Posted: May 15 2005 at 11:29am | IP Logged

Hi everyone,

I need some advice or just to vent I'm not even sure at this point.

Last week my son went off Risperdal with Drs. aproval. I showed the Dr. Jared behavioral reports before and after Risperdal (school was unaware he was even on it) and the reports score-wise were idenicle. Jared had been gaining 5 lbs a month again and his behavior was still pretty much the same after the first week.

 I think he tried to show the school the first week that he was changed with the magic pills they wanted him on so bad. It didn't really help so the act wore off real quick.

At his last IEP I was told Jared will be permently kept in the behavioral unit because I refuse to medicate him. SO HARD NOT TO SCREAM HE IS ON THE MEDS DON'T YOU SEE MR. MELLOW IS BACK NOW? I can't beleive they didn't notice the gorging food habits again.

I'm thinking of getting him in a gym this year he is to tempermental for competitive sports. His reputation proceeds him.

I hope this dosen't sound like I am not trying with my son he really had no benifits from Risperdal. I am working with a new Child Physciatrist who is looking into what made Jared ODD. He is looking at childhood trama and possible attachment disorder. He says we need to know more background to know what drugs will be most effective.

He has also ordered ink blot tests and spectrum testing (to humor me).  We hope to have answers before new school year.

 I was told at Jared most recent IEP meeting that his outlook is SBU until Jr. High and High School were he will be in SPED until he graduates or I coroperate and Medicate him again.

I WILL NEVER ALLOW THAT!

Jared has a very high IQ and is already able to do 12 grade math. I can't see wasting such a brillant mind because they can't handle him. I am serously considering Home Schooling again.

The school promised me 2 years in the SBU and he would be mainstreamed now it's never going to happen? I already gave them 3 years to prove their way is better. When they pulled Jared out of mainstream 1st grade they said if I attempt to pull him out to Home School they would take me to court because Jared lacked needed socailization skills.

Now the school tells me if I DON'T GET JARED UNDER CONTROL AND HE HAS A VIOLENT OUTBURST I CAN BE SUED AND I LOOSE  EVERYTHING. He has never struck another child but he has teachers when they try to physically remove him. He probably will hit a student the first time he witnesses a bully in action (he did that at my sisters house with a neighborhood bully). But Jared has a strick code of justice. He feels he is always being wronged.

I have had Jared to a dozen DRs. since he was 6. Most of them dismiss him when the drugs don't work or their counseling is useless. I'm at my wits end. When I was in Akron for one day they suspended Jared again and his dad was contacted and told it was for disrespect. They didn't tell me yet (they have my cell phone# but called his). I have to get to the bottom of this on Monday YIPEE!

I know my attitude is getting bad but I think I should just pull him from public school and attempt home schooling. SPED classes will just let him be lazy and waste his abilities.

ANY SUGESTIONS WOULD BE WELCOMED. I KNOW WHATEVER I DO THE SCHOOL WILL OPOSE.

Sorry so long.    Nelle

Posted: May 15 2005 at 12:03pm | IP Logged

Sarah,

Thankyou I'll Pack MY BAGS.

I think they just love giving IEP's for the funding following through on them is another matter. All 3 of my boys have currant IEP's with no positive results.

Posted: May 15 2005 at 12:19pm | IP Logged

Sarah I wish it were that easy and simple to move. I have heard Wisconsin is one of the best places for services... These schools make me SICK!

Nelle I wouldn't keep him on risperdal or any other med if there isnt any improvement PERIOD! Save the documentation the teacher fills out..... ask the Dr for a copy because thats proof down the road. You need to call the Ohio coalation for children with disabilities... Thats how I got the advocate who is trying to help me......  http://www.ocecd.org/  

The Mission of the OCECD is to ensure that every Ohio child with special needs receives a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment to enable that child to reach his/her highest potential.

Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities
Director:  Margaret Burley
Co-Director:  Lee Ann Derugen

Executive Office                                                 
165 West Center Street, Suite 302 • Marion, OH 43302-3741                                              
Phone (740) 382-5452 or (800) 374-2806 (in Ohio) • Fax (740) 383-6421
E-mail: ocecd@gte.net

Hours:  8:30am - 5:00pm E.S.T.

Home

Who We Are

What We Offer

Publications

Updates

Important Links

Calendar of Events

Contact OCECD

Parent's Rights   T.A. Alliance

http://www.ohioschoolfunding.org
Governor Bob Taft is expanding his invitation to submit ideas about the school funding issue to all Ohio residents through the Ohio school funding website. "Education is my top priority, and I don't want a single voice to go unheard," Taft said.  "Anyone can come to the Web site for more information and to submit ideas on this important and complex issue.  It's available anytime - day or night."  This site houses information about the school funding issue, and gives site visitors the opportunity to submit their ideas directly through the site. Ohio residents without internet access at home are reminded to visit a local library for free access. For information on how to submit comments by U.S. mail, write to "Ohio School Funding", 77 South High Street, 30th Floor, Columbus OH 43215.

Developed as an educational tool and a way to solicit ideas, the site intends to collect comments about the seven key issues cited by the majority opinion of the Ohio Supreme Court in the DeRolph II decision.

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http://www.nwoserrc.k12.oh.us
Northwest Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center. SERRC plays an essential role in statewide networking activities, advocacy on behalf of students with disabilities, and state and national outreach and information dissemination. They offer many workshops and classes to parents and teachers.

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DARN IT!!!! Everything Else was just Lost! I will add more soon!

Posted: May 15 2005 at 12:36pm | IP Logged

Hey Nelle,

so sorry to hear about the problems with your school, what a bunch of idiots. In no way can they force you to medicate your child, and in many cases, meds aren't always the magic wand. If you really want to get their goat, have them do a functional behavioral analysis, have them follow him around for a week, all day, everyday and right down exactly what happens in a course of a day, that way they may find what triggers an episode. They can't just suspend a child for a day or so because he's disrespectful, part of his diagnosis includes the inability to read social cues so if a teacher is frustrated with his behaviors, he's not able to pick up on that fact until it's gone into a disciplinarian mode and he probably feels frustrated because he might not understand what caused the situation in the first place. where your child is obviously at a higher learning level, he should be in an enviorment that nurtures is abilities. Under federal law, he is to supplied an appropreaite education. I would contact your states board of education. they can supply you with an advocate, free of charge. In my opinion, a child should never be pyshically removed from a situation unless done so by a parent or known care giver, most of our kids suffer from the fight, flight or fright syndrome associated with sid. if some one is physically putting hands on your child, ofcourse he's going to try to defend himself, it's a natural instinct.

i wouldn't tip my hand at first about him being on meds, I'd save that until they give you ( or attempt to) a final threat of meds or else....bring a video camara so we can all see their faces! or take my approach, a religious objection to mind altering med ( haven't had to use it but in the back of my mind incase the day every comes i highly doubt they'll want to take on any type of arguement with that)

Homeschooling is a tough issues, I see both pros and cons to every side and like i say, you know your child best and I have no doubt you'll do what's best for him. I know  achild in my kids school is homeschooled but attends for gym and art, perhaps that's a reasonable request, you'll provide the education he needs yet he'll still gets the socialization he needs.

p.s up here in ma, we get pretty good services and all 4 seasons!!!- Eileen

Posted: May 15 2005 at 1:11pm | IP Logged

http://www.ode.state.oh.us/board/  (OHIO State Board Of Education)

Ohio Department of Education Building, 25 S. Front St., 7th Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215-4183.

For general information from the Ohio Department of Education contact the department's call center at 1-877-644-6338.

For additional information directly related to the State Board of Education contact Board Relations at (614) 466-4838.

