I have a tricky situation with my 18 year old son, which requires a little detail so please bear with me. I’m in NYC. There are two different special Ed programs in his high school. One is a 15:1 self contained, which is a diploma bound program and had done absolutely nothing to prepare him for life after high school—no transition services, no instruction of life skills, etc. That’s the program he is in. He is on track to graduate this year. Then the other program is for kids who are not eligible to receive a diploma (alternate assessment) and don’t have the same cognitive level as the kids in the other program. The academics are more functional (money management, etc.) and instruction is based on life skills. My son, though very bright, has all his friends in this alternate assessment program. They have allowed him to take a few classes there and he loves it. Cognitively he is higher functioning but socially and emotionally he is not. He is on track to graduate and does not feel at all ready. He has had numerous setbacks including Covid with remote learning; severe mental health issues and a very recent diagnosis of epilepsy. He is terrified to graduate, his anxiety is paralyzing. He and I have tried to fight to let him stay there and be in the alternate assessment class. We have gone straight to the top. They won’t budge. I’m at a loss and he is unwilling to consider other options. I’m planning on speaking to pro bono lawyers but the odds are not in our favor. I don’t know how to help him deal with this and not have a complete breakdown. Suggestions?

Posted by momofjared at 2023-04-15 17:18:21 UTC