Just curious | Autism PDD

Diane,

It certainly sounds to me as if you have a lot of evidence to prove that the school cannot adequately teach your son. I would definitely pursue the special placement school for him. He is 17 and it is about time they were giving him a proper chance at a good education.

Has the school given him a one on one aide for support in class? If not that certainly is necessary, at least part of the time. Our son has one to keep him on task and to help him to understand directions.

Not sure if that (adequate environment and able to learn) would still apply for us...since my son was failing many of his core classes in public school...AND the school has not been able to show that they can teach him...at least not in public school. His current private day school has been able to help him some...but I don't know to what extent yet...he's only been there for a few weeks.

As far as I know if the current school feels they are providing an adequate and least restrictive environment and he is able to learn, even if it isn't a lot, then they are not obliged to pay for special placement. This happened to us in our state and even though the special placement school said they could work with our son and would take him, even part time to reduce the cost and we would have transported him, our school system refused. We went to mediation over it and they made us feel like we were asking for the moon. So we took our son out of school and he now goes part time to a private school and is doing great.

Good Luck

Virginia:

Is you son currently in a residential school?

I'm asking because we are trying to get my daughter's placement changed to a residential setting.

Thanks

Phyllis

Phyllis

I'll tell you this....many on this board know that I just joined back in Feb. or March...and I had to learn a lot in a VERY short period of time....and I am not what I would call an official on autism or advocacy....but many on here are...and they really helped me along with some retired teachers that I know in my private life as well.

To answer your question first before I go into a very LONG story of how he got into the school he's at now...the answer is that my son is currently going to a private day school.

When I first came here...I...along with my son's two doctors felt that he needed a residential facility. He was on Adderall...and had only been on Adderall for less than a month after trying Concerta and Strattera for several months as well (with no luck)....because we (the doctors and I) were trying those drugs again after the school pyschologist suggested that she felt that my son was ADHD...even after one doctor 3 years ago....said that he didn't think my son was ADHD...and that was after the school (teachers and principal) had all believed that he was ADHD since he entered K..... and had me convinced as well.

Well..the short answer is...no...he's not ADHD. The meds really never worked for him except to make him a bit of a zombie and not want to eat. It didn't help him do the school work or understand it. He had been dx by the school doctors as having a specific learning disability in the 4th grade after being denied an IEP for 3 years (I would apply and they would deny).

Finally this year when he was taking adderall and the behavior was at an all time high (being really bad...with our entire home being in lock down because of his obsessions and all)...he stole from my purse ..that was the last straw (found out later it was so he could buy more sugar...like hot chocolate at the bus stop and at school)....he was obsessed with sugar....and because of the adderall...his normal obsession with sugar was magnified.

...so much he didn't seem to care HOW he got the sugar...but he "had" to have it....just like many other obsessions and tantrums he would have if he didn't get what he "needed".

We were fortunate...and when I took him to the juvenile intake...they assigned us a therapist to come to our home. I told her EVERYTHING that he does and has been doing his entire life...and she figured it all out from there...and told me about PPD. The sad part was that just a year and a half ago...the future wife of my cousin had met my son at a family gathering...and she actually works with children with asperger's and autism. She pegged him Asperger's from her conversation that she had with my son. I was told about the possibility of Asperger's...and quickly asked my son's sp.ed. teacher if she thought that this was something that my son might have. We even convened an IEP meeting to discuss this possibility...and the school psychologist did some testing on Greg and from that she determined that he wasn't (and she didn't do the same ones as this year) but in her report she said that all the signs pointed to ADHD and depression.

that's the report that the doctor and I were going by when we were trying to help my son this past Fall and Winter to no avail....just us going through hell...though trying to help him.

