Is scheduling an ARD meeting an option at your child's school? My son is a little younger than your child but he's been in the local school system's PPCD program for a couple of years. We have an ARD meeting at the beginning of every school semester where we go over what therapies and programs they'll provide along with how when and how much, etc. We also go over what special arrangements they'll make when dealing with him and his condition. It's basically a contract with the school that can not be deviated from without having an additional ARD meeting.
In my son's first semester in the program, the school did not fulfill their requirements in a few areas and was not very cooperative with us when we tried to address it with them. Long story short - We finally had to involve the superintendent but the end result was we had an additional ARD where we were given more therapies and the items that weren't provided were made up for after hours in our home. Changes in dealing with his condition were made. Some folks in the special ed department got their hand slapped pretty good.
Having that ARD meeting and the districts "contractual commitment" made all the difference when they didn't follow our requirements with our son.
I have a letter on my son's website www.aspergerboy.com from a lady that worked for decades in the Ft. Worth school systems special ed dept. that gives some good advice when dealing with schools.
I would schedule a meeting with this teacher and maybe the principal or some other member of the IEP team, maybe someone who knows your son. That way the teacher can't just look at you as a fanatical mom (cuz you know she will), but she'll have the opinion of someone from the school system too.
Good luck!
lizaClearly, this teacher needs TRAINING and so does the staff. IDEA 2004 requires that staff be trained. If your son gets OT for sensory needs in school, the OT should be consulting with the teacher. IMHO, mainstreaming is not always the best place for a child with a disability. The Least Restrictive Environment is not always a mainstream setting for every child. OFtentimes, the lack of teacher training and the fact that a teacher has SO many kids to watch work against an ASD child. You might try calling an IEP meeting an insisting on two things -- 1. A Functional Behavioral Assessment and a Behavior Intervention Plan 2. A one-on-one aide for your son. Most higher functioning autistic kids fail in mainstream setting because the teacher and staff are not trained. It's hard to get them training quickly enough in some cases. One of the beauties of a BIP is that it trains the ADULTS in how to intervene with a child. IMHO, it's more for THEM than it is for the child!
So I am SO mad as I write this- I was getting ready to write my sons 1st grade teacher but thought I'd write here first to calm down a bit and get some advice, and then write the teacher this evening once I have time to think how I want to word my email.
Here is my problem...
My 6 year old son (PDD-NOS with sensory issues) is in a mainstream 1st grade class but recieves some par time (1 hour a day) 1-1 help each day with an aide in class and is removed from class a few times a week or speech and OT. I adore my sons school and love that for the most part they have been very accomadating and are always eager to help meet his needs. However his new teacher, I am not being so fond of.
I have yet to meet her besides at the open house... We had an IEP meeting last week which she did not come to because it was held during school hours while she was in class teaching. At the start of the year she sent home a "help me get to know your student" paper (to all students) and I filled it out explaining how my sons temperment was and what his triggers were, and explained that he had sensory issues and often times will seperate himself from the class, or need to be off on his own- and often will do this himself without being asked or asking.. like he will go sit at an empty table in the back of the classroom instead iof sitting on the carpet at circle time. he sometimes knows when its "to much" and he also sometimes can not handle crowds or loud noises (such as singing at circle time). I wrote her and specifically said I wanted this encouraged and with him this is a GOOD thing and he is not to be punished for it. I gave her my phone number, email, and told her any questions please contact me. She never did contact me.
Fast forward to now.. schools beein for a few weeks and my son is already in the "i hate school" mood... but this is a kid who last year and the year before wanted to go to school even on weekends- he loved it. He suddenly hates it. Im sure a lot of this has to do with his sensory issues and hes not eating lunch because there is to much going on in the lunch room and he has a very limited list of foods he will eat so lunch is hard- more days then not he eats NOTHING- but the IEP team is working on a solution for this. So he's already grumpy and hungry and when hes like that- his melt downs and stuff are much worse.
Anyways, here is my problem. Today my son came out of class very upset. Crying, throwing his lunch pail, hyperventaliating (sp) cause hes so upset. My mom actually picked him up outside his classroom today, I was off at another classroom picking up my older son. When my 6 year old came out this way, my mom asked the teacher what happened and she responded "he was not where he needed to be, when he needed to be so he got his name on the blackboard". Well, my son has some speach and processing issues so its hard to get an entire story out of him about what happened from the start to the end... but this is what I got. (two versions actually).
