I am very proud of one of my eighth grade special education students who graduated this week. I want to share the story of this student without identifying the student, even by gender.
I first met this student when s/he was in sixth grade. The student lost control at school daily and swore and verbally threatened to hurt others, even teachers. S/he often cried uncontrollably for hours. By the end of that year the student was IEP'd for 100 minutes of social work per week, but was actually receiving more. Finally, at the annual review/three-year re-evaluation in the spring of that year, there was a change of placement to a therapeutic day school.
This student was then diagnosed with early-onset bipolar disorder and medicines were tried and titrated. Meanwhile, the student made progress at the therapeutic day school and was reintegrated into his neighborhood school for several classes at the end of seventh grade. S/he lost control several times, once crying uncontrollably while sitting in the main hallway during lunch. However, the reintegration was continued in spite of setbacks.
This fall s/he was in my special education classroom for 3 periods and included in one elective. Later this year s/he had lunch and a Resource added at the neighborhood school. In my opinion, s/he could have been at the neighborhood school all day, but s/he decided that s/he benefited from a partial day at the therapeutic high school.
S/he will start high school in the fall. Mornings will be spent at the regular high school and afternoons at a therapeutic day high school. S/he is happy with this plan.
At graduation this student hugged me and thanked me for a great year. What a doll! S/he has come so far in the past two years.
I thought that some of you might need to hear this success story and have hope for your difficult child's. Good things can and do happen.
Abilene
I first met this student when s/he was in sixth grade. The student lost control at school daily and swore and verbally threatened to hurt others, even teachers. S/he often cried uncontrollably for hours. By the end of that year the student was IEP'd for 100 minutes of social work per week, but was actually receiving more. Finally, at the annual review/three-year re-evaluation in the spring of that year, there was a change of placement to a therapeutic day school.
This student was then diagnosed with early-onset bipolar disorder and medicines were tried and titrated. Meanwhile, the student made progress at the therapeutic day school and was reintegrated into his neighborhood school for several classes at the end of seventh grade. S/he lost control several times, once crying uncontrollably while sitting in the main hallway during lunch. However, the reintegration was continued in spite of setbacks.
This fall s/he was in my special education classroom for 3 periods and included in one elective. Later this year s/he had lunch and a Resource added at the neighborhood school. In my opinion, s/he could have been at the neighborhood school all day, but s/he decided that s/he benefited from a partial day at the therapeutic high school.
S/he will start high school in the fall. Mornings will be spent at the regular high school and afternoons at a therapeutic day high school. S/he is happy with this plan.
At graduation this student hugged me and thanked me for a great year. What a doll! S/he has come so far in the past two years.
I thought that some of you might need to hear this success story and have hope for your difficult child's. Good things can and do happen.
Abilene