The other problem that was dx properly to an extent, but then was handled soooo wrong...was the fact that my son has something wrong with his hands....he lacks fine motor skills in his hand. The school approved a OT to work with him and she determined that for my son ...that the best thing that the school could do was to teach him to type and then once that was taught to provide him with assistant technology ...so he could type as fast as others could write...and that way the teachers could read his writing as well. So...the OT taught him to type for almost 2 years..and then the school let her go after she achieved that goal, but then didn't give the AT (assistant technology) to my son to help him. Instead they had another student or teacher give him copies of the class work. On many occasions (in the beginning) and on other occasions he was up the creek till he didn't get notes at all. Of course I am kicking myself in the behind because I didn't make them do anything or give him what he so needed...instead I asked that he be moved to another school where he would be in contained classes to see if that helped. It didn't..and a few short months later I pulled him out of public school to see if homeschooling would help my son.

Homeschooling worked at first when I would work with him 1:1...he went from regular 7th grade math to doing College algebra within a year and a half....but then my business got busier...and the unstructureness began to unravel him to the point that he needed much more help in many other facets of school than I could provide...as well as a more structured setting.

So I enrolled him again in Fall of 2005 in public school. He was approved for an IEP again...but the same problems that had plagued him in middle school were still there and he was failing most all classes for the last few years...especially where writing, logical thinking and processing was involved.

This year got even worse. Not only was he failing all of his core subjects again, but the classes that he had done fairly well in (electives) ...he also began to have some problems in those as well.

He was also getting bullied and was assaulted physically on 4 occasions this school year alone and verbally everyday. He began to get the hives (we're still trying to figure out that one...whether it is indeed food or stress) and he was sleeping in most all his classes ...even though he was going to bed at 9PM and was getting a good night's sleep

with the help of melatonin and the new introduction of the white noise machine.

After dealing with the incompetence of the teachers to follow his IEP and the ineffectiveness of the school to protect him and make him feel safe at school (and many many other things that the school and teachers had obviously not been doing correctly)...oh and many many letters that were sent pointing out their errors...yet them not correcting them...we finally was pointed in the direction of the school that he is currently attending.

Even that was met with objection from the school at first......until I was able to talk to the right person with the school....and that person had the pull needed. She was well aware of what I had been dealing with because she had been receiving copies of every letter that I had sent the school to point out their errs....and we sat there together to help figure out the best course of action. I had done my homework and I was able to "ask" for her assistance to help my son who was struggling in school and had been misdx'd since K..and he was now 17 and instead of graduating next year...he most likely would be in high school for another 4 years. Why?...because he was so far behind and needed help....and the right help...which he was NOT getting at his current placement.

She approved the change of schools for the last 5 weeks of school because at the point in the year... that my son was at in public school...he wasn't going to be able to bring up his grades and it was worth a shot to find out now if this type of placement would work instead of me begging for this type of placement in the coming Fall...and then find out after that ....it was totally wrong.

For my son....it's been the best placement ever! The school is actually a school for Emotionally Disturbed children (at least that's why many of the schools locally are sending some of their students there).

What I was also told...is that studies have shown that students with aspergers/autism do NOT do well in schools that have students that are E.D. and solely there for students with E.D. However...this school that my son is attending has teachers experienced in both E.D. and they also have been trained to deal with other types of learning disabilities as well. Also...if my son is the type that memmics the actions of others....then an E.D. school is NOT the right place....since you don't want them to start copying the bad behavior of other students. Currently there are a couple of students at this particular school that has asperger's and they are doing great too!

Also....in order to get into this particular school we had to have a couple of things...one was an IEP...and the other was a FAPT. (Family Assessment and Planning Team) in this area helps families in crisis...and I had applied in January when our family was going through hell with our son. I almost didn't go completely through it once we figured out he had asperger's...but I did ..and I am soooooo very glad I did. Having had the FAPT meeting and being approved for help from the FAPT, it helped us get into this school. FAPT has access to several different state funds that pool their money together to get help for families in crisis....soooo...with the school approving him to attend this E.D. school and the fact that he had the FAPT...he was approved.

Is FAPT for everyone....no....but at the time that we applied we were living in our home ...all locked up (bedrooms and pantries) and our son was out of control.....(due to the wrong medication and being mis-dx'd mostly...but we still needed help). I was so afraid that if he didn't get help ...that within a year...he would be in jail or on the streets because we couldn't deal with what he was doing anymore (keep in mind...we had NO idea he had Asperger's at that time). Even with the Asperger's dx...it was even more important to get him help now...rather than let him slip through the cracks...like the school had been doing to him all this time.

