Special Education in the Oakland School District

Related Pages:  IEP/504 in the Oakland School District ... More about Special Ed in Local Schools

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Parent Q&A

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  • ADHD Support at Hillcrest vs. Thornhill Elementary

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    May 2, 2024

    Hi All,
    Our 6-year-old was recently diagnosed with ADHD and is currently in Kindergarten at a private school in Oakland. So far, we have been very disappointed with how the school has approached her diagnosis and needs and their negative/punitive approach, which led to a lot of anxiety and negative self-talk from our kid. She's doing a lot better now that we found her a therapist that she sees once a week, and started her on ADHD meds. Her school is now pushing us to reenroll for next year but we have decided to move her back to public school for the 2024-2025 school year. 

    She was accepted to Thornhill Elementary and is on the waitlist for Hillcrest (both in Oakland). We just went through an IEP Assessment and OUSD determined she is "gifted" and her ADHD is not impacting her "learning" and she is therefore not eligible for an IEP based on their evaluation. I was hoping to hear from any parents of Neurodivergent kids at Hillcrest or Thornhill Elementary on the teacher/administration's approach to supporting Neurodivergent kids, primarily with transitions, classroom focus, and emotional regulation.

    Would appreciate any advice on this as we try to figure out which school can best help her thrive, and make her feel included and supported.

    May 2, 2024

    Hi, 

    Sorry to hear how the school has been lacking in supporting your kiddo. You stated your son goes to school in Oakland, you might want to consider Saklan Valley School. The school is located in Moraga (there is a van that picks up at Orinda Bart). It’s a great school and might be a good fit for your son. There are other kids with ADHD and I heard from their parents that the school has been very supportive.  Good luck! 

    May 8, 2024

    I know this is not your question and I'm not familiar with those schools but I've found it easier (and usually enough) to have my ADHD kids have 504s in OUSD. This gets them accommodations in the classroom. There is also a lower bar for a 504 than IEP. And just because you start with one doesn't mean it won't change. Over the years both my kids have cycled through IEPs and 504s depending on their needs for accommodations and servcies. You can ask for an evaluation once a year. And a 504 whenever. You might wait a month or two into the school year and then request one.   

    May 8, 2024

    You should be able to ask for a 504 plan. BUSD also only uses IEPs for students who are below grade level. In the plan, you can write the accommodations that would help. We also ended up paying for services like OT out-of-pocket. Check with one of the parent advocates at DREDF to get more details on the process. We had the first evaluation done through the school district. After that we had the evaluaton done through the UC Psych department, and the grad students and their supervisors were very helpful in coming up with the needed accommodations. If you have the money you can pay for a private psychologist to do the evaluatoin, but we found the Cal eval to be very good.
     

    Another thought is that often public school teachers are better at teaching the full range of students, so some of the issues that came up in your previous school might not be as much of a problem.

    May 8, 2024

    hi! my son is not diagnosed as neurodivergent but definitely has strong strengths, challenges and quirks, He started Thornhill in third grade after a charter school that was way too chaotic for him. He was not yet reading at grade level. Thornhill has been really great for building his skills and his confidence. He went from maybe a first or second grade reading level to a 9th grade level in 2 years, but more importantly, he now really likes school.

    May 8, 2024

    Thank you so much for all your thoughtful and supportive responses. Truly helpful and I so appreciate it.

    May 16, 2024

  • ADHD Kid in OUSD, Should we consider moving?

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    Mar 9, 2024

    Hi There. I have a kid who just turned 4. He is diagnosed ADHD (early for a diagnosis I know, but he was officially evaluated by Kaiser at the recommendation of our Pediatrician). He has had his fair share of struggles in preschool. He struggles with impulse control, aggression, and transitions. All of these are very typical for ADHD kids at his age. We don't medicate him because he's just so young, but will consider in the future if needed. We are always very proactive with OT and other skill building work. 

    He will be attending private preschool for one more year (no TK), and I'm starting to plan for Kindergarten in 2025. We've been going through the IEP process with OUSD because we had initially planned for TK and its been a slog. Its taken a long time, 6+ months. And in general I've heard from others that OUSD will be a hard fit for a kid with his issues. I'm sure its very school-to-school dependent, but we do not live in one of the super desirable elementary school zones (I know its lottery). My question is have others found that OUSD can support their Neurodivergent kids and they have been able to succeed? Or would it be wise to consider moving to a new city (considering Berkley, Alameda, Piedmont etc.)

    Mar 9, 2024

    Slightly similar boat - our oldest is entering Kindergarten next year and is diagnosed with mild ASD w/ ADHD.  We're in the middle of going through the IEP process with OUSD, but we ended up getting a placement at Emerson in Temescal (we live in West Oakland) under the understanding that they're the best OUSD school for supporting ASD/ADHD kids.  TBD how well that support materializes, but in terms of public schools we've heard from a few different sources that it's the "best" one.  

    My only other advice is to see if you can hold him back a year?  Our son is turning 6 this summer and while I wasn't excited to pay for an extra year of private pre-school, the extra year absolutely made a huge difference in his ability to handle more a more structured environment.  

    Mar 13, 2024

    I have two kids in OUSD with ADHD (and anxiety). It's been a mixed bag. Not horrendous but not stellar. Some really great things and some not so great. We are also not in a high demand school, though we are at one of the Spanish-immersion ones.

    With oldest kid, who is now in 3rd grade, he was diagnosed almost two years ago after a hellish year of zoom kindergarten and a better year of first grade. The ADHD diagnosis surprised us as we had originally gone in just for anxiety but it makes sense the more we learn about ADHD and our family history of it. We started out on a 504 plan for him and that was easy to do. We then moved to a IEP after his diagnosis so that he could access OT at school. It was a very long process, one which I think put OUSD out of compliance with the law. But ultimately is was very, very thorough and complete. They came away with a very good understanding of my kid, good accommodations and services and we got what we wanted out of it. He is not taking medication. Beyond specific accommodations, he gets pulled out for reading support for 2 30 sessions each week, pulled out for OT one time a week and has two sessions of a 1:1 aide with him for 2 30 minute sessions each week. The communication from his support staff and teachers has been good. I do wish the school would have moved forward with having him evaluated earlier. I feel like they should have known he was struggling earlier and considered him needing services without us asking, but maybe that is unrealistic, especially considering how much zoom kindergarten did to mess up everyone's education his age.

    My second kid is in K this year. His ADHD presents a lot differently. We have been talking to people about him having it since he was 3 though he was just diagnosed this fall. He achieves well at school but it is exhausting for him and the he has a lot of negative self talk. We have just started him on medication and are working on getting that right. That process has been difficult with the school as the school nurse is only there a few hours each week and she needs to train the office staff and teachers to make sure he gets it. He started on an IEP for speech at 4 while in private preschool. He's continued on that and we are just now entering into his triennial reevaluation. We have to make a decision about if we want him evaluated for other services or accommodations or just continue with speech. Right now the school is telling us that they don't think he need further evaluation beyond speech as he's at grade level in almost everything. They would rather wait till first grade to do additional testing. As parents, it's hard to tell what the right way forward is here and I don't know which way we'll go.

    The school has been very helpful in helping us find our kids counselors for outside support for their ADHD and anxiety. They've made recommendations of providers and also connected us with a non-profit service that helps families find providers.

    So, I think my kids are doing fine in academics and socially. They are welcomed and supported at school. They are getting the services they need but it often feels like I as a parent am stumbling around in the dark trying to figure out the best way forward for them and the school sometimes is helpful in figuring that out and sometimes less so. I think whether your kid will do okay in OUSD a lot depends on the school and teachers and how their ADHD is.

    Mar 13, 2024

    I have a kid with ADHD in BUSD and I wouldn’t recommend it. Support is very minimal and there are numerous problems at the school that impact all kids but are extra challenging for a kid with additional struggles. There’s been a lot of principal and teacher turnover, too many beginning teachers, part-time teachers, subs for more than 6 months of the school year, outdated reading curriculum, not enough support staff, etc.  Some BUSD schools are better than others but since you won’t actually be able to choose your school I wouldn’t recommend moving to Berkeley expecting great support.  It might still be better than your current zoned school but if you are looking to move for the schools I’d look  elsewhere. 

    Mar 13, 2024

    My kid has ADHD (along with other learning disabilities) and overall has been really well supported in OUSD. Getting a good IEP with appropriate accommodations is crucial; my experience is that teachers have been mindful of the accommodations specified in the IEP. My son also gets additional support from the resource staff which has been really great. He is medicated—ymmv but medication has been crucial for my kid to be able to focus. (He was diagnosed and started meds in 1st grade, is now in 6th, and doing really well in an OUSD middle school.)

    One caveat: if you do decide to start meds, wait until your kid has been assessed by OUSD and has an IEP in place before starting. Otherwise they may appear too high functioning to qualify for the IEP! (Meds are great for things like focus, but don’t address other aspects of ADHD like executive functioning challenges—which an IEP can support with.)