First version when he was very upset. I gathered that he was for some reason sitting somewhere besides in his regular seat. His teacher said to the class ok its time to go to your regular seats and she started the timer. He said she times then and they have to be back in their seats in timer goes off- (*which is a whole nother problem with me as this "timing method" really stresses my son out.*). He said it was to loud and he didnt want to go back to his seat and he wanted to stay where he was. He said but then he hurried to get there and he didnt make it in time, the timer went off. She put his name on the blackboard. I guess when a student gets their name on the blackboard, then on Friday, during play time they have to stay in their seat and not play. Every friday the school lets students each bring 1 toy from home to share during show and tell and there i a period during the afternoon where its free play and they can play with them and show their toy to the other students. But on Friday because his name is on the blackboard her has to sit in his seat and not bring a toy or play.
Version two, after he was fed, and calmed down a bit: It was circle time and the teacher told the class ok back to your seats. She timed them and they all ran back to their seats (my son included). She said ok that was to loud- do it over again. He said she made them all go back to the circle rug and go back to their chairs a 2nd time while the timer was on. This upset my son, he was already upset from it having been "loud" the first time then he didnt want to go do it a 2nd time.. it was a lot going on and he was stressed he said he was standing on the rug the 2nd time then went back to his seat and was next to his chair when the timer went off. Then she said ok your name is going on the blackboard because you were not sitting down.
I know this doesnt seem like much but I have specifically told her how situations like this can be stressful and upsetting to him- when its loud, everybody is moving or talking at once.. thats stressful to him. Then having to go through it a 2nd time! And not to mention the timer which is a HUGE stress trigger for him, he gets himself so frazzled if he knows hes being timed and he cant keep straight in his brain what to do next.
I feel that first off she should not be using this method of timing with him- 2nd I have told her that I do NOT want him to be punished for not being where she thinks he needs to be, he will have times that he needs a bit longer then the rest of his class as he is the only student in there with special needs. There will be times he may want to sit alone, or on the other side of the classroom, or not be involved in singing or whatever- and this is GOOD in my opinion that he can know when its to much and seperate himself and avoid a huge melt down. I want this encourged, id much rather he self seperated himself, self soothed and re-joined class when he was ready then be forced to do what is stressing him out then having a HUGE melt down like he did on the way out the door today.
Lastly I do not want him being punished for this sillyness on Friday- to him having to sit still in his chair and not get up while other kids are running around the room talking, playing, laughing, showing off toys- that would be so hard for him to do physically and mentally. he needs to move and he needs to be able to get away if the noise is to much not be forced to stay in one spot.. and hes going to feel sad that he cant play and not fuly understand "why" he cant.
I need to get the teachers side of the story- but either way I want this punishment coming friday from the "name on the blackboard" to be removed. Even if he was not where he needed to be at the moment she wanted him there- he was working on getting there. He was overloaded from all the stuff going on and the timer thing is a huge upsetting thing to him. If he is in danger, or being a huge distraction to the class i can see this seperating himself being a problem but its not- he does it quietly and does not bother other people.
So what do I do? What should I write in this email to the teacher to make her see that this is NOT ok with me. He is not just being bratty or not listening, she is going to have to accomdate him once in awhile and if I say I do NOT want him to be punished for not joining the class- does she have the right to still punish him?
If she refuses to not punish him on Friday I am going to approach the principle and make it clear to the principle and the teacher that during the time period of "free play" I will be coming to personally remove my son from class as I am NOT going to sit by and make him be punished for this.
Ok Im glad I got all that out and I Hope it made sence. I know to some people it will seem like its not a big deal adn its silly but the thing is it IS a big deal to us and I dont want a whole school year of my son being punished because of his special needs. I want to get this taken care of NOW. So how can I Put this teacher in her place without coming across as "just an over protective mom" and make her see that like it or not this is the way it is and this is what she needs to be doing in class for my child?
It really sucks to get a butt for a teacher this year.. his IEP team is great and ill be sure to have an IEP meeting where she is part of it soon- he is up for a re-eval this month where hes having a full evaluation then we will meet again after that.
But untill then what can I do? I know she has to run her class and the timer method for example may work great for the other students but for my child, it just wont work... and ive told her once already he is not to be punished for not being in his seat and today she just went ahead and did it anyways.
Opinions? Advice?? I need to write this email tonght and I am going to copy it to the school counselor as well. Thanks!