difficult to do out of the gate than after your child has been in a placement that has been a failure.

And finally, for a few schools, you can place your child in the program, pay the tuition, and forget about the school district dance. Each family that does this is a little defeat for the principle of a "free and appropriate public education" for children with disabilities, but your child is not a principle and needn't be sacrificed to one if you can afford the truly staggering retail price of a specialty private school -- because of the lower staffing ratios, think Dalton tuition + $10,000 at a minimum. Schools in these categories do not generally have scholarships. Most families who go this way eventually seek a settlement with the school district, and it is worthwhile take the time to build the record over which this negotiation will take place.

Evaluations
In early fall of your child's last preschool year, begin to schedule visits with candidate schools, and schedule a private psych evaluation with a developmental pediatrician. Your evaluation cannot be more than a year old at the time of your IEP meeting, but you want it in time to provide to schools so they can judge whether they match your child. December/January is about ideal for this.

Select Private and Non-Public Schools
Schools for kids on the spectrum can be usefully thought of in several categories:

• Behavior analytic/discrete trials methods (ABA): NYCA Charter School, NYCLI, Eden II, Hawthorne Country Day School Manhattan Annex, AMAC, QSAC, The McCarton School

• Developmental or Social Cognition Curriculum: Learning Spring, Aaron School, Rebecca School, PS 32 Model School, The Child School

• Learning Disabilities schools that often say they don't serve spectrum kids, but certainly have some in the school population: Parkside, Gillen Brewer, Gateway, Churchill

• Inclusion placement with supports: This can be the CTT model described above, or general education placement with related services. This can even be regular private school, with publicly funded related services or counseling.

School Visits and Interviews
Visit several schools in the category you think your child is in, plus one in the next less restrictive category for comparison. Generally, behavioral is most restrictive, developmental next, LD, then inclusion. Each school will have slight variations in their intake/application process. Fill out their forms, get them prior evaluations and progress reports from your current program, etc. If your child's reports pursuade the school that he or she may be appropriate, they will often schedule an observation or visit, and they will generally tell you that your child is "appropriate" for their program or not. This is not an acceptance, as they may have dozens of kids who are "appropriate" and it is in their interest to do so. If they have just a few spots, they are likely to take the first kids who were appropriate whose school districts call them asking for a Pupil Acceptance Letter (PAL).

Labels to know for the IEP and Placement
In addition, find out what disability classifications each school can or does serve. In preschool, your child was "a preschooler with a disability", at school age you have to pick a label, and that label does not really matter other than it has to align with the child's placement. There are thirteen of these categories under the Individuals with Disabilities Act, including: Autism, Deaf/Blind, Deafness, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment, Mental Retardation, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, Other Health Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Speech and Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury & Visual Impairment.

Several of these are obviously not appropriate for autism spectrum kids, but a surprising number of them actually get used. In general, an autism classification is needed for the lowest staff ratio placements, but OHI, SLD, Speech/Language, and even ED can be used. Once you know what classifications are accepted by the programs you think are appropriate, you can steer your evaluations appropriately. At the same time, share your perceptions about programs with your evaluator to see if they share your judgments.

Footnote: A caution on the ED classification -- in New York City and perhaps elsewhere, the ED classification is often given to kids who have mental health rather than developmental issues, or who exhibit aggression that they may have learned at home or in the community. Unless an ED program is exceptionally good, it will be a ideal place for an autistic child to be victimized.

Dept. of Education's Turning 5 Process
In late fall, the Department of Education will schedule "turning 5" open houses in each borough explaining their procedures and timeline. Attend one of these meetings or get a report about what was said. You may find out who the "turning 5" coordinator in your DoE region is, and this will be an important contact.

Generally, the turning 5 specialist from the region will contact you or your child's school to start the transition, usually starting with a general survey, and perhaps scheduling a visit by an education evaluator to your child's program. Respond to them promptly and completely.

You may be invited to bring your child to the Regional office for an appointment with the school psychologist or psychiatrist. This is often a frustrating waste of time, but it must be done. It is rare that this person and setting elicit a good performance from your child, since there will likely be no attractive materials or activities, and the professional will talk from behind their desk. In some sense, the worse your child performs on this occasion, the better for your non-public school argument. At about the same time, your child's related service providers will be asked to prepare progress reports or evaluations for the IEP meeting, or rarely, you may be asked to bring your child to evaluators for each type of related service (PT, OT, Speech).

Transition and Related Services
Related services such as speech, occupational, and physical therapy are now provided in 30 minute increments rather than 60. Often, this means the same number of units of a therapy are approved, which is now half as much. If a particular type of therapy is essential for your child, make sure your evaluations capture this. Obviously, a trip across town for a 30 minute session with a therapist is less attractive to you and the therapist, and your child will not suddenly get twice as much benefit from a session. In the school age system, the assumption is no travel time because most related services will be delivered in school. At this stage, you will only be discussing the number of units of each type of service. Once you have a settled placement, you can begin worrying about the actual provision of the services, which vary greatly among schools.

