I have quite a dilemma going on - I have a six year old son who's been diagnosed as bipolar (runs in the family) currently in 1st grade in Humble ISD (in Texas). He has alot of rage issues - gets easily frustrated when trying to write or do fine motor skills. He will tear up his work, throw books, hit the teacher. Took me months to get them to evaluation him for Special Education last year when he was in Kindergarten. They did finally at the end of March '10. Up until this past January they were doing behavior charts, BIP plans while having him in mainstream ed. Had another ARD meeting in Feb when they started in class support with a Special Education teacher assisting him in his hard times - writing and math in the regular class. Month later they started him in resource for those classes. Now I'm being told after a month in resource they want to put him a self-contained "Adaptive Behavior Class" at another elementary school. This class is based on a Crane-Reynolds level system, where the student has to graduate from level to level, after level III they try to mainstream him back into regular ed classes. For the first two levels the students are not allowed out to eat in the cafeteria, they have to eat in the class, and during level I they have to eat alone in the class. They are allowed to go to the bathroom 3 times a day with an escort. I think they are allowed to go out to recess, but that is not written into the Crane Reynolds system, the teacher told me she does it out of the goodness of her heart because "they are kids". Also they don't get music like the regular kids and not much art either. I was told it takes about two years for a child my son's age to get to level III. And was told some kids never graduate out of the program. I went to see an attorney last week who says that her feeling was that the school district prides itself on this program and keeps them longer in levels I and II to boost their success scores. I have an upcoming ARD meeting in two weeks and I'm bringing an educational advocate with me. Two of my biggest concerns are that my son will get frustrated and depressed on loosing levels and will give up emotionally, my other concern is that he is VERY bright, reading on a 2nd grade level, and I'm worried he's going to loose out academically. He would be in the class with three other ED/BD kids , one teacher and one aide. Oh and forgot to mention, my other worry is that he has bipolar..i'm worried that one bad day will drop him and he will be caught in an endless cycle of failure. I would really, really appreicate any advice on this....I'm heartsick over this. I know his behavior has GOT to stop but I'm worried I'm also giving him a death sentence. I eat lunch with him 2-3 times a week at school and won't be able to do this until he's level III. This is breaking my heart as he won't be 6 forever.