Questions and answers regarding our kids and their challenges.

 QUESTION 5   5/5/2002

Hi, We have a 12 year old daughter with static encephalopathy due to her birth mother's prenatal drinking. She's of average intellegence but because of the alcohol damage to her brain she has problems with sensory overload, learning, higher level (e.g. abstract and cause & effect) thinking skills (no "common sense") and functions at a much younger age than her 12 years. She requires a stable, calm, small student to teacher ratio, lots of redirection, practice and supervision both academically and socially to learn and function successfully. We have nothing here in western PA that even comes close to providing what she needs. Does this sound like the kind of kid that Pathway serves? I have read the web site info and spoken to other schools and several of them have recommended it for students like our daughter. What do you parents think and feel about the job Pathway is doing for your children? What is the functioning level of most kids at Pathway? Are your school districts picking up the tab or is it mainly through MR departments? I have a meeting next week re: her IEP for next year at our local school and I need to have a plan to present or they will try to stuff her into an Emotional Support class that isn't going to help her. Thanks so much. Patricia

Answer:

Dear Patricia,

Pathway attempts to provide many of the characteristics of a program that you seem to want for your child--small classes, structure, attention to both social and academic issues, etc. The school has varying levels of success in achieving all that it tries to implement. I would encourage you to speak with the Admissions Director, Louise Robertson, to review some your daughter's specific needs and determine whehter she is an appropriate candidate.

Almost 100% of Pathway students' tuition is paid for by their home school districts and the state.

I will tell you that Pathway is tightly monitoring its Pennsylvania enrollments because the state does not pay in a timely manner, and Pathway, like all approved private schools in the state, suffers significant cash flow shortfalls each year. Other states who send children to Pathway pay up-front or monthly tuition payments. If you are thinking about a residential placement (which I presume you are, since you are in western PA) and Pathway does not look like the best or most likely prospect, I think Louise would be able to tell you about other options to consider. (More costly for Pennsylvania, but they pay other states better than they pay us.)

Lisa Brown
Pathway Parents Association President

 QUESTION 4    1/9/2002

Hi. I am looking for options for my 15-year old son who has Non-Verbal LD and OCD, with psychotic features. The psychosis makes most programs inappropriate, and it may well be that Pathway School wouldn't be a good match either, yet it sounds like the closest thing I've come across so far. Does anyone out there know of any kids that may have presented some psychotic features who have been 1) accepted, and 2) had success at Pathway? And beyond Pathway School, does anyone know of any programs that would be appropriate for an adolescent with his profile? We are in Vermont, and there's nothing here, so we expect to travel some. Any ideas out there or listings other than through NAPSEC? I'll appreciate any suggestions anyone out there may have. Thanks.

Answer:

Dear Elgagemst:

Sorry it's taken me so long to respond to your question. Pathway certainly has experience working with kids with one or more of the diagnoses you mention for your son: Non-Verbal LD, PDD and OCD. I don't know what you mean specifically by the psychotic episodes, so cannot comment on the overall appropriateness of Pathway for your child. Many Pathway students have problem behaviors, but I'm not sure they'd be classified as psychotic. It really would make sense for you to contact the admissions director, Louise Robertson, if you haven't already.

As far as other search options for you, have you thought to contact a private educational consultant? They cost money, but they do legwork for you, and many of them have actually visited the schools they research. Many of our students learn of our program from educational consultants. The Inependent Educational Consultants Association has a website that might be helpful at www.educationalconsulting.org.

Please let me know if you have other questions.

Lisa Brown

Pathway Parents Association President

 

QUESTION 4    9/16/2001

I am researching the possibility of my 15 year old son attending Pathway.
What programs or follow-up care is offered when a child completes or
graduates from the Pathway School?
Sueann

Answer:

Pathway's program is available for young people through age 21 under the IDEA. It does not provide adult (post-21) services. Generally, one would look to
one's state government for funding for post-21 services, if your child is eligible under state rules.

QUESTION 3    9/16/2001

My son is presently enrolled at The Family Foundation School in Hancock, NY.
The school is meeting his behavioral needs, but unfortunately due to no
Special Education they can not meet his academic needs. My home district has
discussed with me other options for residential placement. This is one of the
school's they asked me to consider. I was pleased with the basic information
on the web site, I filled out the personal information sheet and will await
any further information. I am interested in meeting 3 very important criteria
for my son's residential placement and would appreciate any information that
can be supplied. 1) I would like the school to meet my son's behavioral needs
medication free. (He has been medication free since Oct. 2000 and has done
exceptionally well following a strict behavior modification program in his
curent placement.) 2) I would like my son's educational needs met medication
free also. He is ADHD/LD, 15 year old 9th grader functioning at approximately
a 5th grade reading level, 7th grade math level. 3) An atmosphere with a
spiritual component is a must. At home he would receive a spiritual
upbringing and at the Family School he has developed his own, very strong
faith. Is there something the school does in regard to religion either
through the school or through the community? I am also looking for a program
that would incorporate his full highschool years, not just a 12 month quick
fix. He has also been following the 12 steps and would like to continue in an
AA program. He is not an alcoholic, however he was experimenting with drugs
and alcohol prior to being placed in a residential program. I believe the
potential for substance abuse is there and would like to see him continue in
a preventive program. I am very pleased that he has voiced his desire to
continue on a program also. Thank you for any information you can provide me
with.    Sueann