    My advice is to reach out to the resource team at each school you’re considering to get more information on what kind of support they can provide. My kid didn’t have a diagnosis before elementary, but when we started looking at middle schools, I reached out to the resource staff at the schools we were considering, and that was really helpful, since staffing levels and how they structure services can vary from site to site.

    Mar 13, 2024

    I would recommend joining the Special Needs Parenting /IEP support FB group as you will see many people ask this question about their respective district. Search through old posts and you will find that there is no perfect district, and often a lot depends on the particular needs of the child and the current special education team at the school. Good luck! 

    Mar 14, 2024

    OUSD will not support your child. The only school that did was Burbank Preschool Center which has the most teachers with credentials to teach kids with special needs. My son who has HF ASD and SPD went there from age 3-5 and it was a great experience since everyone working there was knowledgeable and had experience working with neurodiverse kids. 

    I visited every elementary school that had an inclusive program in OUSD prior to applying for my top 3 choices. I wanted to meet the teachers, the inclusion specialist, and the paras. One thing I learned is that its not the school that matters, but the teacher/aides that will be supporting your child. My son was at one of the “top” schools in OUSD funding wise, and still didn’t get the support he needed. 

    The only district I’ve heard that’s better with neurodiverse kids is Lafayette. My son recently took an extracurricular class at Happy Valley Elementary in Lafayette and its a beautiful school- everything you would expect from a school in Lafayette. The minimal interaction I’ve  had with the staff was positive, however, I have no idea what being enrolled there is actually like.

    A quarter into second grade at a top OUSD school, I pulled my son out and started homeschooling him. It took a few months for us to adjust, but after receiving support from a local charter school that supports homeschoolers its the best thing I could have done for my son’s education and well being.

    He’s always been academically advanced, but I thought enrolling him in OUSD would give him the chance to develop social skills from the neurotypical kids. I also wanted to take advantage of the speech therapy and social skills group provided at OUSD. Bottom line is OUSD like many public and private schools in general are not capable of giving children with special needs the attention they need to succeed. They teach to the average so if your kid is behind or advanced its up to the parents to supplement their child which is what we did anyway knowing that they don’t have the resources. 

    It was ultimately the bullying and crazy amount of indoctrination that I would no longer tolerate for my son that led me to pull him out of OUSD. While it is more difficult for me than my son, it’s totally worth his happiness, ability to advance educationally, and my peace of mind that he’s in a safe and supportive environment that I know this was the best decision we ever made for him. 

    Homeschooling is not what people generally think it is which is being at home all the time. I put him in a few in-person extracurricular and academic classes so he’s around kids often. He’s in social skills and OT through my insurance and speech therapy through the charter school. He does a few hours of school work a day and goes to classes throughout the week. He goes to a homeschool PE class and does martial arts twice a week so he gets plenty of physical activity. We can travel and take his work with us whenever we want. 

    The local homeschooling community is filled with kind, empathetic, and capable teachers, parents, and children many of who are neurodiverse. We’re not meant to fit in a box and as a parent of a neurodiverse kid I can’t help, but feel for my child who absolutely does not fit that box. If you can make homeschooling work for your family I would 1000% do it over traditional school public or private. Look into local public charter schools (Visions, Connecting Waters, etc) which help with structure, support, and funding. Each child gets around $2900 a year to spend on classes, supplies, field trips, etc. If any part of you is considering homeschooling your child, DO IT! :)

    Mar 14, 2024

    I have two ADHD kids with IEPs that have been through several of the schools in West Contra Costa school district and I have been very unhappy with the support provided. I ended up homeschooling my son and putting him in a 3 day a week microschool, Seeds of Love Collective. There are other neurodiverse kids in the program also from Oakland and Berkeley.   The connection to nature is exactly what his central nervous system needs. The Montessori School on Cutting and Arlington in El Cerrito is supposed to be good with neurodivergent kids as well as The Berkeley School and Walden. Best of luck!

    Mar 19, 2024

  • Support for children with dyslexia. Hillcrest, Chabot, Claremont?

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    Feb 5, 2024

    Hello BPN Community,

    My family is considering a move to Upper Rockridge in Oakland and we are wondering about support for elementary and middle school aged-children with dyslexia at schools in that area.

    We currently live in the Peninsula and my 4th grade son was diagnosed dyslexia between 1st and 2nd grade. My son has made great progress at a local private school that specializes in dyslexia education. However, we may be moving to Upper Rockridge soon. Can anybody tell me about the support that a 5th grader or middle school dyslexic student would receive at either Hillcrest K-8, Chabot ES, or Claremont MS? Thanks so much for any advice, it has been quite an educational journey for our family so far!

    Feb 5, 2024

    My child doesn't have dyslexia, but Hillcrest K-5 is generally pretty good with learning challenges, simply because they're well funded by a wealthy PTA and have a good principal. The middle school was more challenging when we were there, but that may have changed. (My child loved it and had a great experience, but we know kids with ADHD and other issues who didn't fare as well.) The positive is if your child has done well in the lower grades, it is very nice for them (and you) to remain in the same small and close school for 9 years. Deep and long friendships are born when families are connected for that long. That said, you have almost no chance of getting into Hillcrest unless you are zoned for it, and even then not everyone can get in. It's a very small school. If you're willing to consider private, Aurora can definitely support a child with dyslexia and they are about 2 blocks from Hillcrest.

    Feb 7, 2024

    I have been a parent at Chabot for many years, and offhand, I can think of at least half a dozen families of dyslexic children who are deeply unhappy with the services their children receive(d) there. I think everyone in the building means well and does their best, but my sense from listening to other parents talk about it for years is that the root of the problem is district-wide policies and lack of funding. What fellow parents have told me is that OUSD doesn't have enough resources to provide quality services as federally required to all the kids who need it. So they do their best and only provide better services (slowly, reluctantly, and incredibly painfully for families) to those families who make themselves a total pain in the butt and/or sue the district. Honestly, it sounds like a total nightmare.

    I also had a few friends who struggled to get services through Chabot because administrators made assumptions about them being well off enough to afford help outside of school and kind of treated their kids like a lower priority. It was incredibly disheartening for those families (and the assumptions were wrong in some cases too.)

    Feb 7, 2024

  • Seeking experience/reviews on OUDS elementary for ASD child

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    Oct 30, 2023

    Hello - My son will start kindergarten in Fall 2024. He has an IEP and is currently attending a special ed preschool. He has been doing great and will be able to move into an inclusive classroom in kindergarten. I've seen at least one parent post stating great experience with Chabot with a neurodivergent child, and then some other posts about other elementary schools are quite old. We are in OUSD district 6, which includes Melrose Leadership Academy. Would love to hear experiences from parents also with children with ASD and the elementary schools they attended. 

    Oct 30, 2023

    OUSD is very tough - I had a child who attend peralta and the experience was great. the SPED team there is great. I've also heard great things about Chabot. I think contacting the SPEd team and principal before starting school

    Nov 1, 2023

  • OUSD inclusive schools?

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    Dec 6, 2021

    Hello parents,  our son who has mild signs of ASD wil be entering Kindergarten next year. I am wondering what elementary school worked well for your child with ASD or if you have some advice. I appreciate this! 

    Dec 6, 2021

    Hi, My son was diagnosed with ASD at 3 years old. We put him in a private preschool; although we had a great experience with going through the educational assessment process with OUSD, we ultimately decided not to go public for other reasons. Joaquin Miller has a program for ASD students; there are others, too. I recommend getting your child evaluated so that if he is Autistic, he would qualify for accommodations and an IEP. If I can be helpful in any way, feel free to reach out. 

    Dec 12, 2021

    OUSD is changing the way it does inclusion in elementary schools this year, so ASD students will be supported at all campuses equally.

    My daughter was not diagnosed until she was older, but she did not get the support that she needed at private schools socially or educationally. Private schools are under no obligation to keep your child enrolled or meet their needs and school transitions are hard on ASD kids. The expectations are higher in independent schools and that can create a hard dynamic for kids that can't handle the pressure. Small class size has the disadvantage of a smaller pool of peers, which can be difficult if there are social issues at play (which they almost always are with ASD kids).

    Also know that the impact of ASD on your child will likely increase as the academic and social expectations change. My daughter's challenges, anxiety, and problem behaviors increased a lot between 5 and 8 years old. I'm shocked in retrospect (and it probably has much to do with medication and other interventions) but my daughter is doing better in public school than she ever has. I wish we had used all of the money and energy that we spent on private schools for more supports and early intervention for her...specifically OT, social skills groups, and academic tutoring. (We are lucky that psychiatry is covered by insurance, we have benefitted greatly from that, as well). 

    My daughter is at Peralta, but my suggestion is to get an IEP and enroll at a public school that feels like a good fit socially, academically, and geographically. It is hard to get into schools that aren't your neighborhood school, but if you feel strongly about it, get on the waitlist and often spots open up after the first few weeks of school. Think ahead to where you expect your child to go to middle school, it is a long way off, but it is ideal to have your child move with a social group. Changing friend groups can be very hard at that age for ASD kids. 

