Autistic teen at Jumper's school sent to alternative school.

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
That's why I put Sonic in the other school. This kid is bright and does ok most of the time but when he loses it, he could attack a teacher and these mainstream teachers have no clue how to handle him. He's a sweet kid with a good heart and this makes me sick. He's not a behavioral problem. He is autistic. It is very obvious. In spite of his intelligence, to get a job he will need help and a job coach to keep him from acting out. But he is not a "bad" boy and I can't imagine how he is doing with those rough kids in the alternative school.

Jumper used to look out for him. She can't anymore. Will anyone?
 

helpangel

Active Member
I hope the alternative school is trained to deal with autism, Angel was placed in a school that was suppose to be day treatment when she was 12 yo. Unfortunately they were more about behavior then education and it took 5 years to get her out of there; she was an 11th grader with a 5th grade education and no high school credits earned.

Nancy
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Well, I do too. I don't think it's that type of school. Most of the kids there are the young juvenile delinquents. He isn't one. He doesn't steal or take drugs or break the law. He just loses it once in a while. I'm afraid they will keep calling the police on him, which will not help a child with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The majority are "at risk" to drop out of school too, whereas this boy is brilliant academically.

I don't know the answer. Can't have kids going off on teachers either, even if they are disabled. The kids were teasing him and he got so angry when the teacher tried to restrain him from hurting them that he put his hands around her neck. So why was he allowed to be bullied? Round and round and round we go. It just makes me sad.
 

Kathy813

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Can't have kids going off on teachers either, even if they are disabled.

That was exactly what I was thinking when I read your post. The teachers at being put at risk if they are expected to handle that student when they don't have the training that is needed to handle a special needs student.

It really is not fair to either the student or the teachers involved.

~Kathy
 

TeDo

CD Hall of Fame
Our school tried HARD to send difficult child 1 to an alternative school. The minute they even mentioned it, I got the county social worker, an autism specialist, and a PACER advocate to help me fight it with the school. We were in mediation when difficult child 1 became so depressed he went fetal and almost catatonic that I just pulled him out altogether.

Do you know the parents? Would you be willing and able to talk to them? Maybe they are where many parents are and don't know they can fight the school much less how to do it. Maybe the boy needs something in his IEP to prevent him with anger, frustration, protection, bullying, etc. Have you thought about being an advocate? I think you'd make a great one after all you've been through with your own kids. Maybe that's what these parents need. I really feel for the boy having watched what happens in these other schools.
 

1905

Well-Known Member
Does he have an IEP? Is he classified? You say he's in mainstream classes, that's why I wonder if he has one. He needs to get one right away. If he does, someone better be on top of making sure they follow that to the letter and have an advocate lined up right now. That may take the backseat in a place like that. The parents can get a lot of leverage by constantly challenging every single thing, they can use the IEP as a guide. The squeaky wheel gets the grease in SpEd.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I know the father. He's a single dad and a strange bird. He knows about autism, but fought hard for both his Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) sons to be mainstreamed. He did not want them in special education. At some point in time the boy did get an aide.

This kid is not particularly high functioning, even though he is very bright. His autism and it's behaviors get in his way and I wonder if t his is because his father turned down the interventions because maybe he didn't want his kid to be different, but he obviously is. He's much worse than Sonic as far as acting autistic. Half the time, if you call his name he nods at you, but his eyes say he isn't there...he's somewhere else. He doesn't socialize at all. He gets picked on even if Jumper's school, which is unusual.

I'm guessing Dad fought this placement, but not sure. They involved the cops (the school) and this child may have had to go to juvie, which is ridiculous. I would not engage the father. He keeps to himself. As far as I know, the two boys and dad live with grandma and Mom is somewhere in Texas with another man, but she does see them every summer.
 

helpangel

Active Member
I agree with what TeDo said and will add often change of placement can be avoided with a good IEP and a BIP that are followed by the teachers working with the kid. In Angel's case she should not have been sent to the emotionally impaired school but should have been admitted to a psychiatric hospital or residential facility until they straightened out her medications. A psychiatrist in a residential anger management program had taken her off 30 mg Abilify cold turkey, then discharged her 3 days before school started. Instead of taking her to the lake I should have admitted her to the psychiatric hospital but had no idea how far mentally she was gone, she just seemed sad about wasting her summer.

I didn't mean to sound like I condone a kid getting physical with a teacher is OK, teachers and other students deserve to be safe. I think when a kid is getting aggressive at school the people on the IEP team need to try to figure out what the problem is & correct it rather then continue to "cookie cutter" do these IEP's and wedge kids into programs that don't address their needs. After all doesn't the I stand for individual?

Nancy
 
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