How to redirect him?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
How to redirect him?
8
Wed, 04-05-2006 - 9:54pm

The teacher, that is.

We had the PT conference yesterday, and we got the "Have you ever had him tested for ADHD?" question AGAIN. (answer: "Yes. Three times. they said it was PDD -not ADD")

Apparently Peter has been highly distractable, out of his seat and pacing a lot. ...in the past month. I wanted to shake the guy and shout "That's a STIM! You don't develop ADHD ovrnight. You are born with it!" I didn't of course.

Because he is bigger than me :P

So THIS is the direction the school is taking for Triennals. Good to know. It will be a difficult battle, beacause Peter is so social, such a clown and so atypical in many ways. Next they will start on me about meds. I am absolutely, completely convinced that he does NOT have ADHD. -I think Siobhan may have it (sans H), but not Peter.

How do I convince these clowns they have it wrong?

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 04-05-2006 - 10:34pm

IEE maybe?

I hate clowns like that but meds are not the answer for some of these kids, and it certainly isn't answer for all kids with attending issues particularly if the attending or hyperactivity problems are the result of something other than ADHD like say, Sensory integration, poor executive functioning or 101 other issues that are common for kids with ASD's.

Knuckleheads.

I know you will fight the good fight but I feel for you. I know you were hoping to have a little more support with his new IEP. Is this Peter's Triennial year too? When are you doing it? Cait is mid triennial right now. Her meeting is a little over a week after we get back and they still haven't done the academic testing or most of the psych testing. GEEZ

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 04-05-2006 - 11:01pm

I know exactly what you mean.......the school psychologist asked me three different times during one meeting if the doctor was positive my son had AS......and after each question he would state that he (school psych) believes that all of my son's behavior issues are "untreated ADHD".......his way of saying (without actually saying) he wants him on ADHD meds.

I have told all interested parties (at school) that I have discussed meds with son's pediatrician and neuro......I am not putting him on meds at this time......I want to monitor my son's progress with all of the different supports and services in place before I make a decision about meds.......I personally do not feel meds are the first and only avenue to follow. If all of the modifications and supports fail to help son in school (95% of son's issues are at school), then I MAY try medication. This has shut them up.....at least for now.

Hang in there,
Christie

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2005
Wed, 04-05-2006 - 11:23pm

Paula,
Man are you having a rough week! I have no advice because I'm just getting started with all this IEP stuff but reading the results of Jakes IU evaluation yesterday gave me a little taste of what's to come. According to them he's ahead in every area except for self help skills. Most areas they had him between 36 and all the way up to 44 months(he's not even 3 yet).Yeah that's great he's really smart but he still can't even take his socks off his feet.First off, if I were to believe the results were accurate which I don't why would I even be going for help in the first place if he's so far ahead. The PT told me he wouldn't qualify just because he couldn't get up and down the playground equipment because he would be able to run around in circles in the playground. Is she joking???? She's the mother of 4 children. Would she be okay with one of her kids running in cricles not interacting with the other kids because they can't use the playground equipment?I have his meeting next week and I'm already rolling up my sleeves for the fight! It must be the Irish in me(LOL) Sorry, I went off on a bit of a rant myself there(LOL)

Thanks for all that info on the camera stuff for Ireland. I talked to Mammy about it and she's considering it. I can't wait to set it all up.

Teresa

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 04-06-2006 - 12:56am

Teresa,

We had this problem with Mike and hindsight is 20/20. Don't let them get away with he doesn't qualify because he is smart. High functioning ASD kids in preschool can tend to have this problem. Doesn't mean they aren't ASD it is just that the testing methods are pathetic sometimes at that age.

I have to check the preschool eligibility criteria for your state but I would definitely look into that and how autism fits into that. Sometimes in preschool there is different criteria then when they are school age and it is more on "delay" than on autism per se.

If they give you a really hard time about remaining eligible ask for an IEE (independent educational assessment). Don't do what we did and say "yippee, he is smart and doesn't need special ed!" My DH did that before I got to a meeting. Mike went in and out of qualifying for years. He stayed in the special ed preschool program as a "typical" peer because he didn't qualify because he was "too smart". When he was entering K the pre-K special ed teacher called me and told me that we had to consider doing something or Mike would be in a special day class so we tried meds lying to ourselves that he was just ADHD and meds would help.

Renee

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Registered: 10-03-2004
Thu, 04-06-2006 - 6:12am

Dear Paula,

Oooo, I am sorry. NOT helpful. But they are not supposed to push drugs, by law, and Renee is right, you most certainly do not have to do it just because some educators want an easy answer. Oh, and if there WERE an east answer, doncha know we would certainly run and implement it?

As I have said here before, we know several kids who were put on drug therapy and it really backfired and made anxiety, meltdowns, etc. worse. And then they had trouble getting OFF the drugs. Now, I also know some kids who were really helped by drug therapy, too, but it's so hit/miss, there ARE side effects, and you don't know if your kid will do well or not until you try it. And when you are talking about a drug used for a different dx than the one your kid has, well....

