i would take the teachers advice and put him on the list for the other class. worst case is he gets to go to the special class and you don't think it is a good fit after a few months then i would start looking into other school or home school. His teacher should explain the pros and cons of the other class to you better. ask for permission to observe the class with the superintendent or special needs coordinator.

Can he have a one on one aid at school for now? I am homeschooling my 5 year old until his new program starts in the Summer.(2nd week) I am taking him to therapy and using a combination of his IEP goals and therapy strategies that we have learned. The VB Map is an assessment that shows which skills are important. I am not sure if it explains how to teach. Getting your Child with Autism off to the Best Start(Early Start Denver Model parent strategies)shows different things to teach in each chapter and builds, More than Hope for Young Children on the Autism spectrum shows how to teach skills and is quick to read. Hannen More than Words DVD and Book are easy to follow and designed for parents to teach language. If you home school, he should still qualify for therapy at school. As far as academics, handwriting without Tears is used in preschool. Ask the teacher's opinion as well, since she sounds supportive.

Thank you for all the help. I have a lot to think about with my son. I just wish I could get the help though the county that I need, but of course it is slow going. I am going to keep researching options and hopefully get him where he needs to be.

if he runs and climbs on everything i recommend a sensory diet. look up this on www.asensorylife.com very helpful

I would say it is impossible to home school a severe individual with Autism- you need as much help as is possible. At age 19 there are currently about 20 people working with son... Keep researching all options within your area and keep in mind, if a public school cannot support your child, they are responsible for busing your child to an appropriate program. I understand there are waiting lists so you need to be persistent and pushy. You also need the school to push for you- they can get through waiting lists if there is clearly a need identified.