r/SpecialNeeds

Hi everyone! I'm looking for school recommendations for my 5-year-old daughter with autism who will be starting kindergarten this fall.

I'm open to any school—public, private, charter. We live in the Bronx, so the Bronx and Manhattan would be ideal, but I'm willing to hear about great schools anywhere in the city

She'll be starting kindergarten and has an IEP. She's autistic (Level 2) and her developmental pediatrician recently recommended updates to her IEP, including:

- An AAC device

- Speech therapy 3x a week

- Occupational therapy

- 12 month

- A structured, autism-focused classroom with staff experienced in supporting minimally speaking children

I'm trying to find a school that's nurturing, has strong communication with parents, and really helps kids make progress.

If your child attended a school you loved (or one you would avoid), I'd really appreciate hearing your experience. I'm especially interested in:

- Teacher quality

- Speech/OT services

- Classroom environment

- Communication with families

- Whether your child made meaningful progress

Thank you so much! This process has been overwhelming, so any recommendations or advice would mean a lot.

Hello! 33 year old mama to a 13 year old with Down syndrome. I’m hopping on to see if anyone has ideas and suggestions for us. My son LOVES to pull everything apart. And I don’t mean just in his hands. He dumps all the toys together in a pile. He adds puzzle pieces. Then the crayons. One of his favorite toddler past times was grabbing all of his clothes from his drawers and throwing them down the stairs. I want to help him enjoy one of his favorite activities while keeping my sanity in tact! It has come and gone in phases, but I think it’s safe to say it may be here with us forever. 😆 Cleaning is hard enough with 3 kids, chronic health issues, and very little help. Have any of you had a similar experience with this type of behavior, and how have you wrangled the situation? Any help is much appreciated!