Newest Excuse... GRRRRRRRR. Not fun, Dad.  Not at all.  Just my sympathy.  Stinks!!! Not even close to a GOOD excuse ... not like they are being in the least CLEVER. That's how 'they play'?! And it's okay if 'one of them' gets hurt. But just watch how it would not be okay if one of the 'normal' kids would get hurt by 'them'. There would be no longer talk of it just being the ways it was, there would be suspensions. When will the typical adults get that unstructured times like recess is when our kids need the most support. I had an adaptation written into the IEP that since my son was at increased risk of being bullied that staff needed to monitor for that during recess. I know getting something on the IEP and then actually getting it implemented are two different things but at least in theory it still creates more accountability. If the school already has this sort of preconceived notion that all spectrum kids are xxx, then I'm not sure an IEP adjustment is going to help.  This would take a whole system shift. I have never heard of a nationwide SpED voucher but I love the idea! We had similar problems here for our son. We live in Oregon where you do not have to have a degree to be an Autism Specialist, unfortunetley we found out to late and our son was traumatized by her and playground issues , similar to what you talk about but with aids ( uneducated ) who said the same thing ... that is just how "they" play.  when They played tag and when they caught my son"  they"  hit. I took time to visually see this at recess being he was talking about it at home and could not believe it after hearing it. We pulled him out , they are not educated and unconcerned . We now have a speech person who our insurance helps pay for that is teaching social interaction. Which is what your school should be implementing ... When we asked at the IEP the school speech person she bluntly said " I just dont' do that" then went on that my son does not know what a bracelet is! ya thats important. We did hire a lawyer at one point and we won what we wanted . However we had to then play deputy to make sure our IEP  was implemented. It was a see we told you so attitude. It was a nightmare year. My son in the end stopped talking for 2 months , totally regressed. My advice MOVE! run and get to a school that implements real education and comunication skills. You can fight and win but if the heart and education are not there your child is the loser. We are a year and 1/2 out of school , my son is doing well we have hired tutors and indepentdant OT SP. We are planning on moving as soon as we can to get to a  state that has a heart.     ...for not providing services. I am getting this information from my son as there were no school staff watching this particular play structure at recess.  (I know that ought to be a red flag right there.)  My son is with two of his "friends"  The are verbally taunting him to see if he will lose his temper.  That fails (good for him).  So one grabs him by the arms and drags him until he falls and skins his knee.  OK, so we take this up with the principal, who tells us that the other kids are on the spectrum and so this is just their way of playing. There are so many things wrong with this I just want to run for the hills.  Is it OK if a SpEd kid beats mine up?  Why aren't the kids being supported and/or supervised?  Why isn't there someone watching the play structure?  Suppose one of the kids fell off of the damn thing and broke something?  Why is it whenever I find out my son has been playing with someone the other kid is SpEd?  I KNOW that there is better diagnistic value in watching who play with who that a whole school yard of educational psychologists, but why can't they see something's wrong here. Yup, I know -- document and write the Gebser letter.  We have a bookcase of documentation,  I just wish there was some way to head off the due process train wreck that has been coming for the few years.  I just want to vomit over these folks using my tax dollars to deny my son an education with no risk to themselves.  Anyone want to start a nationwide SpEd voucher initiative? My son does not have an IEP.  We have not been able to get that far.  Wife and I are going back and forth.  Generally we hold to the idea that if they cannot figure out that he needs support during recess, there is no way on god's green earth that they will be able to provide support even if it is written into the IEP.  The school staff just does not have the skills necessary.  But since we do not have an IEP we probably will find a private school and then give them 10 day's notice of a unilateral placement due to a denial of FAPE, while looking for a long term solution. But we really need to move.  This district and state seem to have decided that education of the next generation is not a priority compared to tax cuts. Dad2Luke&Alan40206.9981134259
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