    Dec 16, 2021

  • Special Ed Services in North OUSD Elementary Schools

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    Oct 29, 2019

    My 7 year old has an IEP and is receiving support at school from a reading specialist and occupational therapist (for dyslexia, fine and gross motor issues, and ADHD--though the IEP is mainly for dyslexia and motor skills, since the ADHD is well managed with medication). I really like the resource team at our school, and I’m happy with my kid’s progress so far, but unfortunately OUSD has decided to close our school (Kaiser elementary) next year.  So now I’m looking for another supportive environment for my kid, who will start 3rd grade in fall 2020. If you have any experience—positive, negative, or in between—with special education services at any of these schools, I would really appreciate hearing it!

    Chabot

    Piedmont Avenue 

    Emerson 

    Joaquin Miller

    Thornhill 

    Montclair 

    Sankofa

    (OUSD is suggesting Kaiser families move to Sankofa, but it’s not clear yet who the resource team will be—the Kaiser team, the Sankofa team, some people from each team, or a whole new group, but any feedback on the current Sankofa team would be welcome). I'm not interested in private schools or charters.

    And if you can share anything about how your kid’s teachers in 3-5th handled classroom accommodations, that would be appreciated too.

    Thank you in advance!

     

    Oct 29, 2019

    Our older one attended Piedmont Ave. Elementary school for TK when we lived in that neighborhood. Although test scores scare parents away, we felt the school community and the teachers were fantastic. With a child that has sensory issues and mildly on the spectrum, the teacher, the IEP team, even the lunch ladies were very helpful and accomodating.

    We moved and are now at Cleveland Elementary School which is our new neighborhood school. We can also recommend Cleveland with confidence. What both schools have in common are the smaller size, relatively intimate environment for a public school, dedicated teachers and administrators, and truly diverse school community which represents the real Oakland (all of the characteristics that make Kaiser also stand out). Cleveland seems to have a stronger, more resourced, and better organized PTA, although we can't say what PAES PTA is like now, since it's been some years since we left PAES. Cleveland community is not wealthy like the Oakland Hills or Chabot but everyone chips in and PTA raises an impressive amount of money for its size. When our little one who seemed to be lagging slightly behind on reading, the teacher did not miss a beat and helped us get tested for dyslexia and other possible learning differences. 

    Nov 11, 2019

  • Inquiry for HFA daughter entering OUSD's inclusion kindergarten class

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    Apr 16, 2019

    My daughter has HFA and is attending an OUSD inclusion preschool class right now but will be entering kindergarten soon. I was wondering if anyone has children in inclusionary kindergarten classes at the various OUSD elementary school sites and what their opinions are about the class/teachers/school. I'm not sure how much say I as a parent have about which inclusion class she gets placed in but would love to hear others experiences to have an idea of what my options are. Also I was wondering if OUSD offers school tours of these specific inclusion classes or just the general school tours for parents of incoming children. 

    Apr 16, 2019

    I have a first grader and a 4th grader at Chabot, and over the years, both my (neurotypical) kids have been in full inclusion classrooms (my older child was in one for K, 1st and 3rd and my younger child is in one now in 1st). I can tell you that our classroom teachers take turns teaching the full inclusion classes, along with whatever aides are required to meet the needs of the kids in the class. As I understand it, all our teachers have awareness/experience with teaching neurodiverse students, but they don't all do it every year. 

    Generally speaking, I have heard really good things about the full inclusion program from fellow parents whose kids are in it. But I would encourage you to come visit and check out the school for yourself.  

    I'm pretty sure all OUSD schools offer tours; ours are in December/January every year. You definitely would see a full inclusion classroom on any Chabot tour, since you visit all 4 K classrooms on the standard tour. But you might not be aware which classroom is full inclusion unless you specifically ask. Often, the kids and even many parents have no idea which classes are full inclusion and which aren't. I would encourage you to come for a tour and then request to be connected with other parents whose kids have HFA; we definitely go out of our way to connect prospective families with current families who are similar, if they want us to. So... reach out! The office staff and the parent community are really friendly and ready to help and answer questions. 

    Apr 17, 2019

  • Special Needs Education in Oakland and beyond

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    Jan 4, 2019

    I have an 18-month-old daughter with a rare genetic syndrome, global delays, and severe special needs (both intellectual and physical disabilities). We are getting Regional Center in-home therapy now but I am looking ahead to the transition to OUSD. To be honest, I'm dreading it. I'm just getting started and could be wrong — but based on what I've seen so far, the schools don't seem set up to fully accommodate a child with severe disabilities. 

    Does anyone have a sense of the full spectrum of daycare/preschool and elementary options — public, charter, and private? I am looking for innovative options like Hope Technology in Redwood City, where both my (typical) son and daughter could go. Or we would be willing to move to a neighboring district with better public options. My son is currently in K. 

    Jan 4, 2019

    OUSD accommodates kids with severe disabilities either in self-contained classrooms scattered across the district (though often not at the most in-demand schools due to space) or in nonpublic schools paid for by the District. The Regional Center may be able to give you a sense of where your daughter's needs fall on this spectrum and what you might expect if you enter OUSD. If your son is happy in K, I'd probably wait at least until your daughter is three and the handoff happens to see how that goes. We know several families who've been pretty happy with the OUSD preschool program for moderate/severe needs, though experiences in elementary have varied. But after the IEP for preschool is set up, you should have a much clearer sense of what your options will be for elementary and beyond (and if it is determined that the OUSD preschool can't meet your daughter's needs, you'll have a better sense of next steps). Hopefully someone with firsthand experience with the process will weigh in too.

    Jan 9, 2019

  • ASD kids at Glenview?

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    Dec 17, 2018

    I recently moved into the Glenview neighborhood and I’m interested in sending my child with HFA to Glenview next year. Does anyone have experience they can share with how the school deals with special needs kids (apart from the hearing disabled classroom)? My kiddo is in an integrated class at our current school. Has anyone declined their IEP placement school to go to a different school?

    Dec 17, 2018

    You can ask directly at the school, but typically a child with HFA will be placed at one of the schools that offer inclusion programs (not Glenview, unfortunately). There is a list of schools on the OUSD website. Crocker Highlands and Sequoia are probably your two closest options, though both are in demand, so it may depend on where there is space if you need a mid-year transfer. Good luck!

    Dec 19, 2018

    I don't know why, but in reading your post I thought that you should look into Urban Montessori (it is a charter school). Team approach and their philosophy is very inclusive, the methods of teaching (design thinking, project based) may be a good fit to at least inquire about. 

    Dec 20, 2018

  • Best current OUSD Inclusion programs for Kindergarten

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    Nov 7, 2018

    I’d like to know which inclusion programs are currently thriving in OUSD for Kindergarten. My son has HF ASD and will most likely be attending an inclusion program for next year. I’m looking to get incite from current parents, teachers, or anyone that knows of a great inclusion program for OUSD kindergarteners. I’m looking for a program where both the general education and special education teachers work together to teach the class as a whole, the kids are happy, and is a truly inclusive environment. I live in East Oakland but willing to pick a program anywhere in Oakland if its a good fit. Thank you in advance!

    Nov 7, 2018

    My child is in an inclusive kindergarten room at Bella Vista and seems to be happy enough (while still disliking school in general). To be honest I have no idea how well the two teachers work together as I don’t get a ton of communication from them. I think a lot relies on how long the two teachers have worked together and have been able to establish a system together. As well as their personal style. The special ed teacher in the inclusion room is new to the school as well (although not new to teaching). I would be interested to hear others experiences at other schools. 

    Nov 15, 2018

  • Looking to transfer child with IEP to OUSD

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    Sep 18, 2018

    Any advice or recommendations on a school in OUSD for my 2nd grader with an IEP? Are there any schools that are better for kids to get services? Looking near the Laurel neighborhood. Any input greatly appreciated!

    Sep 18, 2018

    No responses received.

  • Speech therapy needed for Oakland preschooler

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    Aug 30, 2018

    Hello all,

    My 3-year-old's pediatrician recently referred us to speech therapy for him (she said he can be understood only 50% of the time, and it should be at least 75%). He was referred to Alta Bates, but they quoted us $800 for the evaluation alone (our insurance has a high deductible) with a 6-8 month waitlist. Are there any other resources we can use?  I have read about OUSD's general early intervention program, but am having trouble connecting with the right person (if there is one). Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations for preschool speech therapy that we could look into? I really want to get this assessed and make progress soon, but am feeling lost. Thank you in advance. 

    Aug 30, 2018

    My son is 17 now, so things might have changed, but at the time he turned 3 we requested an IEP from our school district and as the result he got speech therapy services from them for free until age 5 and their speech therapist was amazing. I am not sure if it's the same thing as an early intervention program, but they should be able to do an IEP for you. If you are in OUSD, check with them about how to submit an IEP request.  Your local public school may be a resource for that, if you are having trouble finding the right person (maybe their principal or admin or special ed person on site). 