How was he out of control? Not the standard stuff that many teenagers go through...but for us and him...it was not the "usual" stuff. He was displaying acts of ODD and his OCD. The ODD and OCD was at an extreme high as he was doing anything he could get away with to get sugar....or any kind

and many times he would go somewhere and not come home ...without calling...and we had no clue where to start looking. This type of behavior was all new to us. At the time we didn't realize that it had so much to do with the medication, but shortly thereafter we began to put the pieces together...along with the counselor.

Our son is no longer on drugs (thank goodness)...and he is acting like the loving and wonderful son that we had known without drugs. Does he have problems still? Oh yes....but now we know that he's not doing most of them on purpose and we now have the proper plans in place. We have a bit more patience with him and are realizing that we have to break everything down into smaller steps and make sure he understands why what he did was wrong and how to act accordingly. It's just not as easy with a child with Asperger's.

He loves structure...and being a part of the planning process so that he's not caught off guard about family plans and chores that need to be done.

So now the "meltdowns" are fewer...and far between. Do we get aggravated...heck yes...but we're still learning. ;)

Virginia:

I'm in New York...on Long Island. I think my situation is a little different than yours. My daughter's IQ is in the Moderate MR Range which is another reason why she needs to be watched constantly. She just doesn't understand sometimes when there is danger present (crossing a street, etc.). Her IQ has actually dropped in the last 2 1/2 years since she hit puberty.

I think if I can change her school placement from an academic setting where she is now to more of a behavioral setting (residential or day), this would help her tremendously right now. She can't learn if the behaviors are in the way. Up until she hit puberty she did very well in our regular school district in a 12:1:1 special ed class which was her placement from kindergarten through 7th grade. Then she was moved to a 8:1:1 in the middle of 7th grade. Then taken out of district and put in a BOCES program during 8th grade...now her placement needs to be changed again due to her ongoin aggressive behavior. She was in the emergency room for 5 days last month because of a major aggressive episode. She's never self-injurious, she's aggressive towards others.

So...my goal now is to get her medication on the right course and change her school placement.

I know you all know how exhausting this is :) Thanks for listening.

Phyllis

Phyllis......I'm not sure what state you are in...but I would go to social services and apply for help. See if your state has a FAPT that you can apply for. The form is quite lengthy...and you ...yourself fill it out and then have the school or doctor refer you to the FAPT process.

My son is 17 and when we were going through our "hell" those months during this past winter where we had the house under lock down....I knew that I too couldn't ask someone to come help "babysit" him....so I or my dd (who hated to be here watching him)...always had to be here when he came home from school. I couldn't trust him to be home alone...at least not without the house completely locked...and even if I did for even 30 minutes...I'd come home to something he'd done that made me go crazy

....and I have a feeling what my son was doing is nothing compared to what your dd is doing...so please....call social services and get some help.

What state do you live in...maybe some of us can do some research to see what's available...10 eyes are sometimes better than 2...you know?

I hope we can help you somehow. It's my goal to be able to help others ...just like I was helped these last 6 months with my son.

Kristy...thanks...and that was just the condensed version.

Sounds like your son is doing well. [QUOTE=cocoa]Sounds like your son is doing well. [/QUOTE]

Yes he is...for the first time since he's been in school.

I got a call today to make sure I knew about the field trip...because ds forgot to turn in the parent permission form...so I faxed it over and will take it in hand as well tomorrow.

I asked how he was doing and this was to someone that I hadn't spoken to before and she told me what a joy he is and that he's doing great and is a pleasure to teach.

Now granted I've heard that before to some degree...but then the teachers would go on to say that he's not doing his work or not turning in homework/classwork or is sleeping in class.

None of that happened today.

I'm just so glad that I found this board and the wonderful, knowledgable folks that make up this forum.

The last few weeks have been very much less stressful than ever before...and I pray that he's able to go back in the fall if things continue to go well here at this school.

I wish that everyone of our children can get the right help that they so desperately need.

I hesitate to get him out of this particular school too. I just wanted to know what my options were in case things go down hill fast.

