When my son was first diagnosed with autism, I immediately knew that therapy would be a crucial part of his development. However, the second thing that left me feeling utterly clueless was where to go for schooling. The thought of finding the right educational environment for him was overwhelming. I knew that traditional schooling wouldn’t necessarily fit his needs, but I had no idea where to begin.
The Challenges of Finding the Right School
As we began exploring different schools, we quickly realized there were more challenges than solutions.
The biggest issue was that many schools didn’t know how to accommodate children with autism. They didn’t understand the unique needs that come with the diagnosis, and that made us feel like our son’s education wasn’t a priority.
Communication was another huge frustration. I often found myself waiting for updates, endlessly calling the schools, only to be met with silence. It felt like the system wasn’t built to support parents like us, and we were left feeling alone in this process.
On top of that, we had to consider the cost, as therapy alone was already expensive.
Our Experiences with Different Schools
We explored several educational options, each offering a different experience, some frustrating, others hopeful:
Public Daycare
When he was about 4 years old, we considered enrolling him in a public daycare, but we were told the classes were already too crowded. Their concern was that my son might accidentally get hurt due to the large number of students. This was an understandable worry, but it still left us feeling like he didn’t belong there.
Private Primary School
Next, we tried a private primary school, hoping for a more personalized approach. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the opposite.
They expected my son to already know how to write. During the evaluation, instead of offering support, the teacher mostly pointed out what my son couldn’t do. I had hoped they would guide us through these challenges, but it seems that wasn’t the case.
I later found out that the teacher evaluator had come from a SPED school but resigned due to the stress, which left me questioning their ability to support children like mine.
To make matters worse, I was the one constantly calling for updates, when I felt they should’ve been the ones reaching out. The lack of communication was exhausting and left me feeling unsupported.
We also explored other private schools, but it was either they were too far, too expensive, or the environment just didn’t feel right for our child. It was difficult to find a place that felt like a good fit.
Playgroup
The playgroup was a breath of fresh air. Unlike the other schools, they provided a truly supportive environment and understood my son’s unique needs. For the first time, I felt like we were finally on the right path. Unfortunately, since it was only a playgroup, we had to find another school when he turned 6.
Private SPED
While the concept of specialized education sounded promising, we quickly discovered that it came with a hefty price tag—around P90,000 per year. Despite their good intentions, the program offered very little progress, and we soon noticed that the teacher-to-student ratio (2 teachers for 10+ students) was no longer ideal. It felt like we weren’t getting the results we had hoped for, and the financial burden became increasingly significant.
Therapy Group Class
After a year in special education, we found ourselves at a crossroads, contemplating whether to continue with private SPED. Just as we were considering our options, the therapy center introduced a new program that encouraged us to switch to a therapy group class.
This change provided us with a favorable teacher-student ratio of just 2 teachers for every 5 students, and sometimes even a 1:1 ratio when trainees were available. It allowed us to concentrate on specific skills in a more targeted setting while also avoiding the high costs associated with private SPED.
Homeschooling
Eventually, we stumbled upon homeschooling with Catholic Filipino Academy, and it truly changed everything for us. I’ll share more about our journey later, but for now, I can say that it allowed us to focus on what really mattered for my son. It opened up so many opportunities for exploration, helping him engage with the world and experience things in a way that involved all his senses. Homeschooling not only saved us time and money but also gave him the freedom to learn outside the typical classroom setting. It’s been an incredible journey for both of us!
Schools for Autism: Final Thoughts
The journey to find the right educational setting for my son wasn’t easy. We faced many obstacles, and it often felt like the options available weren’t designed for children like him.
But through persistence and trial and error, we found a path that worked for our family. Every child with autism has different needs, and what works for one family might not work for another. The key is to keep exploring until you find the right fit—and never lose hope that a solution is out there.
Yorumlar