    3 is the age when kids are eligible for an IEP, and they can get it done regardless of whether they are in preschool/daycare of any kind or not.  Starting with school age, they are only eligible for an IEP if they attend a public school, so it's best to get an IEP before they start school, just in case you don't go the public school route.  We have submitted the evaluations from his pediatrician (one on hearing, and another one regarding speech), along with the request letter for an IEP (individual education plan).  There are sample IEP request letters online, so you can modify one of those to make it specific to your child's situation.  We've listed our own concerns, along with those outlined by the doctor and our kid's daycare, and the school district provided an IEP for us.  The recommendation in the IEP was for our son to have both speech and physical therapy.  The school district provided speech therapy, because speech affects school readiness and ability to perform once the child starts school.  However, they almost never provide physical therapy (only when a child is severely disabled), since they can argue the mild forms don't affect their ability to learn.  So, we had to pay for physical therapy out of pocket, but it doesn't sound like that's your concern anyway.

    My son had speech therapy from the Berkeley School district for free for 2 years, all they way until he started kindergarten. Good luck!  Things will work out, it just takes time.

    Sep 5, 2018

    Hey,

    Basically, on the day a child turns 3, he falls under school umbrella, not the Alta Bates.

    1) You need the letter from your doctor stating that HE thinks your child needs speech not YOU.

    2) Based on which school district you are in, you need to approach, IN PERSON, the special education department.

    3) School will most likely will require a) vision test b) hearing test-both of these things need referral/assessment from the pediatrician.

    They will put you in line for the assessment (free).

    It is very time consuming.

    In Berkeley, I had to complete and proof all the residency requirements and then do it again for the special education.

    After all, first floor (admissions) dos not talk to the third floor (special education)-silly and wasteful, but what can you do...

    Sep 5, 2018

    Keep at it with the public school program.  They really do a good job once you find the right contact, you just have to keep bugging them.  A lot.  Right now is the best time to start as their program runs on a school year schedule and is just getting up and running now.  Plus, it's free.  :-)

    Sep 5, 2018

    I would go to your local elementary school and request a speech assessment. Most school districts offer preschool services, including speech therapy, but it's not always clear where to start. Either go in person or call your local school:

    https://oaklandfinder.schoolmint.net/school-chooser

    Sep 5, 2018

    You need to do a formal written request for an IEP assessment for a speech disability for your child. Until you do a formal written request, with a copy of the request that is stamped RECEIVED, you wlll continue to get the runaround from OUSD.  Contact DREDF to get knowledge & help on this. Once you finally get speech services, they will be free & very helpful!

    Sep 5, 2018

    Do not give up on the school district.We went through WCCUSD starting at age three and are still using them in kindergarten-all for free.Hate to think what it would have cost elsewhere and it is a good program.

    Sep 5, 2018

    Hi,

    My son had the same issue so luckily I was able to get him private speech therapy through my insurance after a 2 month wait. In the mean time, I applied for services through OUSD. I called the Burbank Preschool Diagnostic Center to pick up an intake form packet for Speech Therapy, OT, and Psych. There is a 60 day waiting period after you turn in your intake forms. Then they will call you to do an assessment over the phone and interview with your child in person at your home then at the center. I would start by calling the Diagnostic Center at 510-729-7771. Ask to speak with Sylvia the receptionist to get the intake forms. After the 60 days, you can expect a call from Brigetta who will do the intake assessment. PM me for their emails if you can’t contact by phone if interested. Good luck!

    Sep 5, 2018

    Why not go through the school district?  My kid got speech services here in West Contra Costa when he was 4.

    Sep 5, 2018

    I think it is important to get help now.  My grandsons were able to receive help from their local school speech therapist (in another district) when they were three years old.  They continued to receive help when they began kindergarten.  At some points their parents also provided private therapy.  If you put in writing that you want your child tested for an IEP (Individual Education Program) the clock begins to tick and the district is legally required to do this in 60 days.  If OUSD is not responding to your efforts to start the process in a timely way, you might contact Alameda County Office of Education for advice:  https://www.acoe.org/page/275

    Sep 5, 2018

    If you live in the OUSD area, you can refer your child for an evaluation with the district. Call the special education department (510-879-8176). If you don't get anyone, stop by their office (1101 Union st, Oakland) and email (the director is Neena Bawa, neena.bawa [at] ousd.org). You'll need to give them a written dated letter explaining your concerns and asking for an evaluation. They need to contact you within 15 days to give you an assessment plan. Once you return that, signed, they have 60 days to complete the assessment and develop an Individualized Education Program if he qualifies.

    You'll probably also want to pursue speech therapy through your insurance, since the school district only provides educationally necessary services. Call your insurance company to determine what therapists they cover.

    Sep 6, 2018

    Hello! Fellow SLP here. I don’t work for Oakland but do know special ed law. As your son is three he is entitled to an evaluation by the school district’s speech therapist. Write a letter requesting a speech evaluation. I looked up Oakland’s website and looks like the director of related services is katherine.duffy-sherr [at] ousd.org . (There are templates online you could use)I would send your request to her and to your local elementary school of residence (they should have a speech therapist assigned to that school and if a special preschool department is to the assessment that therapist would be the one to know as well). They are required to acknowledge and respond at least with a phone call within 3 days.  Just be aware that no mattered what it is a wait no matter which route you go. Private insurance is normally 4-6 month wait and school based has timelines (3 days to respond, 60 days from time you sign assessment plan to date of IEP meeting, and usually therapy starts As soon as you sign the IEP). Things you can do now at home: engage your child in lots of phonological awareness activities such as rhyming, reading , singing songs. Model appropriate production of sounds by over exaggerating sounds and speaking slowly. You don’t have to make your child repeat but simply restate whatever (especially if they are easily frustrated) they said incorrectly, correctly . If you really wanna do above and beyond play a scavenger hunt where you find things that being with blank letter/sound they are having a hard time with. Hope this helps!

    Sep 6, 2018

  • Assessing possible dysgraphia in OUSD

    –
    Dec 5, 2016

    Hi all - Ive read the archives and am looking for advice on steps and people to speak to re assessing whether our child just has poor handwriting, or may have dysgraphia or some related LD. The issues we see do fit many of the diagnostic criteria for dysgraphia. We are currently in a public elementary school in OUSD. For several years we've coped with nearly illegible handwriting and teachers assuming our child is just lazy and sloppy or not attuned to details. But our child actually tries very hard and has felt shame around this problem - and often has hand pain while writing longer assignments. Approaching middle school the situation has become a bigger problem, and we need to understand what is really going on. I have called a number of the professionals listed on BPN and have reached out to DREDF. But am hoping for more recent referrals and advice from anyone who has managed this particular issue. From what I'm hearing, it sounds like OUSD can push back at assessing LDs and doing the testing required - it sounds like we need to send a formal letter ASAP to get the process officially started. Any advice is most welcome!

    Dec 5, 2016

    Id ask the school about allowing him to use a tablet or laptop to write. There are loads of typing programs out there. You didnt say if there are any dyslexic signs but you might want to look into it.

    Middle school uses a lot of electronics. Maybe chat to the vp about it.

    Dec 7, 2016

    Wow- I just want to let you know I think you're a fabulous parent. I've had unremediated dysgraphia my whole life, it was never addressed (it continues to be ridiculed), and were it not for the advent of word processing technology, I doubt I would have made it through grad school.  I'm a speech pathologist (inactive) (not like the calligraphy world was going to call to me! lol), one thing to look into is if Dysgraphia by itself is enough to get services on an IEP. The professional most likely to help dysgraphia is the Occupational Therapist, because they can do the cognitive side plus the fine motor side. PTs, SLPs and special ed or reading teachers cannot, it's outside all of our purviews. You might need an eval by a child Cognitive Psychologist.  Good luck and do let us all know how it works out!! Above all, don't worry!

    Dec 7, 2016

    hello!  I feel your concern, and went through a similar process with our son in BUSD.  One great resource is www.understood.org.  

    The formal letter is very important, and also getting an outside second opinion to help with reading the tests once you get the results back.  We have an educational therapist who helped us with this process, as the district tried to tell us that nothing was wrong when in fact the results were clear and consistent with a dysgraphia diagnosis.

    Lots of people find external testing very helpful, but it can be quite expensive ($4,000 and above).  So you'll have to shop around, and you may have to push the district to take it seriously if you don't have the money for external testing.

    Our son was helped by vision therapy and we got lower cost add-on testing from the binocular vision clinic at UC Berkeley, but that may not be the case for your son (in our case dysgraphia is related to visual processing differences, and visual memory issues).  UC Berkeley will do a few simple tests for a lower cost, so that may be something to look into.

    Good luck! 

    Dec 9, 2016

    OUSD will not help you.  I put a request in writing for an assessment for my son.  I filled out some questionnaires and the school psychologist observed him in the classroom for a bit.  They insisted he did not have a problem because he was at or above grade level in everything but writing.  We finally did get a dysgraphia diagnosis outside of OUSD.  I don't have much advice for you except to tell you that you will have to go outside of OUSD for proper assessment and diagnosis.

