School for neurodivergent 1st grader?
Our kiddo is in 1st grade at a public dual immersion school in Oakland. He's falling behind academically and behavior is a huge issue. He has an IEP, we're currently in process of getting IEEs. He has ASD and likely ADHD. Although we love many things about the school community and he has good friends, I fear the school is not a good fit for him. Exploring options, including charter, private or out of district. Any suggestions for schools that worked for your kids? Also would love to hear from you if you have gone through this and recommend staying at the same school while trialing ADHD medication and getting the IEE, maybe those things will be game changers? Any advice welcome.
Nov 20, 2024
Parent Replies
Been through this at OUSD and homeschooling worked best for my son with HF ASD & SPD. I do more of a hybrid because I’m the primary teacher and he’s supported by a public charter school (Connecting Waters East Bay) so he has an education specialist that supports us as well. He also retained his IEP so he gets high quality speech therapy at a private practice contracted by the charter school, social skills group, and in person classes with small class sizes! It’s a great option for kids who need an individualized approach, but also socializing with their peers in a healthy, bully free environment. And its FREE! Kids get about $2900 a year for books, supplies, classes- academic and extracurricular (there are limits to the extracurricular). Teach at your kid’s pace whether they’re advanced or behind. Too good to be true but it is!
At least in the past, charter schools were not required to serve students with IEPs, and also frequently would tell the parents that they couldn't serve the child in that environment. So be cautious about that route.