HI, WELL YESTERDAY WAS THE MEETING, IT WAS 2.5 HOURS LONG AND I WAS DRAINED. I AM STILL FEELING THE AFTER EFFECTS, SORTING THRU EVERYTHING IN MY HEAD. I WANT TO SAY THAT I AM SO APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE POSTS AND HAPPY/GOOD THOUGHTS THAT WERE SENT MY WAY. SO I WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW HOW IT WENT, AND PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK? DID I MISS ANYTHING?
THE SCHOOL MADE US WAIT FOR ALMOST A HALF HOUR. WHILE THEY CONVERSED IN THE ROOM WITH THE DOORS SHUT,(PROBABLY TO GET THEIR GAME PLAN TOGETHER.) ANYWAY THEY DID NOT BRING UP NEW PLACEMENT FOR JUSTIN, THEY ARE REDOING THE FAA, HIS LAWYER SAID THE ORIGINAL FAA WAS NOT APPROPRAITE AS IT WAS NOT DONE BY A BEHAVIORIST LET ALONE SOMEONE WHO KNEW AUTISM.(IT TURNS OUT IT WAS DONE BY A TEACHER IN TRAINING FOR A BEHAVORIST).ONLY ONE BEHAVIOR WAS TARGETED IN THE FIRST ONE, YET THEY WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT OTHER BEHAVIORS THAT WERE NOT NEW ONES.THERE WAS NO POSIVITVE REINFORCEMENT EITHER. HE HAS A ONE ON ONE, BUT OUR CONCERN WAS IF THIS AIDE HAD BEHAVIOR TRAINING, THE SCHOOL CLAIMS HE HAS TAKEN 2 CLASES,WEEKEND ONES, IN THIS AREA. IT SEEMS THAT THERE ARE BEHAVIORAL INSTRUCTIONAL AIDES THAT ARE OUT THERE TO BE USED, BUT OF COURSE THEY COST MORE MONEY AND THE SCHOOL DOES NOT WANT THAT. AS FAR AS THE MORNING DROP OFFS GO, HIS TEACHER DOES NOT WANT THE PEOPLE IN THE MORNING. BUT IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT THE SUPPORT WAS NEEDED AND THAT THERE WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A FATHER IN THE CAR WITH ME. HE PREFERS ONE OF THE DADS OVER THE OTHER,I WENT WITH THE DAD HE DOES NOT LIKE,
IN THE FALL, IT WAS DECIDED THAT JUSTIN WOULD RIDE THE BUS IN THE MORNING TO SCHOOL.HE ALREADY RIDES IT HOME, WITH NO PROBLEMS BUT THAT IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE IS GOING HOME. AN AIDE, HIS ONE ON ONE, WILL BE ON THE BUS TO RIDE WITH HIM, IT IS UP TO ME, AND WITH THE HELP OF THE DADS IN THE MORNING TO GET HIM TO THE BUS. THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY, AS HE IS SUFFERING BIG TIME FROM SEPERATION FROM ME.THERE IS TO BE ANOTHER MEETING TO DISCUSS THE PLAN FOR THE BUS ON AUGUST 31.
AT THE START OF THE MEETING. THE ADVOCATE STATED THAT THIS MEETING WAS BASICALLY A WASTE OF TIME, AS WE ALL KNOW THAT JUSTIN IS SUFFERING FROM ALOT OF PHYSICAL PAIN, AND UNTIL THIS PAIN WAS FOUND THERE WOULD MORE THAN LIKELY BE BEHAVIORS, SO THE "TEAM" NEEDED TO KEEP THIS IN MIND. THE TROUBLE I AM HAVING IS THE REFUSAL DOCTORS ARE GIVING ME BECAUSE OF HIS AGE, HE IS AN ADULT, CONSERVERTASHIP AS STARTED, BUT DOES NOT HAPPEN OVER NITE. ANY WAY I AM WIAITNG NOW FOR THE NAME AND NUMBER OF A DOCTOR ,GASTRO, WHO IS SUPPOSE TO BE THE ONE WHO WILL CHECK HIS BOTTOM FOR THE "HEMMOROIDS" OR WHAT ESLE MIGHT BE DOWN THERE. AND YES HE WILL LOOK FOR SIGNS OF SEXUAL ABUSE.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS, AN ASSESSMENT PLAN WILL BE SENT HOME; A BEHAVIOR PLAN WILL BE FORMULATED AND DEVELOPED FOR TRANSPORTATION; THE FAA WILL BE REDONE AND UPDATED; AM ADDENDUM MEETING WILL BE HELD PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER SCHOOL START TO ADDRESS TRANSPROTATION ISSUES; JUSTIN WILL HOPEFULLY BE SEEN BY A DOCTOR IN AUGUST TO ADDRESS HIS MEDICAL ISSUES.
