a school for my son

my son is in third grade and has delays in pretty much everything. he receives help w/ his speech, fine motor skills and his low muscle tone. he has dyspraxia and apraxia (his mind knows what it needs to say and do, but his body doesnt do it in a timely fashion). his confidence is ok/good right now, but i worry we are on borrowed time w/ this...once he starts comparing himself to his peers. i've been on an eternal search to find something he is good at - to hone in on that and gain confidence there. he is in public school now and i think once it's time for middle school, that will most likely be way too overwhelming for him (in every single aspect). i know it's early, but i'd like to start the search on a possible school for him...that'll help him and hone in on things he can become good at (if that makes any sense!?). i will drive him anywhere for a school that will nurture the positives for him and he can stay confident as he grows. i'd love any feedback you may have. thanks so much!

Another MOL poster had similar concerns and there's a thread that gives a lot of detail about many of the schools in this area - with their student make-up, services provided, and a very helpful amount of personal observation on the different schools. If you haven't been following that thread, here's a link to it: https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/id/107681-Can-anyone-here-recommend-a-good-middle-school-close-to-SOMA-?page=1

If you are in South Orange-Maplewood, there is a parent group for parents of children receiving services through the Special Services department. If you look on that department's web page, there is a link to the parent organization.

I've worked with a number of young children with various issues (blindness, autism/spectrum, ADHD just to name a few) and many of them enjoyed being part of scouting organizations and were able to participate in the activities. The troop leaders were very good at adapting the different activities and the other kids in the troop were always very welcoming and supportive. Just an idea.

I'm not clear on whether you are looking for possible out-of-district placements for a student on IEP (e.g. paid for by the District, with transportation provided, after you prove need), or if you are looking for mainstream private schools that you think might better meet his needs.

They are two different universes, and there is plenty of advice on MOL for either. Happy to talk further, either offline or over coffee, if useful.

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The one advice I'd give is to not worry too much yet about finding the thing that he is good at -- there is far too much societal push for early specialization right now, rather than experimenting and trying lots of things. I wish that more children's activities didn't feel like attempts to prep kids for college admissions/scholarships when they aren't even 10 yet.

Have you tried the Trycan athletics programs? I've considered them for my little guy (who has a set of issues that overlap your son's), but haven't actually tried them.

I've also just discovered that there is a new program similar to Girls on the Run for boys, and am probably going to try to put a group together at our school for next year, as my guy loves to run, but doesn't have the time or temperament for the 3-4 days a week commitment and competitiveness of Jaguar Track.

Taaj-I am PMing you.

Berk.

My son attended from 3-12 grade. Be glad to share about this wonderful school

http://craigschool.org/

susan1014 said:

I've also just discovered that there is a new program similar to Girls on the Run for boys, and am probably going to try to put a group together at our school for next year, as my guy loves to run, but doesn't have the time or temperament for the 3-4 days a week commitment and competitiveness of Jaguar Track.

susan1014- please keep us up to date about this. We are trying to find something for our middle-school son who wants to do running/track but doesn't have the bandwidth for Jaguar Track commitment. Thanks.

@weirdbeard - saw this on Facebook...looks like its starting at Clinton School. http://www.letmerun.org/

erins said:
@weirdbeard - saw this on Facebook...looks like its starting at Clinton School. http://www.letmerun.org/

Thanks! It would be great if they had this at MMS and SOMS too. I wonder if it could coordinated with YouthNet?

weirdbeard said:

erins said:
@weirdbeard - saw this on Facebook...looks like its starting at Clinton School. http://www.letmerun.org/

Thanks! It would be great if they had this at MMS and SOMS too. I wonder if it could coordinated with YouthNet?

Don't know...my immediate goal is to figure out how to start it at South Mountain next year, but I haven't done anything. I think my next step is to hunt for a a co-coach who is actually a runner, rather than just a mom whose kid needs to run!

Susan, have you spoken to Mr. K or Mr. T? They could probably help you.

You are wise to start this process now. I sympathize and understand what you are going through. Follow your gut and try to find a solution before middle school. That is when everything unraveled for us, despite the 504 and IEP route, private tutors and psychologists, etc. The Craig School was a late discovery for us (7th grade) but we were so very impressed with their knowledge and accommodation of issues and creating a truly safe learning environment. We tried to get the district to pay - even brought a suit to force them to help. In the end it was a wash after factoring in legal fees and expert testing. The Feds have come down hard on NJ for so many out of district placements so it is very hard to get any help- at least it was 7 years ago. Check out Craig and if it feels right apply. you may not get in the first time, they have very small classes and not much room the higher the grade. If you want to discuss further PM me. Best of luck !!

My son is doing so well at Calais school. They are a K to 12+ school. The staff is amazing. They even have two dogs on staff to help assess the kids every day. One dog Calais is trained to smell cortazal, which is an indicator of stress. The academics match each students ability.

We were very lucky the district offered good programs pre-K to 5th grade but fell off sharply from there. We moved him last year (8th grade) and his work and understanding improved now as a freshman he is doing well in almost all of his classes.

The school offers a wide variety of programs from college bound to trade like cooking and cartooning.

It is worth checking out.

thanks everyone. this is really helpful. mind if i ask how much these schools are? calais sounds interesting. i would say my son is a couple steps behind others his age - in everything (sports, speech, academics..), but not much more than "a couple steps". so, a school that offers a wide range of focuses/opportunities is something i think would most fit his needs. he very well might be heading to college when that time comes...or maybe not. but, i do want a school that can help direct him better than the public schools here do.

so, any tuition feedback would be most helpful!! thank you!

ECLC in chatham is good school for kids that are below grade level, but they may cater to kids significantly below, not just a little.

Deron school is often recommended. I think they have a campus in Union although I don't know the grade levels.

If the public school places him in a special ed school it won't cost you anything and they provide busing. A private special ed school can easily be 60k/year.

Winston off Rt 10 on the Essex/Morris border claims a 95% college placement rate....you can self pay there. The NY campus lists tuition of 60k. You can also try to get the public school to pay for it under Naples funding.

Some private special ed schools will not let parents enroll on their own and only accept referrals from the public school.

Don't count public school out, but its good to be aware of other options if it is needed.

Have you tried to find a recreation group for kids with disabilities so that he has both a typical peer group and a peer group with peers with similar skill levels?

I am pretty sure that to get into Calais or ECLC you would have to get Out of District (OOD) placement by our district. Then the school district pays for it. Certainly that was the case for Calais many years ago when I was looking at it for my child.

When you go to these schools you should get a profile of the abilities of the children there.