Vignettes
Chris was six year old boy with autism when he first came into out program. Chris had previously been placed in a traditional SDC/CH (special day class/communicatively handicapped) placement within the district. However, this placement had not been successful. Chris was exhibiting self-mutilating behavior, pulling clumps of hair out of his head. According to his parents, he was in tears and extremely agitated whenever he knew he had to go to school. In the classroom, Chris was completely out of control and oppositional, bolting out of the classroom at the slightest provocation.
At the time Chris’ parents came to observe the program at Golden West (GW), they were indicating that they felt the district could not meet Chris’ needs and felt that they needed to home school Chris. Because of their great dissatisfaction, they were also threatening taking the District to a Fair Hearing. Although Chris’ parents agreed to place him in the Golden West program on a trial basis, but they did not have much faith that this placement would be any better than his previous placements. However, if the district would provide a one-on-one aide, and if Chris’ mother had unlimited access to the GW classroom with no advance notice, they would give it a try.