If you have a infant, toddler or a child about
    to start school, you'll want to look at this
    page. The County Intervention Office has
    been wonderful to our family in guiding us to
    the right school for our son. He attended a
    small special ed. preschool program in
    Arlington when he was three. It was a high
    functioning class and it was a good
    experience for him. That summer he attended
    a County summer school program at a
    different school. He lucked out by having his
    original preschool teacher for part of that
    summer session and thrived within the small
    class of six students with varying disabilities.

    The following year he went back to the
    county preschool with his teacher and some
    new friends and his old friends. This class
    was not as high functioning and slightly
    bigger. Some of the students didn't speak
    and our then very shy four year old son just
    didn't know how to handle it. He developed
    his own behavior issues. We met with his
    team teachers and came up with a plan. It
    resulted in sending him to another school that
    had an opening. The Reed School, part of
    Arlington County's Special Education
    Program's Integrated Classroom.  He was one
    of 14 students in the class, 10 were "regular
    ed." and 4 including our son had some type of
    special needs, although I could never figure
    out who the others were because it was a
    high functioning class. I'll never forget, the
    first time we visited the school. We'd never
    been there or had met any of the teachers or
    kids. It was one of the boys birthday and
    they had set up a Pinata filled with candy for
    the kids to hit. Our son shouts out to the
    birthday boy, whom he had just met 30
    seconds before, "hit it hard, hit it really
    hard!" I was totally shocked at my usually
    quiet, shy boy being so spontaneous! After
    we left, I asked him if he thought that he'd
    like to go to that school and he said yes. I
    asked why and he said, "because they all
    talk." I nearly drove off the road. Our son
    has thrived at Reed since day one. I've often
    said that he was "reborn into this happy, fun,
    loving, confident four year old boy," since he
    joined their family.

    I can't stress enough the importance of
    talking to your County Intervention Office.
    Their job is to help you and your family find
    the best school setting for your child.

    I've listed the State sites to start with. The
    other schools are ones that I've heard about
    and have been recommended to me by other
    families.

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