Waiting, Waiting, & Wondering
In February and March, your parent peers who are applying to private schools will be hearing about acceptances and rejections. Your child's IEP meeting will likely not take place until April at the earliest, and perhaps as late as mid June. In April, your neighborhood school will probably announce Kindergarten signup day. If your child may be appropriate for CTT Kindergarten, go to this sign up. If not, avoid this neighborhood ritual if at all possible, as it is likely to make you unaccountably sad or angry.

Spring of this year will therefore be an incredibly tense time for you -- find a designated person to gripe to, step up your anxiety medication, or whatever else is necessary. Try hard to not take this out on the school or school district staff you must deal with, as you do need these people to deal fairly with your child.

The IEP Meeting
Because there is a shortfall of seats compared to the number of kids seeking them in all the categories discussed above, you want your IEP meeting earlier rather than later. Complete all requested paperwork and cultivate the personnel so that you can ask for an earlier date.

Unlike the preschool system, where your meetings with a CPSE administrator were attended by you, a school or program representative, and perhaps a "parent member", school age IEP meetings have a committee that must include a social worker, general education teacher, education evaluator, school psychologist, & parent member. You may be literally outnumbered, and It is easy to feel outgunned in this context, so you will want to bring your own team. It's obviously good for both parents to come, along with staff from your child's preschool program and whatever kind of parent advocate you might be using.

Your objective in the IEP meeting is to get the committee's approval of "non-public school" placement for your child. In DoE language, you want a P-1 letter. If you have already visited a D75 or CTT class, you can more easily argue against these placements in this meeting. Committees will usually say that they can't talk about placement, just program type or characteristics such as ratio or curriculum, so position your arguments accordingly on class size and program features. Your second goal is get the disability classification that aligns with the program you want. Bring your evaluations, which members of the committee may or may not have read or even received. Bring a large photo of your child, as the educational evaluator who probably did an observation, and the school psychologist are likely the only ones who have even a face to put with your child's name.

IEP Committees have been known to issue "NPS" recommendations (P-1 letters), and if they do you want to be on the phone with your desired program right away to get their Pupil Acceptance Letter. Let their program administrator know the date and time of your IEP meeting so they can be available if you get this outcome.

If Your Request is Not Approved
Often, the committee will not agree or will say they are not authorized to offer a P-1 letter, and will refer you for placement in a DoE program. Now you need to do two things: request an impartial hearing, and visit the recommended program. Find out who the Placement Officer is for your region, and follow up to see when a placement recommendation will be issued. When it is, visit the school and record the ways the program will not meet your child's needs. Take care not to antagonize the recommended program's staff, as you may end up there for a time.

If you are going to request an impartial hearing, sign only the attendance sheet for the IEP meeting and follow up with a letter requesting an impartial hearing addressed to the CSE Chair for your region. What to do from here is really the subject of another posting, and as I've never traveled that territory I'll leave it to another source.

Representation and Resources
If you are in the impartial hearing trajectory, you will want to retain an education advocate or attorney. The most well known of these attorneys in the NY area is Gary Mayerson, whose book How to Compromise with Your School District without Compromising Your Child contains excellent strategic advice and will probably save valuable time no matter what advocate you select. The following are the most well known education attorneys in NYC, with contact info found on superpages.com

Gary Mayerson & Associates
330 West 38th Street #600
New York, New York 10018
(212)265-7200

Regina Skyer
Skyer & Most Attorneys
276 5th Avenue Rm 306
New York, NY 10001
(212) 532-9736

Neal Rosenberg
Rosenberg Neal Attorney
9 Murray Street, Front
New York, NY 10007
(212) 732-9450

Michele Kule-Korgood
Kule-Korgood Michele Law Offices Of
9820 Metropolitan Avenue # 2
Forest Hills, NY 11375
(718) 261-0181

If you are unable to retain private counsel, you can get some assistance and referral to not-for-profit advocates from Advocates for Children of New York at www.advocatesforchildren.org

An excellent general & nationwide site on special education law issues is www.wrightslaw.com

Grace Foundation 3rd Annual Conference

THE GRACE FOUNDATION
THIRD ANNUAL CONFERENCE
NOVEMBER 18th and 19th
Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island

www.graceofny.org for printable registration form

We are pleased to announce that the GRACE Foundation's Third Annual Conference "Living, Understanding and Learning about Autism" has secured our guest speakers, Jerry Newport (an Advocate with Asperger's Sydrome) and also the Author of "Your Life is Not a Label"; and Eustacia Cutler (mother of Temple Grandin,PhD) author of "A Thorn in My Pocket".

Other speakers include Barbara Bloomfield, M.A.,CCC-SLP, presenting on Visual Supports and Structured Teaching Strategies to Assist with Core Challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Additional topics to be discussed include: Relationship Development Intervention (RDI); Sleeping Issues; Assessments; Language: Siblings: Motivational Methods; Sensory Integration; and Behaviors.
The combination of excellent speakers and interesting topics will demonstrate this Conference to be very interesting. SAVE the Dates November 18th and 19th.
For further information, call the GRACE office (718) 605-7500.