Advice needed for my son entering K

My middle son is on the spectrum. He's now 4 1/2 and we are aging out of Pre-K and getting ready for Kindergarten. I feel so sad because I am not excited. My child has less than 10 words in his vocabulary and although he understands short/simple things he is far from being a self-sufficient kindergarten. My school district has decided to start a new program for kids on the spectrum which will be a 6-1-1 class. What bothers me is that they refuse to give him a 1-1 aid. They feel there will be enough adults to care for his needs. I don't think they understand that he cannot eat/walk/go to the bathroom etc., alone. He wouldn't think twice to someone who held their hand out to just go off with them. He needs constant supervision- ( he's still on an age level of 18 months in these areas) Now I must mention on the plus side he is a super intelligent kid, who has no social or behavioral issues- just severe difficulty in communicating. He also has severe stimming issues which I get so nervous thinking of him in a cafeteria with typical children and thinking of there reactions.

Should I let it go and just wait until Sept. to see what the class is like or should I demand another board meeting saying he must have a 1-1. Or should I write a letter stating how I feel asking them to reconsider and putting the aid on his IEP? Some teachers tell me that having a 1-1 may be a bad idea because he may rely to much on that person instead of becoming independent.

I'd love to hear your thoughts

Re: Advice needed for my son entering K

What kind of class was he in for Pre-K? Did he have an aide?

I don't think very many districts are willing to just give an aide without a fight. An aide is a large expense for them, and many of us know how large expenses go over at at CSE meetings. I would see how it goes in September and go from there. He might really surprise you and not even need one! Good luck

Re: Advice needed for my son entering K

i would be asking more questions about this class. are they keeping these 6 kids separated from the rest of the school? how do they handle lunch for these kids. are they going to the cafeteria, with the rest of the school, do they eat lunch in their room, or at an offset time so they are not sitting with a large population of people. what do they do to safe guard your child if he is prone to walking off with other people/ by himself. if they can't give you satisfactory answers to these questions, then i would push for an aide, even as a transition type thing. you could request they supply one for the first month or two, and then reevaluate how he handles the new class. but i'd find out alot more about how they plan to handle this class and how it will run before i ask for the aide.

hth

Re: Advice needed for my son entering K