Considering how common autism is, and how profoundly it affects our children, it is amazing how few autism-centered programs are available. Autism is not like other learning or physical disabilities. Most ASD kids cannot do well if integrated into mainstream classes, even with accommodations like aides and a few hours of speech therapy a week.

The process governing special education is complex. It involves writing a detailed Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that specifies exactly what supports and accommodations your child needs to learn. The IEP is written by a team including parents, teachers, social workers, special educators, etc. The process of writing an IEP can be very intimidating if you don't know the rules. We review this process and provide tips on how to turn it to your advantage.