Oh boy...principal called

[Castle Queen]

Of course, we had a therapist AND a psychiatrist appointment this morning and things HAD been going well...now difficult child broke his ipad screen at school. This is the ipad the school provides. I did pay for insurance on it as was required by the school but the principal told me it had been examined and cannot be repaired. Further, he told me a few students had come to him and reported that difficult child had deliberately broken it. Principal wants to meet Monday morning. The ipad is essential to getting any work done in the school- they use them for everything. The last time difficult child lost it (for emailing a picture of another student he lost it for 2 weeks) he had several zeroes due to teachers failing to provide him with an alternate way to do work.

difficult child is already into my pocketbook for the nearly $1000 he spent downloading apps/movies/etc on my credit card. He hasn't even paid me back for that yet. There is NO WAY I am springing for another ipad. They will need to figure out at the school how he can get the work done without it. I am so done. medications aren't working, therapy isn't...nothing is. Got told this morning that the neuropsychologist he saw is "one of the top 5 in the whole COUNTRY!" yet all she saw was ADHD. I just want to crawl into a hole and never come out.

Thanks for listening. I have no support at home and my extended family is thousands of miles away.

 

[dstc_99]

I dont know what to say other than I hope the principal is willing to work it out with you. What a mess.

 

[SuZir]

What happened to _free_ education? If you ask me, it is school's problem that they make free and appropriate education available to your son despite him breaking an iPad. Whose bright idea it was to give kids iPads anyway? Of course they will be broken.

It's very possible to teach kids without. Hey, our kids are allowed a calculator when they are 14 or 15, till that it is pencil, paper and old fashioned chalkboard and, at least if you look for international studies about how well kids have learned, they have not been hurt by it.

I understand you are not happy with your kid and it is wrong to break someone else's stuff in purpose or because of neglect. But he is 12 year old with special needs. Things are bound to be broken, if he is given too fragile stuff to handle.

 

[BusynMember]

Did you sign a letter that you approve of DS using Ipod and that you will take responsibility for liability to it? That's what we have to do for stuff like that.

 

[Confused]

Castle Queen, Im so sorry, I agree that there is another way to teach, the good lold fashioned way! Paper, Pens just like SuZir said! For a school to soley rely on an Ipad is interesting, hopefully ours wont do that. Esp with my son, not a good idea, anything breakable is not a good idea. He has used one at school here and there but with his issues, insurance or no insurance, not a good idea. Yes, your son is responsible as well, if purposely broken. He can do yard work or something for neighbors/others under your supervision to get money to pay it back? But I understand you might have trouble getting him to do it in the first place.

Good luck with the meeting -hugs

 

[Californiablonde]

Wow whatever happened to good old fashioned books and pencils and paper? Seriously I don't get how the school could possibly expect kids to be taught soley on an Ipad alone. Ipads get lost or broken. They have to find some sort of alternative for him to learn. Sorry you are having to deal with this. I hope all goes well at your meeting.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I don't care if a particular specialist is "one of the top 5 in the country". NOBODY gets it right all the time.

It took us... FOUR comprehensive evaluations to get accurate dxes.
Their approach to teaching isn't working for your son. He has rights to an education. They have NO option to require expensive technology as the only way of doing school work.

 

[Castle Queen]

I'm pretty sure I did sign something taking responsibility for it, MWM. And Confused, you are right, he won't do chores when asked. It doesn't help that I'm working away from home 10 hours a day so am not around to supervise him. I live in daily fear I will have to quit my job to monitor difficult child. And right now, we don't have another income. How could this happen when things have been going so well? What am I missing?

I think I am sadly going to have to insist a plan (504 if that's all that I can get) is written to ensure he has an alternate way to do his school work. It's going to alienate him further from his classmates though (poor kid has no friends) but he has proven more than once he is not mature enough to be trusted with this device. (and funny thing is, in our district they use these from K on up. It's supposedly "great" and other districts look up to us for being technology innovators. From 3rd grade on up they are allowed to take them home daily) The only positive thing I can see coming from this is he won't be able to hole up after school watching Minecraft videos on YouTube. (yes my DF lets him do this) He will probably be kicked off Knowledge Bowl too, just when I thought maybe he had found a niche.