A Good Report Card Is Not Proof That He Doesn't Need IEP, right?

Chaosuncontained

New Member
Today Carson got his 1st six weeks report card. He had an A's, several B's and 2 C's. At the 3 week progress report time he was failing SEVERAL classes, due to him not doing work in class.

One of his teachers, who I actually really like, said to me "Looks like he just needed a new medicine, maybe he doesn't need an IEP plan after all".

I tried to tell her that even a kid with Learning Disability (LD) s can have a passing report card. Him being smart doesn't mean he doesn't have problems in school, right!?

Why am I now doubting and thinking he just needs the proper medicine cocktail? None of the IEP testing has been done. I filled out paperwork with the county SE people on 9/10/11. ARGH!
 

DaisyFace

Love me...Love me not
Well, technically I don't think it does...

but failing grades are a lot more convincing. My son, for example, had an IEP based on ADHD and some fine motor issues. WITH the IEP in place - he was excelling. Then, he got a new teacher, who decided on her own NOT to follow the IEP (ya know, since he was doing so well) and his grades immediately plummeted to Cs and Ds. Based on the grades, I was able to get the IEP enforced.

So no - it is not based on grades alone....but it is more of an uphill battle if the grades are OK.

It's terrible that it always has to be so difficult.

((((hugs)))
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Usually, there has to be one of three things happening for there to be interventions and accommodations at school...

1) failing or falling behind in academics

2) significant behavior issues - even if no impact on academics

3) medically-mandated accommodations (supposed to be followed... for example, specialist audiologist requests FM hearing system - doesn't matter whether there is anything under 1 or 2... he needs it.)

Schools, however, are much more accommodating of problems that have academic impact.
 

keista

New Member
WOW! From failing to Excellent grades in such a short period of time. Sorry, I'm suspicious.

I started typing, then got complicated and started confusing myself. Let's make this REALLY simple. Isn't he on Celexa? Isn't this the medicine that you believe might be causing more intense, albeit rarer, outbursts? Isn't it possible that you will stop this medication, if you do feel that they are causing these more intense outbursts? If he does stop this medication, you will be back to square one. He needs an IEP.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Oh dear, Chaos, we're going through that right now with-one of my difficult child's classes. Just got back from the psychiatric and he said the school is giving me the runaround.
Anyway, keep the IEP plan in place. Or do a 504. Do something, because these kids fall through the cracks the instant you blink.
I'm glad Carson got a good report card though!
Congrats!
 
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HaoZi

Guest
Kiddo's grades are fine - have consistently been fine. Considering her hatred for homework I don't think that'll last when she hits middle school, but that's besides the point. The school suggested an IEP and even though I don't feel it covers quite enough ground it seems to work. Her grades were never an issue - in fact, I have the impression that they help her more because she's proven how smart she is when she's not flying off the handle. So no, grades alone are no indication that a kid doesn't need an IEP.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
IDEA 2004 specifically states that a child does not have to be failing in order to receive Special Education accommodations. If the child has a disability that interferes with his/her education, then the child qualifies. I, too, am suspicious of the rapid turn around in his grades, and would keep all of his graded papers.

There is a timeline to do the evaluations. If the forms you signed were consent forms, then they have either 45 or 60 calendar days to complete the evaluation.
 

Chaosuncontained

New Member
Carson has always been :Irritable, small personal space, hiding under desks, running from teachers/principals, easy angered, withdrawn, friendless, he can also talk, talk, talk. Then shut down. He is very slow to warm up to people. He has a hard time lookin gothers in the eye (but not much trouble looking AT me, but sometimes he won't. He is very impulsive. He has passed each grade. Almost failed last year (failed an entire 6 weeks because he basically didn't/wouldn't/couldn't do his work in class). He likes to wear his socks inside out. His sleeves inside the hoodie or a jacket must feel perrrfect. Last year he chewed on his shirts. Wanted a hoodie sweat shirt on ALL THE TIME. Calls names A LOT (stupid, idiot, retard, butt face) to other people when he is angry (called a kid a jacka$$ and a SOB..but he *said* it). He HATES writing. Writing assignments in his notebook. Writing essays. Copying definitions. Cursive? HA! refuses to do it. Can't tie his shoes, button his own jeans. Or ride a bike. He doesn't want to or claims he just "can't".