    Dec 12, 2016

  • Navigating the Oakland School District IEP process

    –
    Nov 22, 2016

    I am getting my son, who is in 5th grade, independently tested and preliminary result show ADD with dyslexia. After a request to have him assessed with OSD to see if he can have services the school administrator is insisting on a SST (Student Success Team) meeting.  At that meeting we will discuss his needs and put together a plan to address the needs. After the plan has been put in place for a minimum of 4 - 6 weeks, then we meet again to evaluate the plan and to see what is working and what is not. It it looks like the plan is working, we continue or modify as needed. If the plan isn't working we look to see what else would be appropriate, which may include testing, In my mind this is a stalling tactic and delays the actual assessment from Oakkland Special Ed by at least 2 months . Is it mandatory to do this step? Can I just insist to have him tested by OSD?

    Nov 22, 2016

    Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) is an excellent resource for information about special education. If you live in Alameda, Contra Costa or San Joaquin Counties, a DREDF Education Advocate can talk to you about special education and give you resources so you can make informed decisions about your child’s education and other individual needs. Call 800-348-4232 or email iephelp [at] dredf.org to request a conversation with a DREDF education advocate. My understanding is that you need to make a specific written request to the school for an IEP assessment to begin the IEP process, and the school district must then follow the legal guidelines for responding to your request, including applicable deadlines. The links below provide more details on the IEP process.

    The DREDF website also has a lot of information about special education, including:

    Home page for special education: https://dredf.org/special-education/
    A Guide for California Parents - Special Education Due Process and the Resolution meeting: https://dredf.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/dueprocess.pdf

    Nov 23, 2016

    I am a retired teacher, but I believe that this is still the case.  Give the school a written request for testing and the clock starts:  they legally have a certain number of days to complete testing (I think it's 45 but perhaps another educator will respond here).   There are organizations that help parents navigate this process and advocate for their child.  Check the BPN archives.

    Nov 23, 2016

    Yes, you can always request that your child be tested (do it in writing), but the district can also deny your request through a PWN ( prior written notice). The SST process exists to see how the child responds to interventions. 

    Nov 23, 2016

    Yes, they are stalling and it's not necessary.  DREDF is a fantastic local resource to learn about the special education process and your rights.  DREDF has a sample letter on their website to send to the OUSD Director of Special Ed to get the process of testing moving forward more quickly.  DREDF also has free monthly workshops and counselors that you can call for help.  

    Also, there is a really good book that has just been published by Kelli Sandman-Hurley, called Dyslexia Advocate, that is a very good book that outlines how to advocate for a child with dyslexia within the public education system.  Good luck!

    Nov 23, 2016

    The short answer to your question is YES! But there may be details in your case I am not understanding. Please put your request for an evaluation in writing and send it to the special education teacher at your school, your principal, and cc four or five program coordinators at OUSD's programs for exceptional children (you can find their names on the OUSD website). I'd request the following testing: academic including more extensive writing and reading tests, and psychological (it is usually done by an MA, and is more academically targeted than a neuropsych eval). What I don't understand from your story is how your son is qualifying for services without a qualifying disability. It doesn't sound like he has technically qualified for IEP or 504 services, and I am unaware (but may simply be ignorant!) of any service requirements that are legal obligations when there has only been an SST. My concern is that they could fall down on their promises and you won't have legal recourse. I am not an expert, but someone who  is Theresa Lozach at Beyond Quality Education Consultants http://www.theresalozach.com/ She is super friendly and full invaluable information.

    Best of luck!

    Nov 23, 2016

    We are an OUSD family and have been through the process, although it has been several years now. We got the same recommendation--to start with an SST first. No, I don't think this was a stall tactic. It was actually a great way to get a group of people together who care about my daughter's education and are responsible for it. (In our case it was parents, classroom teacher, and asst principal.) An SST seemed to follow some of the same format as an IEP--determining things to work on and setting goals/timelines. It was a great way for me and my husband to learn how to discuss the issues we were concerned about and what the school could do for our child. We did end up proceeding with an IEP, but I don't consider it a delay--it was just a step on the way to assessing what my daughter needed. I know it can be hard not to go into mama bear mode and want to fight for your child, but this process could address your child's needs without a lot of the bureaucracy of an IEP. If I were you, I would have an open-minded talk with your school administrator and trust them if their plan sounds reasonable.

    Nov 23, 2016

    You are absolutely right -- SSTs are a stall tactic by the school district.  You have the right to have your son assessed through the IEP process in a timely manner.  Please, check the DREDF website for what you actually need to do, such as WRITE a letter asking for the IEP assessment, bring it in to the office and get it stamped "received," and have them make you a copy of it.  That starts a legal timeline for assessment.  They have to provide you with an Assessment Plan within 15 calendars days.  Call DREDF now (it takes a week or two) and get assigned a resource person who can help you check over the Assessment Plan that the district gives you -- many school districts are known for not including areas that a child may need on the Assessment Plan.  

    Turn in the signed Assessment Plan.  The district then has 60 days to complete the assessment and meet with you (IEP meeting) to discuss results and services.  You know your child best -- do not let them say they cannot help you.  

    Do not fall for the SST ploy -- they rarely help and unnecessarily delay getting needed services for your child.  Also don't fall for the 504 suggestion -- it has no legal teeth.

    Nov 23, 2016

    We've had a lot of success with SST meetings. Our school has given our son services even though he didn't technically qualify for them in his IEP.  Think about it as a way to get all of the players at the school on the same page and go in with an attitude that they want to help. Have an idea what accommodations you want them to make before you walk in. 

    Keep in mind that it's really hard to qualify for services through an IEP and the only way to get what you want might be to convince the school that it is in their best interests to help him out so that he's not so disruptive. 

    What you might ultimately need is a 504 instead of an IEP. 504 plans deal with behavioral issues instead of learning disabilities. Sounds bad but the inability to sit still due to ADHD is a behavioral problem that makes it hard to learn. You may be able to get what you want that way. 

    Our school also has special pull out reading groups that have really helped. The school decides which kids need the extra help and qualifying for IEP services isn't required. 

    Good luck to you. It's a constant battle. You have to schedule an SST meeting at the beginning of every year to make sure that the new teacher knows the best techniques for helping him. Hopefully you won't get a teacher like we did last year who always had an excuse to skip the meeting but thought she knew more than anyone else bc she had low functioning kids. She did a lot of damage and I wish that I had been more firm about her attendance. 

    Nov 24, 2016

    I'm almost positive you can request an IEP without having to wait through all the steps the district is suggesting. It's a state or Federal law. Make your request in writing to the resources teacher at your school & the principal. Include a little bit about why you think testing is appropriate now & the results of the private testing. You could even say how your child is struggling or behind or working extra hard now.  The district has to respond within 14 days of receiving your letter. The district needs to complete the testing & have an IEP meeting within 60 days of responding. School being on vacation for 5 or more days does not count in the  60 days.  You can also go to https://dredf.org for more information about your rights.

    Nov 24, 2016

  • Learning problems in my 4 year old - the school district is not doing enough

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    Nov 18, 2016

    Hi. I would really appreciate any and all advice regarding my daughter. My daughter is 4 1/2. She is currently enrolled through an IEP ( OUSD) in an immersion preschool. She was tested and found to have delays in comprehension and processing. Now I am starting to think about KG. I am really concerned. She can not get her colors. She also can not recognize numbers and letters. Her social/emotional is on par. I am a big advocate of early intervention but I feel like the school district is not doing enough. I looked into brain balance center in SF. It's far and expensive. I am willing to do it but I do not want to get tricked into something.  Does anyone have advice on an early intervention platform that I can use for my daughter to help her succeed and feel confident?  Thank you so much!

    Nov 18, 2016

    School districts aren't truly in the business of looking for the most comprehensive learning support for your particular child.  They're providing legally-required services to large numbers of children and the funding they receive for special education does not match the cost of providing services.  Thus there are built-in incentives NOT to provide more than the minimum (this doesn't mean there aren't great or dedicated teachers/administrators/etc., just that the system isn't set up to be responsive to the needs of a given child). The first thing I would do is to get a comprehensive private assessment by either a SLP (speech-language pathologist) if her issues are primarily language/communication based, or neuropsychiatrist if her difficulties seem broader. Yes these are expensive ($1500-$2000), however they are much more in-depth than assessments done by the school district, they will provide you with tons more information about how to help your child, and will provide a pathway so that if you seek out other services such as the one you're considering,you'll be targeting the right issues.  There are both conventional and non-conventional treatments out there and you really have to do your research.  Just because a treatment modality is non-conventional doesn't mean it can't help your kid.  As a place to start - is your child taking fish oil supplements?  These supplements are recommended for children with language delays (as well as for a whole host of other issues for children and adults); just make sure to get a high quality one so it doesn't have mercury.  I would also check out Fast ForWord, it is somewhat non-conventional, although there is independent research out there now, and it's been around for a while.  It doesn't work for everyone and it's not a cure-all, but it greatly helped my daughter who has a language-processing disability.  Also, I would push the school district to provide the additional services your daughter needs. I learned to be a lot more assertive than I was initially comfortable with.  Some resources to check out are wrightslaw.com, Support for Families of Children with Disabilities (in SF) or Bananas (in Oakland).  Both those groups have  info and trainings to help you navigate the IEP/special ed maze and advocate for your child.  Good luck! You are doing the right thing by trusting your parental instinct that your daughter needs more.

