“The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.”
Posts Tagged ‘CSE’
Surviving Turning Five: The Calendar Year Rule
April 4th, 2012In NYC a special needs child stops receiving CPSE services and must enter the school age unit of the CSE in September of the year in which the child turns five. I refer to this “The Calendar Year Rule.”
The calendar year rule means that for all children born anytime during 2007 (January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2007) their pre-school services terminate in August and they are expected to enter kindergarten in September 2012. The program and services that they will receive as a kindergarten student are very different from what they received through the CPSE. This claendar year rule is not logical and does not take into consideration the maturity or unique needs of each child. 
For example, if Sophie was born on January 1, at 12:01 a.m and is receiving SEIT and related services these finish in August 2012 and she enters kindergarten three weeks later. Around the corner lives Jack, who was born almost a year later, on December 31,2007 at 11:59p.m. Jack also receives services through the CPSE, he has a dual program consisting of a center based pre-school as well as home services. Although Sophie is clearly ready to enter kindergarten Jack is not, at each of their turning five CSE reviews the teams will recommended the exact same program ( an ICT class and related services in school)
What to do?
Lots of options – read the next blog!
Regina
Surviving Turning Five
March 28th, 2012This weekly blog will be devoted to the issues and concerns facing parents whose children are aging out of the CPSE and entering the school aged unit of the CSE. These children are referred to as “Turning Five Students.” As with all of our postings we welcome your comments and questions and will respond either by a personal email or via a blog. The blog is specific to families residing in the five boroughs of New York City, but can be helpful to those of you in the outlining suburbs. It will be particularly helpful if your family is contemplating a move to New York City.
New York is considered the mecca of special education for students of all ages. We have the most and finest of private schools of anywhere in the world! The amount and quality of pre- school services that children receive cannot be rivaled. However, where our city falls short is in the school age services and programs. There are many fine public programs, like the NEST classes, however finding these programs and gaining access to them is not as easy as it should be.
Most of you who are reading this blog already have an IEP and your child is receiving services through the school district. Therefore you have familiarity with the terms and acronyms that are so readily tossed about. Nonetheless as with all large bureaucracies their develops a lexicon unique to that system and often used to mystify outsiders and empower those who work for the system. Learn the language! Visit our website and go to the Glossary- it’s a start.
AGING OUT OF C.S.E. – graduating and transition time…
March 16th, 2011I received an interesting email this week and the question is an important one:
“Our son David is scheduled to graduate from Summit school this coming June. Because of all the support and special education he has received, he has passed either Regents exams or RCT exams and therefore qualifies for a real high school diploma. Yet, because of all of David’s issues he can’t attend a regular college and we found a special education post high school program that offers support, small classes and life skills. It is not a degree program and we were told that there were several students whose school districts were funding or contributing towards the tuition. Are we eligible for this once he graduates from Summit?”
The quick answer is only if you are willing to sacrifice David’s receiving a true and genuine high school diploma. New York State Commissioner’s Regulations state that a child is eligible to receive a free appropriate public education until the end of the school year in which the student turns twenty-one (21) or until receipt of a regular high school diploma. Since David is eligible to receive a regular high school diploma this June, as soon as he does so, he is no longer eligible for services from your school district. You might explore what if any services he can receive from VESID, but it is highly unlikely that he will receive funding for this program. (www.vesid.nysed.gov)
This question opens a larger issue and one that continues to haunt parents – WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL? The first publication of my career was in 1982 when I co-authored and published a book with that exact title. It was a parent handbook of programs and services for the learning disabled. The book was revised in 1984 and again in 1986. I stopped working on it when I went to law school. The times have certainly changed and post high school opportunities are as varied as the students they serve. All of the private special education schools consult with parents about ex-missions and the network of special college programs and independent living programs continues to grow. As the autistic population ages the need for group homes and supervised living arrangements grows. These programs are harder to find and to gain entry to. They are usually under the auspices of Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (www.opwdd.ny.gov).
I am happy to answer questions like these both in your emails and as blog postings.