Has the PT had training in AS and spectrum? Rest of Peter's team? Do they need a re-training or 2?

We have the difference now in new school that they are not spectrum experts, although they are all wonderful educators and trained in special ed. But they don't "get" Malcolm as well as teachers as ASD school -- although he wasn't "gotten" by everyone there either, like Pwter, Malcolm's too social, silly, too much personality, they would regularly "forget" why he was there!!! However, they are learning quickly at new school -- he is teaching them LOL, and there ARE other ASD kids at the new school, but only a few and mildly so.

-- answering other post here -- Of course you will NOT let them remove all of Sioghan's supports, that's just crazy. 'Nuff said. but just to say that school is NOT breaking the rule, as Peter is having "crisis" and Sioghan is doing fabulously so now they want to save money. I would say the SCHOOL is having a big time CONFUSED moment.

So, good luck to you in upcoming fight(s)! Do you use an advocate?

And looking forward to lunch..

yours,

Sara

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Registered: 07-24-2003
Thu, 04-06-2006 - 10:31am

The only thing you can do is educate them. Inundate them with articles and chapters from books if necessary. The thing is (as a former teacher) they aren't bad people or stupid people. And most of them honestly have your son's best interest at heart. The just deal with a lot of parents that don't want to hear there might be something wrong with their child, or that their child just doesn't behave right in school. A large percentage of parents aren't very tuned into their child and shrug off unpleasant news....or blame someone else (like the teacher). You just need to get them to understand that you really do know what your son has and then try to brainstorm with the teacher to come up with effective solutions to behavior concerns.

My sister is going through this with her 9 year old. The father refuses to go forward with evaluations, but most of the people my sister has talked to (doctors, teachers, counselors) believe he has AS. So, after yet another drive to have her son labeled adhd by a new teacher my sis went in with lots of information and talked things through. The teacher turned out to be really familiar with AS and between the two of them they worked out a plan of action that has really benefited my nephew this year. He might even get into the gifted program next year if he can finish out the year the way he's been going.

Mary

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 04-06-2006 - 11:05am

We are even having this problem in Cait's AS program. The district readily accepts that Cait is ASD and so do her teachers and they specialize in ASD but they forget what that means I think. I was just talking to Cait's psychologist about this yesterday. Cait has some great coping mechanisms and some great strengths and they forget she's autistic or how autistic she is and how much support she needs.

Instead, they think she is ADHD or isn't trying or is manipulating. Impossible. What it is, is absolutely horrible executive functions and very concrete thinking.

What has helped us in the past and hopefully what will help us again is good triennial testing. The private psycholist is doing an evaluation just on executive function that breaks things down really well. Of course right now I can't remember the name of the test. It begins with an S, I will try to find out.

Making sure she has good testing and getting it in advance to look it over myself and point out to them some of the red flags they may miss helps.

Perhaps if Peter is going through testing you can use the results to really kind of stick it too them making sure of course that they are interpretted correctly or asking for IEE. I think you really need to get them to accept the ASD this time around. It will change how they think about treating him. The ASD mindset is a completely different one. Thier understanding and thought process is much different and it helps to have an understanding of that when treating them.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
Thu, 04-06-2006 - 1:24pm

Thanks, everyone for your responses and support.

Sorry to answer all at once in this post, but I am at work and being a bit naughty internetting on company time (though I am eating my lunch -getting food everywhere)

At the meeting, I did ask if the school psychologist had observed him, and what her opinion was? (in retrospect, I wonder if this was wise?) I also stated that if this was just in the past month, it was probably environmental.

I should have asked them to have the OT observe him, as I am sure his 'hyeractivity' is and always was, sensory related. The dude just isn't that distractable. He can sit at home and complete three days worth of spelling homework in a single sitting if I let him.

I couldn't do that at 7. Hey, I probably couldn't do it at 14.

Teresa: Ditto what Renee said. Keep on them. Peter always had obvious needs, so there was never a question of him not qualifying for *something*, but Siobhan's case was one I always had to argue and push for.

The best advice I can give is to learn how the system works, and how to operate within the system. If you have the time (and I know you don't), it is a great thing to volunteer to be a "parent member" on the IEP comittee -if they have such a thing in PA. I did it in NY for a couple of years and I learned two valuable lessons:

1. How to operate within the system (things like never say "He would benefit from" say "He absolutely NEEDS...")
2. Politics and relationships are important. They shouldn't be, but they are.

I am going to write a letter and send in some documentation for the school shrink. I may try to have another eval done, although time is tight. That crappy neurologist may be an option. If his report stinks, I can can it, and not be too much out of pocket, but if it backs me up at all, I can use it. Maybe the school doesn't know he is an idiot. It doesn't matter if they do, anyway. He has the requsite letters after his name, they have to take it into account.

And there is always an IEE...

Fun fun fun!

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com