    Nov 23, 2016

    Hi there - I agree - IMHO, even a school with best-intentions does not provide all the support that most children with IEPs need. Their concern is solely getting a child through school and providing a basic education.  I highly recommend that you seek out a developmental and behavioral pediatrician for assessment and guidance. At the same time, you can also contact Regional Center Of The East Bay for an evaluation. You may qualify for additional support through them. As you already know the more you can do at this early age, the better!

    Nov 26, 2016

  • Autism Inclusion Programs in OUSD

    –
    Jul 23, 2016

    My son was recently diagnosed with Autism and is supposed to be entering Kindergarten in OUSD. He is highly verbal, but needs a lot of help with social skills, is sensitive to noise/crowds, and struggles with fine motor skills. He has an IEP, which places him in an inclusion classroom, but he does not have an actual placement, yet, since the IEP was completed after school ended, placements were already made/spots were full, and I have not been able to view any classrooms. I'm not sure how much choice we're actually going to have, but I'd love to hear people's experiences- especially in the past few years. What school did your child go to? What was great about it? What do you wish was different/could be improved?

    Feel free to contact me directly, if you prefer.

    Thanks!

    Jul 23, 2016

    No responses received.

  • Special Ed options for Middle School other than OUSD

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    Jul 15, 2016

    Our child needs therapeutic and pull out support for behavioral and learning challenges. We're looking at middle schools outside of Oakland. We think we might be priced out of the schools that might work best, but are checking here in case folks have some advice/options we haven't thought about. Maybe Concord? San Leandro? Castro Valley?

    5th grade experience was at a great school community - strong principal, excellent therapist team, thoughtful assessments.  But OUSD repeatedly did not evaluate and update our child's progress, did not follow up with IEPs, missed important areas we needed addressed. There were major and chronic deficits in the resourcing and training of "mainstream" faculty on effective practices communicating with special ed staff and supporting our child's needs. There was a constant battle to get assignments recorded and shared clearly and bringing our child along clearly and adequately only happened 50% of the time.  Most students who had challenges were physically separated from the school population even for many all-school events. 

    6th grade, middle school, was better with more experienced (though even less resourced) special ed staff and therapy. Excellent site leadership in so many ways.  But the school is likely best for folks who are primarily Spanish speakers and the parent and student culture relies on this (so awesome for some, but not a great fit for us as it played out). Our child is most interested in choir, band, theater, etc. and those programs are only sporadically offered. After school program was poorly supervised with constant turnover and could really only work for the kids who are most socially capable. We were the only QTBLG family which was not ideal, but relatively minor in most ways.

    Leaving this school and still staying in OUSD isn't really an option. Middle schools options for the therapeutic support we need are extremely limited. 

    For 7th grade, we are open to the idea of selling our house, moving, renting, really getting into a place with more opportunities and resources. This will mean more commuting, possibly considerably smaller housing, etc.  We've been considering other states with stronger special ed resources (there are many) and middle schools where there are arts programs, therapy, and less turnover at the top (OUSD is in a total churn there). But we increasingly think we may need to stay. 

    Have others been in this position?  Are you happy with the special ed services in your non-OUSD district? 

    It looks like we'd be priced out of Alameda, Berkeley, Albany, (the usual suspects).
    We haven't found private schools that have the support we need.
    We expect to be fully mainstreamed in the next year so special ed - only schools aren't the best fit either.

    Here's what we are hoping for:

    Daily on-site therapy for students with behavioral challenges. (Rare in Oakland middle schools but we see this district-wide in other states.)
    Strong experienced team that is used to communicating about IEPs, assignments, between special ed team and mainstream faculty.
    A parent-involved school culture that includes regular communications about ways to be involved and connect families.
    QTLBG, racial, income diversity. 
    Trauma-responsive counseling.

    Thanks for any thoughts or resources. 

    Jul 15, 2016

    My son goes to Core Academy Jr High in WC. It is a school that specializes in identifying your child's learning style and teaching them how they need to learn. It is not a traditional school but my son has done very well in this small learning environment. Www.coreacademy.net

    Jul 18, 2016

    Check out The Phillips Academy in Alameda--a nonpublic school--paid for by your school district. All students have IEPs, highly therapeutic environment with full time therapists on staff. I worked there for 20 years--recently retired. You may have to fight with your school district to get your child placed but we have many Oakland students. Very LGBT friendly and supportive. Call director Dr. Esther Cohen 510-864-3503. Tell her Helen sent you. Good luck!!

    Jul 18, 2016

    A parent had similar problems with BUSD. Since you mention moving as an option-- when she moved to Santa Cruz, she found that the schools provided more of what her child needed. I will introduce you via e-mail. I am sure she would be happy to share info. You can contact me via my BPN username.

    Jul 18, 2016

    We moved from Oakland to Berkeley for the schools. My son is partially deaf and qualifies for an IEP but has no learning issues associated with it. The IEP process at our Oakland elementary school was kinda non-existent the first year, but when a new principal came in, it was just ok.

    I have to say that the quality of the IEP process and follow-up at Berkeley is incredible, but again, my kid does not have learning disabilities so I can't speak to that. But the organization and teamwork has been amazing. That said, the school is huge!!!!! 1,300 kids!!! Lots of room to get into trouble, but lots of great kids, too. Also, parent involvement really steps down in middle school, there is so much more responsibility given to the teen and it was a rough transition for my son. 

    Berkeley is crazy expensive to buy a home in. We were lucky to get in before it got really bad. But you don't have to buy- our friends from OUSD are renting out their Oakland home (to cover their mortgage) and then are renting an apartment in Albany to send their girls to school there. They plan on renting in Albany until their youngest graduates high school, and then moving back to their Oakland home for the rest of their days- they love their home and could not afford to buy it again.

    But the Oakland schools...well, out of 63 5th graders in our elementary class only 3 of them enrolled in the local public middle school. Oakland still has a terrible problem with the schools, and I admire the amazing teachers who stay despite the lack of pay and resources. None of us should have to make this agonizing choice about educating our kids- shouldn't our local schools be able to support all kids in a safe and nurturing environment??? Yeah, we can dream. But in the meantime, good luck to you guys. Just please don't move to a crappy, homophobic place where you are gonna be unhappy for 6 years or more. You didn't mention jobs... but if there is any way that you could live an hour from SF, have you checked out Petaluma? It is so great!!! I have heard that their schools are awesome. Our in-laws moved there and we have been spending time there and I really like it. Best to you guys!

    Jul 18, 2016

    Hi. I just want to warn you not to come to Danville or San Ramon. The San Ramon valley USD is very difficult to deal with for special ed. Castro valley used to be very good but idk if it still is. Good luck!

    Jul 19, 2016

    Wish I knew more specfics about which schools you are talking about.

    Our son, on the autism spectrum, is a Thornhill  elementary and Hillcrest Middle School alumnus.  he is now an adult, college graduate, with a good job.

    Teachers are not perfect.  If you can work in a partnership with yourself, the resource teacher, and and classroom teacher, that is the foundation for success.

    My knowleged of OUSD is outdated.  Get in touch with the Community Advisory Committee for special ed (CAC).  Ask the resource teacher. Good luck!

    Jul 22, 2016
RE:
Getting a one-on-one aide for 5yo with moderate-severe autism (Jul 11, 2023)

OUSD "overlooked" and missed the 3 mentions of a one-on-one aide in our IEE, which meant they also "neglected" to tell us that the IEE recommendation means bupkes and a second OUSD internal evaluation is required to approve an aide. This was on the day before school ended and would have meant our child would not receive an aide were one approved until January. Another parent described the results of those evaluations as predetermined "nos".

Aug 25, 2023
Recommended:
Special Education in the Oakland School District
RE:
Getting a one-on-one aide for 5yo with moderate-severe autism (Jul 11, 2023)

Initially I did not reply to your question because our son who is on the spectrum has been out of school for quite awhile - he is now 34 and very successful in his career.

But I must say - it was a one-on-one aide who got our son over the hump, from being a major time-suck for teachers in elementary school to being on track to succeed in life.

Here's our story:

In eighth grade, our son could not stay on task, and could not write more than one or two consecutive sentences.  I was very frightened for him.

This was the period of time when the OUSD superintendent was Dennis Chaconas, and the head of special educaton was Vivian Lura. The former could not balance the checkbook, and the latter figured out that it was cost effective to give parents what they demanded, in terms of services for their special needs children, instead of going to court. (Neither was on the job very long."

