Met with teacher and SpEd teacher tonight.

[Shari]

Long story short, they told me to push the principal for answers about his "half days" plan for difficult child and to copy the superintendant and SpEd director.

I'm compiling a list of things to address with the principal. Here's what I've got so far...

what's the plan?

what is the goal of half days? how long are they going to last? when do we re-evaluate?

(possibly ask if this is long term, we need to look at in-home tutoring? not sure I want to go there, tho?)

in the meantime, what is being done to address the afternoon issues, both with difficult child and with the aids?

What is the plan for bringing him back in the afternoon? All at once, 10 minutes at a time, etc...

If its all at once, how will it be staffed? What will be done to account for the training issuesof the aids?

If its 10 minutes at a time, how will he be incorporated back into the regular routine, etc? What will be done to account for the training issues, etc.

What are we doing to MOVE FORWARD?

 

[jannie]

Are they doing an FBA....they certainly need to come up with some behavior strategies and interventions that will meet difficult child needs. An FBA can be done without special eduation status.....

What time are you getting him in the afternoon? perhaps tomorrow you will just need to let the school know that you are unable to get him at that hour and you wish to pick him up at the end of the day. How is it legal to require you to pick him up early if they are "not calling it a partial suspension? Do you think the Special Education teacher ( and without an IEP, the Special Education teacher...tecnically should not be able to remove him into the Special Education room) wants him to attend full days. Tell Mr. Principal...to move along the process please

sorry this is getting crazy

 

[Shari]

They are doing an FBA. It may be done, I don't know. Won't know til the evaluation results meeting. SpEd teacher wants the iep in place. He needs Occupational Therapist (OT) and other services that he's not getting and it is compounding the problem.

I've thought about not picking him up, but I'm also thinking lets just get these 10 days out of the way and get that manifestation determination so they can't pull this carp anymore, cause its getting more and more obvious administration would rather not have to deal with him.

 

[LittleDudesMom]

Shari,

First of all, I totally agree that there has to be a plan in place. I believe all the questions you have listed are important. I believe you need to wait until the answers arrive before you can move further along.

This modified day program is just a bridge to get him where he needs to be.

I have a question, as his mother - the one who probably knows him better than all others - do you believe this modified day is doing something positive for your son? Is he holding things together in the mornings? Are his periods of behavior issues being lessoned at school? I said this to you before, but even at your difficult child's young age, don't underestimate the importance of him "feeling" successful. It can go a long way.

That doesn't mean there is no plan in place, it means you son is building his bank of good days that could very well have a very positive effect on him until this is straightened out.

My difficult child did this for two weeks. Was it a pain, yeah. Was it inconvenient, yeah. Did it make a difference, absolutely! But, we did have a plan for moving forward.

You are fighting for your son here and, by starting this early, you will be able to make a positive difference. Keep holding the school's feet to the fire. Keep on plugging.

Sharon

I have a question

 

[Shari]

Sharon, no, the half days were not part of the plan.

What happened was that "the team" (everyone) decided "the plan" would be for me to shadow difficult child for and his para for a few days and see if there were issues with the paras or things that were triggering difficult child. I did this one day. I sat and watched (not to intervene) as a para triggered and escalated difficult child several times. One time difficult child "stabbed" her (more like a poke) in the hand with a pair of safety scissors.

At noon the next day, when I was there to shadow, I was informed the "stabbing" was a safety threat and principal and superintendant had decided difficult child would be going half days only. I told them I did not agree, and principal informed me that was his only option if he wanted to go to school there.

difficult child has good mornings. They are easier for him. But from the one day I shadowed him, every meltdown he had could have been avoided with a better trained para. So while the morning routine isn't hurting him terribly, I think its laregly avoiding the issues at hand and is not really doing anything to address those, except for disrupting difficult child's routine. Also, yesterday, difficult child made the connection that he was the only kid leaving school at that time. That didn't sit well, either.

I sent a note to SpEd director telling her delaying the meeting was not acceptable and difficult child has always been and remains to be available for any testing at any time, all they have to do is call me. At this point, I will drop everything.

SpEd teacher agreed last night, too, that this can't wait. She's pushing for the evaluation meeting to be held by the 60 day mark (tho I don't think she's thinking of it from the 60 day time limit standpoint - she just needs difficult child to have this IEP in place.)