Recently he started Celexa. Three weeks ago. There was AMAZING results. He was not hiding anymore. He was doing his work. He was playing with other children outside. He even showed interest in a girl in his class. He voiced a desire to play a sport. His grades got better.

Then...he became very aggressive. Physically so. I found out today that he actually "choked" two kids at school. One one day, then the other the next. Attacked his younger brother (6) three times in a week.


Today went like this: Woke up in a good mood. 10 minutes later he was near tears and irritated that his Maly-O Meal wasn't cool. It was all *my* fault. He was hateful, rude and disrespecting me BIG TIME. When we left to get in the car he started tellin gme how much he hated school, it's dumb. Literally five minutes later he is crawling all over me in the parking lot of school, hugging me, loving me... At school today he did "some" work while in OCS. When I picked him up he was very excited to see me. Also, his step brother (8) was coming over!! He wanted to play. When we got home he couldn't find his Darth Vader mask (obsessed with Star Wars). It was all my fault. He had a meltdown. I told him to go to his room. He slammed his door, screamed at me, threw a toy against the wall. After letting him cool off for about 5 minutes I went in there. He was sitting on his bed, crying. Told me he loved me asked if he could get up. Assured me he could control himself. He came into the living room and picked up the TV remote. Watched a few minutes of a cartoon and then my husband came home. Husband asked for the remote. Carson whined, crawled all over the floor... After being asked for the remote AGAIN he freaked out. Had another breakdown, running from the room. Screaming he "hates" his life. He wants to die, no one loves him". Then, while sitting in his room he was mumbling in anger and I heard him whisper LOUDLY... Sh*t! I went to talk to him about it and he seemed remorseful. Hugged me.


His moods flip faster than I can blink!! We recently added Risperdone (again) to the Celexa and Intuniv. He hasn't been on it long enough to see any improvement.


His grades improved with the addition of Celexa. His moods got worse.

He has a 504 plan in place (which causes me to laugh my :censored2: off--they don't seem to go by it. Or they do for a few days.


I am trying not to throw my hands in the air. Blah! Blah! Blah! UGH
 
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HaoZi

Guest
How recently were the new medications added? Might not be soon enough to see an improvement, but soon enough to see a bad reaction.
 

JJJ

Active Member
My kiddos were almost always straight As -- still on IEPs. Any teacher can write an A on a paper, it doesn't mean that the child learned anything.
 

Chaosuncontained

New Member
The Celexa (10mg) was added mid-September this year. We saw good results on day 4. September 25th was the first scary aggression incident.

Resperdone (0.25mg for two days, 0.50 for 7 days and then 0.75 at night time) was added 10-5-2011.

Intuniv (2mg) was added 6 weeks ago (or so). Remember we tried Focalin too--but after 2 days he was VERY aggressive--but not the point of physical attacks. We took him off of that one ASAP. He took only four pills.
 
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HaoZi

Guest
I know mine got violent on Celexa and worse on Risperdal. Can't say you're having the same problem (mine reacted to Intuniv as well, but it wasn't a violence issue) but from here it's not something I would rule out, either. Kiddo took a couple weeks of progressively worse behavior before we figured out it was the Celexa. With the weather the way it is, I've seen a rise in violent crimes where I live recently, and adding in the season/light change and the start of cold/flu season, it all bundles into a nice little package of wacko behavior all over the place.

She's had a bad couple of weeks lately herself, ever since she came down with a cold that started with a racking dry cough. She seems to be mostly over it now, and hasn't had an incident since Monday morning, so I'm really hoping it was just because she was sick. When she was little and coming down with something, her behavior would show it before physical symptoms appeared. As a general rule, she's very vocal about any physical discomforts, regardless of how minor, but when she's really getting sick it shows in behavior first. There's also a surprising amount of over the counter stuff (including supplements and "natural" medications) that react badly with medications like Celexa. I had gotten her some cough syrup, natural stuff, and starting looking up the stuff on the label and putting it against a medication interaction checker. The results were scary and no way I'm ever giving her this stuff - even something as simple and oft-used for colds as goldenseal do NOT mix with her current medications. Nor was that the only ingredient in this natural cough medication that doesn't mix with her medications.

This isn't to scare you, but merely to emphasize that with these kids you can't take things at face value - there are so many possibilities and even stuff that is supposedly safe for kids might no longer be safe for them even if it was before, and things can be simple or alarmingly complex.
 
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