But while the good times lasted, enter Katie, a credentialed special ed teacher from Florida who was awaiting her California certification.  She figured out what would motivate our son to stay on task: one afternoon per week in the library. She used behavior modification scaled up to the needs of an intelligent thirteen-year-old.

The academic success that followed set the stage for our son earling good high school grades, being accepted to UC Davis, and a being hired in good internship with a public agency.  Now he has a steady civil service job and an MA in public administration.

Maybe our son is an outlier, but it was the one-on-one aide who made the difference.

Vivian Lura, and the director of special ed who followed her, the late Phyllis Harris, realized that one-on-one aides should be classified as "para-professionals" and paid accordingly. Before that they were classified with janitors.

The right person can make a major difference in a child's life.

I would urge you to push for the right person to be with your child during the critical years when they are capable of being inspired and motivated.

Jul 19, 2023
Recommended:
Special Education in the Oakland School District

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Questions  

OUSD Special Ed Reading Clinic

June 2012

OUSD is currently offering to place our child into the Reading Clinic currently held at Maxwell Park but destined to be at Redwood Heights next year. They are offerring to place him in an 'intensive' special day classroom that addresses learning deficits that effect reading/math. The idea is that he would be in this classroom for academics - but then in the standard learning environment of Redwood Heights for non academics like recess, pe, art etc. I am wondering if anyone can comment on their experience with the OUSD Reading Clinic or this kind of special day class? We are concerned about the quality and implementaion of the program. Would be interested in hearing any feedback that might help give us a full picture of what we might be getting into.


My son attended the reading clinic 3 years ago as a third grader. It was a great experience for him. It really turned his reading around! The teachers and director there are great.

The only iffy part of the experience was the schoolbus (the school district provided transportation to and from the reading clinic). My son had one excellent driver and one very unfriendly driver who couldn't manage the kids' behavior and really seemed not to speak English. That required a lot of intervention on my part, and involvement with the bus company and the special ed. dept. Feel free to contact me for more info. kc

March 2012

Does anyone have experience with Oakland's special education reading clinic? My son is being recommended for the program for 4th grade next year. He has struggled with reading since K and now has an IEP for visual and auditory processing deficiencies (aka dyslexia). He has been receiving pull-out reading tutoring at his current Oakland public school but the teacher and resource specialist told me they aren't seeing any progress in his reading. This is now affecting his math abilities and his attitude.

The reading clinic is a collaborative effort between OUSD and the Lindamood-Bell corp. It is 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, in the mornings and then the kids are bused back to their individual schools.

How did your child respond to the program? Specifically in reading improvement, comprehension, etc; did your child enjoy the program, and how did they (and you) handle the transisition back to the classroom each day? We need to do something but I'm worried about how he will manage the rest of 4th grade while missing most of the mornings every day. thanks! -anon


My son attended the OUSD reading clinic in 3rd grade and I can't recommend it highly enough. Prior to the reading clinic he couldn't really read. He made huge improvement and enjoyed the experience as well. I'm happy to answer any questions you have about it. Laura

Preschool for high functioning 3.5 year old boy on the spectrum

Sept 2011

I'd like to hear from parents who have their preschooler in OUSD's Burbank school, or anyone who has information about this school. It has been difficult to find information about Burbank - my understanding is that when Tilden closed, they moved the special needs programs and teachers to Burbank, but I don't know if this is correct. I am the mother of a high functioning 3.5 year old boy on the spectrum, and am trying to decide between Burbank and a more typical preschool. Any information about teachers, program, etc. would be appreciated. Involved mama

I suggest attending OUSD's Community Advisory Committee meeting on September 12. You will meet other parents and can get the type of advice for which you are asking. You can subscribe to the group list by writing to OUSD SpecEd CAC cacoakland [at] gmail.com

There will be a meeting at and about Burbank on January 9th. The CAC's agenda for the year can be found at the group's wiki here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/3tkeswl

The OUSD Sped Parent Handbook here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/3fet35e

From CAC Oakland's email list:

Dear Friends,

Another school year is upon us and OUSD's Community Advisory Community for Special Education (CAC) will be holding its first meeting of the year on Monday, September 12th at Family Resource Network, 5232 Claremont Avenue in Oakland (the BANANAS building near the DMV). For our first meeting we will have a potluck starting at 6pm so that we can catch up with old friends and meet new ones. The meeting begins about 6:30pm and the featured topic this month is Advocacy 101: At School, in the District, and Beyond. We will be talking about everything from ''how do I talk to other parents/guardians about my child?'' to ''how do I make sure my child is getting the support he/she needs?'' to ''how can I support my teachers?'' and more.

The Director of OUSD's Programs for Exceptional Children (Special Education) will also talk about the recent re-organization which follows the new regional model the District has adopted. And we will have time for community questions and concerns. dana

Special education lawyer needed for underserved child in OUSD

Jan 2011

We are looking for a special education lawyer for our underserved child in OUSD. Does anyone have any recent recommendations for someone who has experience in OUSD and good at coaching parents? The current atmosphere due to budget cuts, etc adds to the frustration and need for someone experienced and successful. Thanks! anon

Are you sure it's a lawyer you need? I ask because oftentimes people are advised to ''get a lawyer'' when actually what they need is an advocate. I would caution you strongly about starting off by hiring a lawyer because that will immediately change the tone of your dialogue with the school district, unless that's what you want. Hiring a lawyer is usually the last step you take when you're ready to go to court. Advocates can very easily do the same thing that you would think you need from a lawyer but they are cheaper, less adversarial (in theory) and most of the time faster. I'm sure you'll get some names from this list, but just please be careful about your next steps. I could give you more advice if I knew more about your situation and your reasons for being anonymous here are obvious. Please feel free to contact me directly if you think it would help you and your child. Jill

Special ed funding comes from a separate source of federal funds. You should only focus on the services that your child needs and not their budget problems. Have you requested a full set of evaluations; they are crucial to getting services. And you are entitled to independent evaluations if you are unsatisfied with the evaluations that the school district provides. Neil

Special Education Lawyer for OUSD child

Jan 2011

We are looking for recommendations from the BPN community for an experienced lawyer who is familiar with education laws, Federal and State, and has a successful track record working with families in OUSD getting services for children. Our biggest fear is creating a hostile environment for our child, however, we do need help since there are many compliance issues. If you have a recommendation, it would be helpful if you asked the moderator for my email address. Thank you! Anon

Dear Parent,
I empathize with the concern that advocating for one's child will create a hostile environment in future interactions with the district or the school or the service providers or the mediators or all of the other administrator's that provide these services. And its ridiculous that society operates a service for which one of its results is the wear and tear on the parents of the children who, in truth, really do receive some of the benefits that should be delivered.

However, it has been my experience that one should not operate out of fear of raising a hostile atmosphere. The special education providers, and their associates have no use for a hostile environment any more that the recipients of the services.

The first understanding that a parent should have with the staff of special education providers is that this ''case'' will be a continuing and regular responsibility of all those involved, and that all will be cooperatively focused to provide the services and catch problems as they happen. I have found that this a key to a productive relationship. I have a 15 yr old son who I am navigating through the system. Neil

CH (Communication Handicap Class) for 5 y.o

Jan 2009

I am looking for a Pre-K CH class (Communication Handicap) for my daughter who will be 5 y.o. May 2009. Does anyone know of a city that has one? I heard Oakland has one but I heard they were closing Tilden. I was wondering if anyone's child has attended one in either Oakland, Berkeley, Alabany, Alameda, or the LaMorinda area. Judy


There are CH classes throughout the Oakland schools, from Marshall to Bella Vista to Tilden (which I hadn't heard is closing) and beyond. The OUSD team that meets with you will make recommendations for placing your child. If you'd like to talk with parents who have been through the same thing, you might come to a support group organized by two OUSD moms; the next meeting is Thursday, January 29, from 7:00-8:30 PM at Communication Works, 4400 Keller Ave., Suite 200, Oakland. If you want to connect online, try the social networking site 8 Second Rule, also created by an OUSD mom, http://8secondrule.ning.com/ . --Sarah H.

 

Oakland Kindergarten For Sensory Integration Issues

Dec 2007

 

We have just learned that our son may have some mild sensory integration issues. He also has speech issues. He has been thriving in a play based preschool called Inch By Inch. This has added a whole new dimension to our search for the right kindergarten. Can anyone reccommend a school in the Oakland area, private or public, that addresses these issues well? I would love to hear from families who have been through this.


Hi, I am an occupational therapist working for OUSD. There are SO many good kindergarten teachers out there. Rather than really focusing on a specific school, I think it depends on the teacher's flexibility and openness to using sensory strategies in his/her classroom to meet an individual child's sensory needs. Since you can't pick the teacher, it is hard to determine where would be the best fit for your child. I have not worked in every single school in the district, but from my experience, I can say that Hillcrest, North Oakland Community Charter School (NOCCS), Lighthouse Community Charter School (downtown), Peralta, and Chabot all have great K teachers who would be sensitive to your child's needs. There are probably many others. I hope people will respond to your post who have their children in OUSD and can speak to specific teachers/schools. Best of luck to you in finding the right fit! OUSD O.T.

