Topic : Raising a Special Needs Child

  

    My son has been indetetion three times this year not because he has done anything bad.He does have an iep.my middle child.It has been because the school has come up with a new policy.It goes this way you have to be in your class room 5 min. before class starts thier are no bells to worn the kids.if you aren't you are put in after school detention every time for three hours it really adds up.My son has had many.In one class he has been reported for being 30 sec. to 1min.This is their oplicy many kids are being sent to after school detiontion this year becasue of O.M. S. school policy.I was told you cant' be even 1sec late for class it is in ziolation of the late policy.no eceptions.But when I questioned the p if he holds his teachers up to the same standereds he shut up.I know from personal experince that they are not on time when i hopl iep meeting they are ussuallytlate or do not show up at all.They sighn it later.I do not feel this is a unfair policy it is to strick I do belive kids need to be on time for school but a policy such as this will make kids and parents think twice about sending kids if they are late just to know they are foing to be spending time in detention for walking into class 1sec late. My son is so afraid to be late he wont sleep at night and has become so anal that he spends time seting and checking his things so he is not late and does not eat lunch so he wont be late from lunch. even with that he was late 1sec to class and has a three hour detention after school tomarrow.am i the only one who thinks this has gone to far?I am thinking about redoing his iep so this is not an isue does anyone  have anyideas of how I should write it so that this is not a problem any more. 

  

I'm mom to four, one being a 10 yr old with spina bifida and prader willi. While she has gone way far beyond what Dr's said she would ever do, it's still a lot of work being her mom. She's catheterized three times a day, wears goodnites as she has no bowel control, and she is non-verbal. Well, she has about a dozen words she uses.  I am homeschooling her as I was spending more time and energy fighting the school than I had for my children.  I decided to put that time and energy into her and it's paying off in big ways.  I need to find some respite care though.  She's a happy little girl most of the time, but it's like having a young child around forever.  We have to keep the fridge locked, the food up high or locked, electronics out of reach, etc.  A toddler who may never learn "don't touch" when no one is looking. 

  

I love her dearly but I'm burning out.   

This is interesting to me.    first of all I would find out any laws that have to do with keeping children with handicaps.  Make sure that you have read all your parental rights I have found that has helped me in writing my kids' IEPs.  Most definitely ask for a new IEP.  They have to provide one when ever you want a new one or one re defined. And I would write and talk about if he is belatedly late what a appropriate punishment would be for him.  So that he is not except from being held accountable but not so overwhelmed that it consumes him.  I hope all goes well Boynemamma

My son is 11 and I am glad to say that so far this school year is 1000 times better than the last. Last year was like being on a roller coster that would not stop. He had issues at school with the teacher, other kids, you name it. He was constantly worried about what others were thinking and his way of dealing with failure was just not to try. I heard all the heart breaking quotes,,, no one likes me, I have no friends, I'm stupid to wishing he was dead. I had gone to physicains because of attention issues at school and base on questionaires completed by teachers and my husband and I, we were told he had ADHD. He was put on dexidrine 1 dose each AM and it worked for grade 3, 4 and part of 5. As he grew they increased the dose as we experienced decreases in effectiveness. Anothre issue I had was my son was extreamely pick about food, and a very poor eater. In grade 5 when it was suggested by his Dr to give him an afternoon dose I refused because dexidrine can affect appetite and I couldn t imagine him eating less. In addition to food he has always been picky about clothing, socks, shoes... the list goes on and once something set him off, he would have major meltdowns.  

  

Without an increase in meds things just got worse and worse at school and we were referred to a specialist. With this referral the peices of the puzzel all fell in place. He was determined to have sensory intregraiton disfunction. Its treated by an Occupational Thearapist and has made such a difference in our lives. Drs are took quick to say everything is ADD or ADHD - I just want others to know that this is real and everything is not ADD or ADHD - challenge the Drs - they are only people. My son is doing so much better getting the right physical actitivity for his disability (meds alone were not the only solution)  

Pick up a book called the out of sync child and see if it hits home, it did for me and my son was aggressive as well when he was not getting what he needed.

My son is autistic and has big sensory problems.  I have most success with occupational therapy and play therapy and social stories.  He is on one med to help him sleep.  He is nine and is really doing better with out the side affects of meds he has been learning to deal with his issues.  It has helped him so much and helped others around him too.

My daughter was born at 27 weeks (almost 6 yrs. old now) and has short-bowel syndrome due to losing much of her small and large intestine to NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis).  She also has mild chronic lung disease and is mildly mentally handicapped with a communication disorder.  She has a malabsorption problem because of the short-bowel syndrome and takes meds everyday to slow down everything moving through her intestine so she can absorb more nutrients.  She also takes zyrtec, as the doctors suspect allergies, but haven't tested for any at this time.  Because of the lung disease, she usually gets breathing treatments whenever she gets a respitory infection.  School-time is very hard on her medically.  She gets sick very easily and usually lasts much longer.  Stomach bugs are a very big problem for her also.  The first time she got a stomach bug she was hospitalized within half a day from the start of it due to dehydration.  This past spring she had either 3 stomach bugs in a month's time, or the same one just wouldn't let go of her.  Am always looking for others going through anything similar. 

Thanks for listening, 

Heather 

   

 I have ADD myself. I wasn't officially diagnosed until very, very recently, but it was apparent from the start that there was something wrong with me. It didn't affect my ability to learn, sure, but I've always thought that when a child is different in someway, you try not to treat them too differently because of it. It's what my mother did, and I'm very grateful to her because of it. You should never lock your child away from the world as to keep them out of trouble, or else they will never be able to grow and start a new life when they get older. At the same time, you shouldn't just give them everything or ignore their differences: you do need to draw some lines, but sometimes it might be necessary to once or twice cross the line and allow the child to take a risk or two. They should live as a normal child, making friends, learning and messing up at their own pace.

Hello! 

  

My son lives in Illinois with my ex husband, he is telling me a lot of things that I am very concerned about.  They are telling me that he has ADHD, a learning disability, bipolar, autism (which from the description I have been getting is Aspergers, and even schizophrenia.  Can a five year old really HAVE all this?  Or could he just have Aspergers and all the syptoms they are basing these diagnoses on, come from that?  They are saying that my son will have to be put in a home... to which I say "Not until I get the chance to care for him!"  If you all have any insight into this please let me know. 

  

Thanks!
Kara 

  My husband and I are in the same situation.I noticed that his son had some problems just before he was 3.I pointed them out to him,and he went to the ex and voiced his concerns.They replied that he'd gorw out of it or he'll be fine.He's just behind.I was having a conversation with a client of mine one day,and the subject came up.I didn't realize at the time she worked in child development.They called and asked if they could see him? It was so far the best thing that has happened.We are now at a roadblock.He's 7 and having problems in his after school care.He was almost kicked out of that program.They have no idea how to handle him.We think that he should have occupational therapy,but atv v$200 a session we can't do it.The school system will not help.Now his mother wants to move 2 counties away.That county doesn't have the resources of the one he's in now,and I think it will be worse.Besides the fact that his father won't be able to keep up with even close to what  he does now.I would LOVE DR.Phil to do a story on parents issues with PDD Aspergers,and Rhetts.It is a huge chaalenge just for school.Let alone when we go somewhere and get's into a mood.HELP!!!!!