I am just floored about this. difficult child started at this php the week before Christmas because I school district claims they cannot give him the resources he needs. To remind everyone that the sd showed up at our intake appointment when difficult child and myself were both sick to go over his IEP and did not tell me they were coming. I had agreed to the intake appointment even though we were sick because we "should" have only been there an hour or so and I knew we could go home and rest afterwards. They showed up unannounced. I agreed to the php program as a temporary solution where I knew he would be seen by psychiatrist a couple times a week and we could do any medication changes quickly. I was thinking 4-6 weeks then back to sd.
So I asked therapist how much longer they anticipate difficult child there last week and was told till April or May. Since hearing that I have been stewing this over on what to do next. He was made some really wonderful improvements their and I am very happy with all they are doing for him. A couple weeks ago they upgraded him from an acute classroom where those in acute crisis are placed and has 5 or 6 kids so more one on one attention to now in a "regular" classroom. (as regular as php call can be!) they have adjusted the daytrana and added remeron because he was very depressed at times. The medications seem to be helping a lot. He has better impulse control, he is not saying he should never have been born any more, he is more focused in the classroom, raises his hand to talk, stays in his seat and so on. They say he still needs to work on interacting with other kids as he still says mean things and is not always appropriate interacting with them.
Though I am pleased with the program I am also concerned because frankly there is very little actual school work being done. He is very advanced in reading, spelling so I know he will be fine with that but I am concerned about the other subjects and him falling way behind. I can see "maybe" another month there but not as long as they say. I have been going back and forth on whether to leave him there or take him out sooner than they say he needs. On one hand it is pure heaven to not worry every time the phone rings that it is the sd suspending him or just reporting another bad day but that is not enough to keep him there. He will end up being there 1/2 the school year. I just don't know how to proceed with this right now and which option is best for difficult child. I keep going back and forth in my mind about it but I am not sure what to do??? The sd never even tried to initiate interventions at the school to help him. They just said in his initial IEP that this was what they felt should happen. Other than giving hima para educator for 2 months nothing else was tried. I don't know if I pull him out of php will sd cause him to slide back into his old behaviors and make things worse? I don't want to pull him out and end up having to put him back in in a few weeks. I want this to be the last time he needs to be there. I just don't know what to do! I will say that even though sd pushed us to do the php I only agreed because I felt it was a good temporary option. The final decision was made by husband and myself and not sd.
So I asked therapist how much longer they anticipate difficult child there last week and was told till April or May. Since hearing that I have been stewing this over on what to do next. He was made some really wonderful improvements their and I am very happy with all they are doing for him. A couple weeks ago they upgraded him from an acute classroom where those in acute crisis are placed and has 5 or 6 kids so more one on one attention to now in a "regular" classroom. (as regular as php call can be!) they have adjusted the daytrana and added remeron because he was very depressed at times. The medications seem to be helping a lot. He has better impulse control, he is not saying he should never have been born any more, he is more focused in the classroom, raises his hand to talk, stays in his seat and so on. They say he still needs to work on interacting with other kids as he still says mean things and is not always appropriate interacting with them.
Though I am pleased with the program I am also concerned because frankly there is very little actual school work being done. He is very advanced in reading, spelling so I know he will be fine with that but I am concerned about the other subjects and him falling way behind. I can see "maybe" another month there but not as long as they say. I have been going back and forth on whether to leave him there or take him out sooner than they say he needs. On one hand it is pure heaven to not worry every time the phone rings that it is the sd suspending him or just reporting another bad day but that is not enough to keep him there. He will end up being there 1/2 the school year. I just don't know how to proceed with this right now and which option is best for difficult child. I keep going back and forth in my mind about it but I am not sure what to do??? The sd never even tried to initiate interventions at the school to help him. They just said in his initial IEP that this was what they felt should happen. Other than giving hima para educator for 2 months nothing else was tried. I don't know if I pull him out of php will sd cause him to slide back into his old behaviors and make things worse? I don't want to pull him out and end up having to put him back in in a few weeks. I want this to be the last time he needs to be there. I just don't know what to do! I will say that even though sd pushed us to do the php I only agreed because I felt it was a good temporary option. The final decision was made by husband and myself and not sd.