| 1.Find out what kind of support is available outside the | | | | superintendent's office to get an appropriate |
| district in the area. They should know this if they are at | | | | placement! But at least it gets you a place to start and |
| all attuned to the needs of their students. | | | | gives you some connections in the community! And |
| 2.We checked out the schools before we checked | | | | we were lucky to find our son's first (and only) true |
| out the houses. Opted for a smaller school outside the | | | | friend this way. |
| city. Less stress and shuffle. | | | | 7.I would want to see their LOCAL PLAN. This PLAN |
| 3.Don't underestimate how stressful this will be on you | | | | describes how they provide services to ALL kids with |
| and your child. Prepare for some serious backsliding. | | | | special needs at all levels of severity (including those in |
| Try to keep a few people from your old area that you | | | | the Juvenile Justice programs, etc. This would probably |
| can call from time to time just to vent -- you probably | | | | be at the LEA (Local Education Agency) level or can |
| won't find people in your new area very quickly. | | | | be obtained through the state DOE. |
| 4.What is their ratio of Exceptional Educational Needs | | | | 8.Once you have made your final decision on school |
| aides and teacher to students in the mainstreamed | | | | house START PLANNING THE TRANSITION! Meet |
| classrooms? (Different districts call themn different | | | | with the principal, Special Ed team as often as time |
| things but they are, in general, aides who oversees the | | | | and distance allow to get your child's program ready. |
| education of a student having exceptional needs either | | | | We had a wonderful teacher who sent notes and |
| in the classroom or in other ways.) How big a | | | | pictures from her class right away so my son got a |
| caseload does each EEN teacher/caseworker carry? | | | | feel for his new class. They even included him on the |
| Over how many campuses? | | | | class "Valentine's Day" list even though we weren't |
| 5.Visit the SCHOOLS first. This will let you know | | | | moving for another month. |
| whether or not it is worth your time to visit the Special | | | | 9.As a way of narrowing down the search, we looked |
| Ed director. Our strategy is to make an appointment | | | | at the drop out rate for each school. There big |
| for a tour without mentioning our son's AS. We take | | | | differences between them. My assumption was that if |
| the tour, ask general questions about the school and | | | | they are trying to keep kids in school to get an |
| get a good feel for it's overall philosophy first. Then we | | | | education, they would also work with my son who has |
| describe our son and bring up the AS issue to see | | | | special needs. I got all my initial information on school |
| how the principal reacts. Good reaction: "We have had | | | | districts and individual schools via the internet. All of the |
| other kids like your son here and they have done well. | | | | statistics (test scores, drop out rate, etc.) were posted. |
| Your son will fit in well here!". Bad reaction: "What kind | | | | 10.Visit the Special Ed director second. It may be a little |
| of resources will the district give me to serve your | | | | white lie, but we try to give them the impression that |
| child?" | | | | we already have a contract on a house (even when |
| 6.Find parents with AS kids through a local support | | | | we don't) because a. they may not speak to you |
| group. Call and ask them about their experiences with | | | | otherwise and b. you don't want them to play any |
| the district. Ask a lot of questions about how their child | | | | games to encourage/discourage you based on their |
| has been treated and take what they say with a huge | | | | need to grow their population/stretch their budget. Ask |
| grain of salt -- we had one parent tell us how | | | | questions about programs in the district (social skills |
| wonderful and helpful his district is and then tell us how | | | | training), access to autism resources (e.g. |
| he and his son had to camp out in front of the | | | | |