Answer:



QUESTION 2    5/6/2001

I am a parent of a prospective ninth grader for the
"academic/therapeutic" day program. It would be very helpful to get
references from parents of children in the same program. I want to know
about the levels of violence or outbursts and how they are managed, how
well the program prepares children for adult life, how the therapeutic
part of the program operates, what related services are offered, the
"issues" of the other students, etc. Please help! thanks, Cindy

Answers:

Your questions are very general and therefore difficult to answer since individual families have different standards of evaluating how well Pathway serves their needs. In general, I would say this regarding your explicit and implied questions:

First, Pathway is not a violent place. There is a system of positive reinforcement used throughout the school that gives kids credit for staying on task, working towards meeting certain behavioral goals, and so on. Outbursts of a serious nature are generally handled by "behavior specialists." These people have training in providing certain types of restraint and talking children down, etc. Behavior "incidences" are kept track of in a pretty detailed way--although my child does not have such issues, I have seen the forms used and they look to be focused on the right questions for monitoring and evaluating efficacy of interventions over time. If you would like more detailed information on this aspect of things, I'd suggest you get in touch with the Education Director, Bob Schwartz, to whom the behavior specialists report and who developed the reporting form. You can call him or e-mail him through this website. I'd say that, in general, for families whose children have exhibited poor behavior secondary to being in an environment where they are misunderstood and overstressed, being at Pathway is heaven on earth. The program is structured, has clear behavioral expectations, and is really low stress on the academics (this is a fault). Best of all, a child will generally find him- or herself readily accepted by peers and a full member of the community, which often has not been the case in his or her previous school.

 

For day students, the therapeutic part of the program is limited primarily to the behavior mod program, group social skills classes and the general structure of the day. It is unusual for a day student to receive individual therapy from a clinician at the school, but it is not unheard of. If the staff refers the child and the child seems like he or she will benefit or is in crisis, then such service can be provided, at least on a short term. Otherwise, families are on their own for finding counseling help in the community. Sometimes other stuff goes on--this year for example a clinician set up a group for students with Tourette's, and that met for a while in the fall. As far as how well the school prepares the child for adult life, it depends. The school seems to be very good at helping kids get control of their behavior, at least in the school setting. Some kids, once they pull themselves together, really thrive, go on to college, etc. Others might not generalize to a less structured situation. Pathway does not, at the moment, have a really strong academic program. It is not college prep in the same way a Benchmark or Delaware Valley Friends school would be (but they won't deal with behavior issues). There is flexibility to allow kids in the high school to attend classes at Montco Community College or Hilltop School, but this is unusual and apparently (I only know this second hand because my son is only 14 and anyway not college material) means that the kids has to be really well-behaved. There are also children who enroll in the VoTech programs offered by the county. While some Pathway students have gone on to 4 year colleges (including, in recent years, Gwynedd Mercy and West Chester Univ), most who go on to school go to 2 year schools. Others go to colleges with special programs for kids with serious LD, like Leslie College in MA. Some go to transition living programs like Chapel Haven or Vista Homes in Connecticut to get independent living skills. But many go right to work, either with support or not. It depends on what your child is capable of. Lots of Pathway graduates live at home for long periods because they can not live independently. It's a very individual thing.

In general, I'd say that Pathway is a very good place to be, but it is not yet the best it can be. The current senior administrators appear committed to making positive changes and working with families to do so. The improvements--which in my opinion are needed primarily in the area of academics and transition planning-- will take time. Most of us will stick it out here because we don't know of any better place, and Pathway is a lot better than where we came from. We have an active parents group that is helping focus the administration's attention on the issues we think are important. Also, individual parents are very vocal about their child(ren)'s needs. There is good momentum right now for making progress, but of course, from a parent's perspective, it is always too slow. Pathway can sometimes act a little self-satisfied, and there are always financial constraints on what it can do. So, in sum, I'd say that, if you are like most families, you will be happy that you were able to make a switch to Pathway but frustrated that it is not everything you hoped it would be. We are working on making it the best possible place for our kids. If you would like to discuss this in additional e-mails, you can write to me through the website. Good Luck!

 

Lisa Brown

Pathway Parents Association President

 


________________________________________________________________

QUESTION 1     12/12/2000

To All:

I'm interested in feedback from parents about Pathway's new mission statement
(see December newsletter). Do you think it relfects what Pathway does? How
does it compare, in your mind, to the previous one? Does it raise concerns
or meet you expectations?
If I get enough feedback, I will share this with Bill O and the Board of
Directors.
Lisa Brown, PPA

The new Mission statement:

The Pathway School develops and implements innovative, quality programs and services that enrich the lives of children and young adults with special needs. Pathway builds the independence of its students in a nurturing and challenging environment that best prepares them for life after Pathway.

Response:

Good Morning,
I am not pleased with the new Mission statement. Although I believe it now more clearly reflects what they are more
focused on (the residential and behavioral) I think the with removal of Academics it is clear this is not a priority. I believe
that the whole child is important not just the behavior issues.
john

1/2/01

Question:  what makes a good transition IEP?

What sorts of evaluations or test results will be useful  for determining eligibilty for services past age 21? (Lisa Brown)

Please feel free to respond to Lisa here. answer >>  Button1.gif (916 bytes)