So far he's doing wonderfully there though. Which is really good.

He's not sleeping in classes from what I know. He's not getting the hives like he was at the other school and he's once again eating everything like before...which leads me to think it might have been stressed induced hives afterall.

Tomorrow they are taking a field trip to Kitty Hawk NC ...and only those kids that have done all their work and earned enough points (by doing their school work and behaving) are allowed to go. Like all the other students...at anytime prior to them leaving for the trip...a student could end up not going on the trip because of behavior or not completing work.

The OT came yesterday to assess Greg....so that leaves the AT to do their work.

I have been told that the psychological/education evaluation is complete, but no one has contacted me to schedule an IEP. My guess is they are waiting till school is out and the AT/OT reports are in as well...even though the AT and OT is not part of the re-evalation that I requested...so that there could be a change of classification. But the school might want to try and do all the IEP stuff at one time...which is fine with me as long as we are given plenty of notice this time ...so that my advocate can come too.

Unless there are out-of-state private schools that are on your "state approved list" for special ed placement, the IEP Team does not have the authroity to send your child to a private school. However, you can get them to pay for it anyway, under certain circumstances. An imparital hearing would be required for this. It's called a "Carter case," after Shannon Carter, a Florida girl whose parents successfully sued the SD for her tuition at a private placement not approved by the state. Now, it's possible for parents to use this precedent to do the same thing. However, the expense, up front, is enormous. And you have to prove 2 things to a hearing officer (or judge if it eventually goes to court). #1 that your child is not being provided FAPE in his current placement (that is unlikely if things are now going well for your son and things remain that way) and #2 that the school YOU have placed him in IS providing FAPE. Yes, you have to place him in the residential school yourself, pay the tuition up front, pay the lawyer up front and wait for reimbursement should the hearing/court case go your way. The cases in my current practicum are almost ALL Carter Cases. It costs parents from ,000 to over 0,000 UP FRONT. Then, they end up getting reimbursed eventually if they win.

Sorry. I don't think this was the answer you were hoping for. I'm really, really glad your son's current placement is working. I wouldn't worry about the ED designation of the other students. Many probably are Asperger's anyway. There's a lot of misdiagnosis of that around. Also, many of the ED disorders have symptoms not unlike what our ASD kids go through. As long as your son is placed so that his emotional life is good and he is making progress, that's what counts.

Districts don't have to provide 'the best' placement they just have to
provide one that is adequate and least restrictive. If you feel the current
one is not adequate you might have not only to prove that bt also that no
other school in the state. You can always try but be careful how you word
it. No state or district will pay for an out-of state school because it is 'the
best' for that kid wheter the kid is asd or nt.At the age of 17, your son is either in 10th or11th, right? Two more years is a long time, 1 more year in HS could also be beneficial. If he is a high functioning Asp., you probably also have an accurate IQ on him. He may be making poor grades due to poor organization skills, not turning in the homework, slow reading comprehension. Going to a regular high school and getting help in study skills of RSP would typically be helpful. Are you and his school working on a Transition plan for after HS> A 2 yr college, a 4 yr. college, etc? This is the perfect time for an ASP student to join a few (2) organizations, a discussion group with a school psychologist or LSW with other students from the HS and his population.

Wow: You've been through so much! Thanks for your story.

Unfortunately, there is no one in my household who is able to deal with my daughter at this stage in her life except me. I work full time. My husband (her stepdad and his parents) do not deal with her well at all. This is hindering rather than helping her situation. She needs to be locked in her playroom when she comes home from school until I get home (3 hours) because they all cannot deal with her...which would entail watching her every moment.

So for me, even though I would like to place her as a day student, the residential seems a better situation for her. She too needs structure and needs to be around other young people her own age. The school is only 20 minutes from our home and I could pick her up every weekend to sleep at home if she wanted.

Hopefully, this will make her more independent as she becomes an adult. Right now she cannot be left alone at all.

Phyllis :)

Virginia,

Thanks so much for sharing your story. Wow - you have been through a lot. All I can say is your son is SO LUCKY to have you for his mom (and advocate!) I so hope that this placement continues to work for your family in the fall.