ONE OTHER THING, AS I KNOW I AM TALKING ALOT, THEY WANTED ME TO SIGN A BLANK RELEASE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO ANYONE WHO HAS CONTACT WITH JUSTIN, I REFUSED, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THEM TALKING TO THESE PEOPLE BUT NOT WITHOPUT MY KNOWING. THEY WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THIS.
SEVERAL TIMES THEY TRIED TO BRING UP PAST ISSUES ALL OF WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED AT PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND DETERMINED NOT TO BE THE CASE WITH JUSTIN. THE LAWYER AND THE ADVOCATE BOTH CALLED THEM ON THIS. I HATE THESE MEETINGS AND WONDER IF IT WENT WELL. WHAT DO YOU THINK? JUSTIN WILL NOT MAKE IT IN SCHOOL UNTIL HE IS 21-22...I NEED TO FIGURE THINGS OUT..
I AM GLAD IT IS OVER FOR NOW, BUT I FEEL AS IF I HAVE TO PROTECT AND DEFEND MY SON. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
vcuddy, I am glad that its over for now. I am always a wreck after the meetings. Remembering things I should have said, etc. Take care!That is a lot of information. After that you probably need to wind down andGosh yes that makes sense. The last one I had I left there shaking my head and it took me a good week to process everything they said.
Karrie
BCBA=Board Certified Behavior Analyst
BIP=Behavioral Intervention Plan
V -- Having you named as his guardian shouldn't take all that long. I know that I and my husband are going to go to the lawyer this year to get named as Jamie's guardians while he's still under age 18. For those with younger kids, once your child gets to about HS age, it will become clearer whether or not he or she is capable of being an independent adult. If not, you MUST get named guardians by a court. Otherwise, you won't be allowed to speak with the doctors the day your child turns 18. This is true for ALL parents. Except that parents of NT kids can ask their children what went on. If your child ends up at 18 being a person who really cannot speak up for himself in an adult way, it's vital that you have legal guardianship so that YOU can speak for him.
V -- also, what decisions were made at this meeting? How was his IEP changed from his last IEP?
It sounds like it went well. You stood your ground. I think you did the right thing with the release. I did sign the release and it was misused so I had to revoke it. I have been asked several times after that to sign releases which I will only do on a case by case basis and I want to know exactly why they want to talk to a particular doctor and I want the opportunity to be a part of the conversation.
Stay strong and do what you know to be best for your son. I honestly don't know why your son's teacher is against someone helping you get your son safely to school. That is the most important thing that you Both get there safely.
I think the important thing here to ask yourself is "Are you happy with the results?"
So glad you updated. I know you were stressing over this and I'm glad it's over. I was thinking of you even if I wasn't able to post.
Take care,
Karrie
It sounds like it went pretty well to me and I am so glad you did not sign that waiver. I would never have signed that either, let them be unhappy. And I would keep that lawyer and advocate, I have a feeling you are going to need them many more times. I'm sorry you have to fight so hard for what's right, but kudos to you for doing so!Thank you for updating! I don't know enough about the process to know much, but I will give this a bump so it stays up, and maybe someone else can chime in, too.
Big hugs!
BUMPING