Advocate for transition from RC to OUSD Special Education

March 2007

We are looking for a special education lawyer or advocate who is familiar with working with Oakland School District. Our son is almost three years old and was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum about a year ago. We need a good attorney / advocate to guide us through his first IEP with Oakland because this is the transition IEP from services funded by the Regional Center to services funded by the school district. Thank you in advance. Thank you! John

You may begin by contacting CASE (Community Alliance for Special Education). They are located in San Francisco. They do good work, mainly advocating for those needing special education services. They should be able to locate resources for this purpose. Their website is www.caseadvocacy.org . cindy

Navigating OUSD Special Ed for 3-y-o's speech therapy

Nov 2006

I am the mother of a three year old who is exhibiting signs of a speech delay. I just returned from his 3 year check-up, and his pediatrician agreed with me that his language is not where it should be for his age. He has a large vocabulary of nouns, and some 3-4 word sentences, but cannot hold up a conversation of more than 2 sentences or answer questions, never asks questions, and does not express thoughts/feelings. I have been given referals to Children's Hospital for a hearing screening and speech and cognitive development evaluations. My insurance will pay for half of the diagnostics, and none of the speech therapy, so I will be going through the Oakland School District if he qualifies. I would like to address the problem as efficiently as possible. I am not sure if I should set up an evaluation through the school district, or if it would be quicker and help move things along if I went ahead with an independent assesment. If anyone has relevant experience to share - who to talk to, what to ask for, programs to look into - I would greatly appreciate it Concerned Mom

You might try calling CEID (Center on Early Intervention on Deafness). CEID is a model early intervention program for babies and young children who have hearing impairments and severe speech and language delays. They have a pediatric audiology suite on site and offer speech therapy and many other services. They're a great resource. Their number is (510) 848-4800 and they are located at 1035 Grayson Street in Berkeley (off San Pablo just north of Ashby Avenue). http:// www.ceid.org/index.html Donna

You're taking action about the speech issue at exactly the right time. Early intervention makes a huge difference. Our son is now 4 and he's been in speech therapy for about a year, which has made an incredible difference in his ability to speak clearly and be understood. There is still work to be done, but it is happening right before our eyes.

Your referral to Children's for a hearing assessment is always the first step. You need to know if there are any organic reasons for the delay. Our son had some hearing loss and had tubes inserted in both ears last May. Dr. Wesman at Children's runs the hearing program and he is absolutely wonderful. Not touchy, feely...just really good at getting things done. Whatever you decide to do about private speech therapy (we decided against it), get your child assessed by the school district. They are required to develop an Independent Education Program (IEP) for any child deemed to have an issue that needs to be remediated. That IEP will follow your child through her entire school career and entitles you to access to all district speech services AND private services if the district is unable to resolve the problem, or ANY speech issue that might arise later in her school career Jennifer

Hi, good for you for getting an early start on this. It was actually our preschool teacher who picked up on some odd speech patterns in my 3-yr-old, and she suggested I contact OUSD. I did not even know about Children's services. Anyhow, we went through OUSD and while it was not exactly a zippy process, it was fine. Her symptoms were slight enough that it took a couple of evaluations before they were sure she qualified. The personnel we have dealt with have all been outstanding, including our speech therapist at Montclair Elem and OT's at Tilden and Montclair. If you can afford Children's diagnostic process, I would gather as much info as possible and do that too. There is also a private group called Word Works in Oakland that offers free screenings from time to time. You could try to get in there as well. With younger preschoolers, it is sometimes hard to pin down a diagnosis, but there are certainly treatable symptoms. We still don't really know what my daughter's diagnosis is, but she is having amazing results through 45 minutes of speech therapy a week and consistent follow-up at home and at school. Best of luck to you! Montclair Mommy

Hi there, Your message is one of the reasons I troll through the ''Advice Wanted'' newsletters - to try to share some experience and get you hooked up with others who can provide some advice and support! My son (now 11) was diagnosed at about 4, and we started with a private assessment through Childrens and subsequently with a developmental pediatrician, as the speech language pathologist wanted to make sure that other things she observed were also assessed. That pediatrician recommended that we contact OUSD to get our son into a speech language focused preschool, which we did. (Tilden Preschool) This required a full-on assessment by the district - psych testing, speech language, OT because we suggested that might be part of it. It takes a few months to get it all done, so get started! You can certainly pursue the private assessments and therapies too (we did; it seems that the earlier you pile on the corrective measures, the more rapidly gains are made.) We did private speech, OT and ''floor time'' play therapy to address a variety of issues including tantrums.

Please feel free to contact me via email, as there are lots of other things that can be helpful. The material in the archives that is more recent is specifically posted around ''Learning Disabilities'', which is pertinent - but how would you know to call it that? I guess I should do a separate posting that lays out the process steps people go through so it can be posted under ''Language Delays in Preschool Aged Children'', and see if we can get it posted.

My other advice to you is to hook up later with the Oakland ''CAC'' or Community Advisory Committee, which is essentially the parent-staff group for special needs children, teachers, schools etc. in Oakland. You can contact them to be put on the mailing list at cacoakland[at]comcast.net Fire me an email and we'll see if you want to do a phone call or if I can find you a parent to talk to whose child is at Tilden now Nancy

Good for you for looking for the best way to help your child. I'm not sure it's an either/or situation - that is, you may be better off getting an evaluation through your insurance and also requesting one from OUSD. You could also see if the SLP from Children's could be present at your child's IEP meeting with the school district, although you may have to pay for that privately. That way, if there's anything unclear in the report the SLP will be there to clarify and expand on it, and possibly advocate for you (although that may not be necessary). Good luck! anon

Make a written request of the district describing the problems and asking for an evaluation in ''all areas of suspected disability.'' Phone the Infant to 5 year old referral office (510) 879 - 1766 to ask where to deliver the request or send with delivery confirmation. (Bring two copies and have the receptionist initial date and time of receipt.) The district then has two weeks to provide you with an assessment plan to sign and return and another 60 days to complete the initial evaluation and hold a meeting to discuss the results. Services agreed to at that meeting will start more or less immediately. Contact me directly if you would like more information. Dana Lear, DrPH Negotiating the Maze Special Education Advocacy, Research, Support

I believe the Preschool Diagnostic Team at OUSD is more used to evaluating 3-year-olds and then recommending services than in looking over private reports and then figuring out services. Doing it the ''regular'' way will probably make it faster. Through OUSD, a speech-delayed preschooler may get one-on-one speech therapy at a nearby school, group speech therapy, or be enrolled in a Special Day Class (at the somewhat run-down but EXCELLENTLY staffed Tilden School) that is specially tailored to help kids his age with communication. I would trust the Diagnostic Team to place your preschooler appropriately. After he is getting some speech therapy (or more) through OUSD, you then have some time to do additional evaluations at Children's that might help fine-tune ways to help your child. (OUSD staff cannot, for example, give your child a diagnosis.) The most urgent thing is to put a request for an evaluation in writing (this is called referring yourself) and mail it to: OUSD Preschool Diagnostic Team, 2850 West St., Oakland CA 94601. Then you can follow it up with a phone call, 879-1766. If you're looking for additional parent advice, I think Tilden (tilden.ousd.k12.ca.us) has an active PTA --Mom of successful Tilden School grad

i used to work with kids with language delays, and there are a few things I feel compelled to mention: 1. sooner is better -- IF your kid has a language delay, the sooner you start therapy, the better. 2. when dealing with a school district (I didn't work for OUSD) the priciple of ''the squeaky wheel gets the grease'' absolutely applies. Resources are limited, and the parents that complain the most, call the most meetings, and are generally the most annoying usually get more of what they want than the passive parents. Consider hiring an advocate. good luck kevin

Dear Concerned Mom - my son was also diagnosed with a speech delay when he was three. The good news is that there is a lot of support in the East Bay for children with communication delays. I know it is a daunting experience once you begin down this path. We have given my son services in a number of different ways.

We were anxious to get my son speech support immediately so we started with private speech therapy sessions twice a week while we investigated other options and got him assessed by the Oakland School District. You should definitely get him assessed by OUSD -- it is a huge bureaucracy to deal with and the special ed department is overwhelmed but if you are a ''squeeky wheel'' progress can be made. If there is a long delay in getting your son assessed at Children's Hospital (I was quoted 3 months just for an appointment) you may want to try Alta Bates' Herrick Campus -- it also assesses children but is not as impacted as Children's Hospital.

My son was tested at Herrick in a very timely matter. I also had my son fully assessed by a developmental pediatrician -- your general pediatrician could give you recommendations of some in this area. Our dev. pediatrician has been great by helping sort through decisions and placements for our child and working with the school district to get ther right resources. We have used a combination of private and public support. I hope this helps a bit. anonymous