Educating the teachers ... again

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HaoZi

Guest
Got this nifty little email today:

Mrs. [HaoZi], I am emailing you about some issues I am having with [Kiddo] in class. Yesterday when I confronted her about not having her homework done, she became very stand offish and put her head down for the rest of the period. She also threw her glasses on the floor and ripped her star in half. When given the opportunity today to work on her graph she choose not to. I have noticed that when she is confronted or called out on something she shuts down or becomes violent. Some students have voice some concerns about being scared when she does this. If you could have a discussion with her about this that would be great. Thanks for any help with this issue. Please let me know what I can do.

To which I replied:

You should have access to her IEP and BIP, which should (I believe) cover these circumstances. Better that she shuts down than lashes out, and I know that sounds bad but the truth is that's progress for her. I'm not sure how familiar you are with her diagnoses (Asperger's Syndrome, bi-polar, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), ADHD, and ODD). I've been asking her if she has homework and the only answer she ever gives me is "I don't know." Is this is science or in social studies that she's having issues? I can discuss it with her until I'm blue in the face, but it may not do much good. Is she using her cool-down pass at all? She may need prompting to use it. If she shuts down, let her shut down and don't try to force the issue or touch her (getting in her physical space at that point is perceived by her brain as a threat as she'll already be under high anxiety and can easily lead to meltdowns).

She does seem to be on downside of her bi-polar cycle right now, and this lack of sunlight in winter isn't helping matters. I'm pretty much walking on eggshells around her at home, too. When she's in her more manic phase I can push her more to do what needs doing with less chance of it becoming an issue, but she's very touchy right now. There are times when even bringing up the subject of what's going on at school can lead to her becoming physically violent with me. I will also forward this to her therapist, sometimes she has better luck approaching these things with [Kiddo].

Makes me wonder if teachers ever read IEPs. Or talk to the other teachers the kid has. It's not exactly her first meltdown this year by any means.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
At 8 teachers per year... I think our average is that 3 read the IEP, the "teacher summary", AND the reports that the teacher summary recommends they look up. 2 more will actually read the "teacher summary" and take a quick glance at the IEP. The rest ignore ALL of it.
 

JJJ

Active Member
Do you give them a "resume" at the start of the year? When my kids were younger, I would type up a one page resume and give them to every teacher, aide, specialist as well as the principal. It highlighted how to avoid triggers and how to handle a meltdown; it included his calming methods. I would also include a photo, a few lines about his interests and I had a section that he was able to dictate a sentence or two that he wanted the teachers to know. (The most priceless was Tigger at 12 years old....."This year I want to meet all the cheerleaders"

Since aides don't generally read the IEP, it helped make sure that everyone started on the right foot.
 
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HaoZi

Guest
Do you give them a "resume" at the start of the year? When my kids were younger, I would type up a one page resume and give them to every teacher, aide, specialist as well as the principal. It highlighted how to avoid triggers and how to handle a meltdown; it included his calming methods. I would also include a photo, a few lines about his interests and I had a section that he was able to dictate a sentence or two that he wanted the teachers to know. (The most priceless was Tigger at 12 years old....."This year I want to meet all the cheerleaders"

Since aides don't generally read the IEP, it helped make sure that everyone started on the right foot.

It should (in theory) be covered in her IEP and BIP, but I like the idea!
 

buddy

New Member
I love that the therapist will join in! I have a summary sheet too that I give out to bus drivers/aides/Integrated Listening Systems (ILS) workers, really anyone because the IEP is a need to know, confidential document and there are things I would want all of them to know. Aides do not read the full IEP, but they are supposed to be trained on it. The teachers should read it but we all know how that goes. Most of the teachers who even show up for IEP meetings when we were in a mainstream setting left before the meeting was even half over. So even that one representative from gen ed. never knew what was going on. uggggg.
 

Tiapet

Old Hand
It never seems to stop! Seriously, I have middle school and high schooler and I can't tell you how many of the teachers have not read the IEP at all, not even a summary of it. Then they fall on an issue and come to me. I have to do as you do and enlighten them that there IS and IEP, gently, and then fill in the blanks. In one school district I was told "The teachers don't get the IEP"! WHAT? Then what is it there for? Oh, they just tell the teacher what they need to know, which in that case was nothing. :(
 
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