Schools and STAR

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

First, the STAR program is a Broward County approved and also mandated for students in self contained ASD classes in your county. It started last year and should be implemented in all preschools and elementary schools with self contained classrooms for kids on the spectrum. Therefore, you will find it at Baudhuin and every where else. The teachers have received training and they are supposed to implement it. If your son is using it, your school is doing the correct thing. A lot of programs I see suggested on this web site may be good, but they are not approved in our county. The STAR is the first of its kind in Broward.

Like "Tina" said, the STAR is primarily for kids who are not yet ready to learn basic kindergarten general ed stuff. When your son is capable of following directions like gen ed kindergarteners, complying like gen ed kindergarteners, sitting still and completing seat work like gen ed kindergarteners, then he is ready to move on. It is s simple as that. STAR is not for kids who are able to access the gen ed curriculum such as Treasures, which is now the new reading curriculum for Kindergarteners in Broward.

Second, if you have questions about the STAR program, I strongly suggest you make an appointment with your cluster's autism coach. The one at Horizon happens to be highly qualified and enthusiastic. Have you ever talked to her? I look forward to hearing from you after your conversation with your autism coach

Lizzzie

To: sList Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 1:07:41 PMSubject: Re: Re: Schools in broward I need some information

Hi!

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It is music together, a program like a mommy and me , but all music, very fun and educational. It is not officially Therapy, but it is actually very therapeutic.

Call me if you have nay questions:

954 4248464

Thanks

Frances

Re: Schools in broward I need some information

Hi , I am on the run, but I wanted to give you at least a little info now and more when I see you in person on Wed. The Star Program stands for "Strategies for Teaching Based on Autism Research" It is an evaluation tool for children in cluster/complex place, not a teaching tool. (The teaching strategies it is based on are DIR, TECCH, ABA, etc...) There is Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. I don't know if you were aware of it but that is what they use at Baudhuin Pre-School too. The student is supposed to be evaluated 3 times per year. It is very important to ask the teacher to give you copies of past evaluations (and I don't know if Baudhuin would have old ones of your son or if they transfer that in his file when he moved to Horizons) but I imagine someone must have them, right? I would look at ALL of them and see what type of progress he has made in the past 3 years. This is an important

tool in determining if your son's IEP document is on target. If you have problems figuring out the meaning of the test, ask for a parent-teacher conference and have her explain it to you (if you still are having trouble maybe the ESE specialist in the school can help?). At Baudhuin, they give training workshops to parents on "STAR" so that is how I became familiar with it. Before you think of moving your child to another school, make sure first that your son's IEP "rocks". If you have a weak IEP, you can place him in the "school of the Greek Gods" and he will have difficulty catching up becuase that is what the IEP is supposed to be, a tool to address his learning needs so that he can catch up with others. And a bad tool, does not get the work done. The problem may be the IEP or the way the IEP is being delivered/implement ed, or both. But you will probably need to do a lot of research and

observation to get the right answer to that question. Ida>> I am really uncomfortable with my son being in a cluster at a public > school. He is in Kindergarden now and they work on the STAR program. > Does anyone know what that is? The way his teacher explained how they > do things at his school is that even though he will go through the > grades, because noone fails in the cluster, he will be way far behind > from other kids. Can anyone tell me some great schools in Broward > County that will give my son an education as well as help my son with > his needs?>