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http://www.redandgreenchoices.com/about.htm  Behavior plan (might be too young though)

http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/DRAFT_Letters.html  (letter writing)

http://www.disabilityrights.org/appendix.htm  (disability rights)

http://www.wrightslaw.com/   http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/sec504.accoms.mods.pdf  (Laws and advocacy)

http://rsaffran.tripod.com/legal.html#top  (legal and advocacy services)

http://olrs.ohio.gov/asp/pub_TheBook.asp   http://olrs.ohio.gov/ASP/HomePage.asp   (Ohio Legal Rights Service)

http://fcs.k12.in.us/SEForms/PROCEDURAL%20SAFEGUARDS.htm   (Parent's Rights)

http://thelinkto.com/parentmentor/  (Parent Mentors of Ohio)

http://www.autism-pdd.net/links/ohio.html   (Ohio State Resources)

http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/iep/success_ieps.html (writing IEP's for Success)

http://www.geocities.com/KIDSHEART2000/IEP.html  (Preparing for an IEP)

http://www.dredf.org/

http://www.bridges4kids.org/states/oh.htm  (state of Ohio)

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Posted: May 15 2005 at 1:17pm | IP Logged

hiya nelle

i am having the same problem over here in the uk . i with approvel from doctor have taken jordon off of his risperdal as i dont see any point with pumping him full of meds just so they can keep him in a corner etc . anyway his teacher was fine but the education board (they are the ones who decide what school or what help ur child is allowed even though they have never met the child they just look at notes etc) any way they have said that i am not allowed to take him off the meds as they expect him to be controllable etc. i have taken him of the meds any way and as they are saying that they cant put him in a school next year(after 11 they have to go to a new school)with special needs i will be home ed with jordon.

his school and all the docs are saying that if jordon went into main stream it would be the worst thing they could do so im gonna keep him at home and to hell with the education board .

all i can suggest is if u want to home educate then do it at the end of the day they have to face the fact he is on the spectrum and this is how he behaves . keep fighting and give them one hell of a tough time (easier said than done i know )

Posted: May 15 2005 at 1:19pm | IP Logged

If you do decide to go the Homeschooling route - this site is an awesome resource for state's laws.  http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

This isn't the first time I've heard of a school trying to bully a parent into medicating a child and it's total BS! 

Posted: May 16 2005 at 1:14pm | IP Logged

Thanks Everybody,

I talked to Jared's teacher today he was very incoraportive. He was very abrubt and wouldn't tell me if he noticed any improvements with Jared's behavior. He had a class to teach.

I still have know idea why he was suspended just that he was rude and disrespectful. I was told he should have been suspended Wed. but they had a Sub. They always have problems with Jared when they have a Sub.

I did want to clarify Jared has no spectrum Dx. I have had every other lable but none on the spectrum of a PDD. I am insisting on testing because he does have some AS behaviors. They just tell me not possible Jared started preschool with speach and other delays.

I have told the Drs. Jared spoke early and well but quit speaking right around turning 2. He resumed speaking right after his third birthday and was right back at sentences. I think preschool testing hurt my cause because he wouldn't talk for the testers and they noted it as 12mo speach abilities and they were not sure of his comprension level.

The testing was so bad I was afraid they wouldn't even let him in. Instead they put him in preschool and headstart with special services an option of ST that he didn't need because his speach returned one month after testing.

In preschool I was constantly told Jared could not transition for activities had huge tuntrums and chose to ignore almost every request made of him. Difiant, Noncompliant, Oppisitional, Tantrums and Inmature Behaviors were reported daily.

 He was to dificult for the regular school so in first grade he was removed and started SBU Speical Behavioral Unit. Were he has been in a different school every year (they keep moving the unit.)

I also wanted to add Jared is very bright he learned to read while disrupting everyone elses learning. He is also been on the Honor Roll straight A's most of this year. Got a few B's with them suspending him 3 times in a 9 weeks period. Once while on his meds.

I wanted to thank everybody for their support and links.

 I have my work cut out for me. I spoke to the Special Services Director (ready to go over her head if she acted like his teacher) but she was very nice even though she didn't like not being aware Jared was medicated. I did tell her Jared is still working with Drs. and counslers and she agreed we should meet again in August for final decision of placement.

Thanks Again Everybody. Nelle