(((HUGS))) when a child goes from As to Ds and Fs there is something wrong! If she doesn't want to help, you need to go above the teacher's head. Save/Print the email. Is he on an IEP? If so go to the team chair or go to the special ed coordinator. We have a special ed coordinator, but some places it's the principal. Whoever it is, talk to them and if necessary make an appointment and bring your paper trail.
I didn't make it either. Still frosting cakes at midnight. My twins turn 8 tomorrow! We have a skating party today and Hanna Montanna movie tickets tomorrow.
ok, so at least you're in the process of getting and IEP in place. Call them and insist on a meeting. you need some intervention. I know these things take time and the school districts really seem to drag their feet, but he needs help NOW. Document his outbursts at home as well. See if you can get him to tell you what's happening at school-- that might be much harder. Take all your paperwork and keep at them.
Its so hard, and the school always seems like they're ganging up on you or at least they've been through this a hundred times and they're not in any hurry to do anything.
what the school is doing with the accommodations and testing is actually in line with state and federal law. Out on a limb here but I am guessing with the term SST you are in California.
Basically, there can be a concern of over identifying children with special needs and just wanting to slough them off on special ed rather than general ed teachers making accommodations and modifications just for basic learning differences. under the rules of Least Restrictive we really have to try accommodations within their environment first. It is in the interest of protecting most children to not over identify and to be more accommodating in their natural environment.
However, it is apparent very fast that these accommodations have not worked and he needs that testing.
Do you have a date for a follow up SST? That is always a mistake that is made. We decide to try something for a month but don't plan out that one month meeting setting things back further.
If you don't have a meeting within the next week or 2 planned then I would write the teacher and cc: everyone from the SST with a formal request for an evaluation. State in there that accommodations where agreed to and your son has continued to decline academically and you feel that it is consistent with the recomendation fo the team to have him evaluated at this time. Also add that you look forward to an assessment plan to sign within the next 2 weeks (assuming you are CA because that is the timeline for getting you the plan).
Once the assessment plan comes in, in a very nice/nonconfrontational/I am soo worried about my son way, ask if they can expediate the testing to a shorter time than the usual 60 days. That you would like to have a plan in place and know how to help him before he has to change classes at the end of the year. that kind of thing.
I'm so glad you've talked to some other parents because actually, my 'red flags' went up when I read your post. Something similar happened at my son's school - his behaviour dramatically deteriorated, as did his school work, and we just put it down to 'another Aspie episode, ho hum, here we go again' until I talked to a few other parents - and it turned out that a lot of the girls (Euan tended at that age to hang out with girls rather than boys) were being made very miserable by two little bullies. We'd been so busy thinking it was Euan and it turned out to be something else completely...anyway, everyone sighed a big sigh of relief when the ringleader moved away from the area. So I think you are absolutely right and you need to check out the classroom, teacher, environment etc and not just assume that it is Garrett.
Kirsty, mum to Euan (9, Asperger's) Rohan (4, NT) and Maeve (2, NT)
very interesting! I hope you're able to figure out what exactly is going on and put a stop to it. Change is often a trigger for other symptoms for our kids. I'm so glad you talked to some other parents and found that he's not the only one having problems since the break.
So things did not get better until one of the bullies moved away? Yikes.
I am partly relieved to find some support in numbers - plus I think it gives us more leverage with the school. But I am also chagrined to think that I may have been underappreciating DS's difficulties.
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Oh Liz, oh man, so sorry your going thru this.
(((HUGS))) when a child goes from As to Ds and Fs there is something wrong! If she doesn't want to help, you need to go above the teacher's head. Save/Print the email. Is he on an IEP? If so go to the team chair or go to the special ed coordinator. We have a special ed coordinator, but some places it's the principal. Whoever it is, talk to them and if necessary make an appointment and bring your paper trail.
Betsy
No, he's not on an IEP yet.
I didn't make it either. Still frosting cakes at midnight. My twins turn 8 tomorrow! We have a skating party today and Hanna Montanna movie tickets tomorrow.
Next chat.
Liz
ok, so at least you're in the process of getting and IEP in place. Call them and insist on a meeting. you need some intervention. I know these things take time and the school districts really seem to drag their feet, but he needs help NOW. Document his outbursts at home as well. See if you can get him to tell you what's happening at school-- that might be much harder. Take all your paperwork and keep at them.
Its so hard, and the school always seems like they're ganging up on you or at least they've been through this a hundred times and they're not in any hurry to do anything.
Betsy
what the school is doing with the accommodations and testing is actually in line with state and federal law. Out on a limb here but I am guessing with the term SST you are in California.
Basically, there can be a concern of over identifying children with special needs and just wanting to slough them off on special ed rather than general ed teachers making accommodations and modifications just for basic learning differences. under the rules of Least Restrictive we really have to try accommodations within their environment first. It is in the interest of protecting most children to not over identify and to be more accommodating in their natural environment.
However, it is apparent very fast that these accommodations have not worked and he needs that testing.
Do you have a date for a follow up SST? That is always a mistake that is made. We decide to try something for a month but don't plan out that one month meeting setting things back further.
If you don't have a meeting within the next week or 2 planned then I would write the teacher and cc: everyone from the SST with a formal request for an evaluation. State in there that accommodations where agreed to and your son has continued to decline academically and you feel that it is consistent with the recomendation fo the team to have him evaluated at this time. Also add that you look forward to an assessment plan to sign within the next 2 weeks (assuming you are CA because that is the timeline for getting you the plan).
Once the assessment plan comes in, in a very nice/nonconfrontational/I am soo worried about my son way, ask if they can expediate the testing to a shorter time than the usual 60 days. That you would like to have a plan in place and know how to help him before he has to change classes at the end of the year. that kind of thing.
UPDATE - an interesting turn of events.
I'm so glad you've talked to some other parents because actually, my 'red flags' went up when I read your post. Something similar happened at my son's school - his behaviour dramatically deteriorated, as did his school work, and we just put it down to 'another Aspie episode, ho hum, here we go again' until I talked to a few other parents - and it turned out that a lot of the girls (Euan tended at that age to hang out with girls rather than boys) were being made very miserable by two little bullies. We'd been so busy thinking it was Euan and it turned out to be something else completely...anyway, everyone sighed a big sigh of relief when the ringleader moved away from the area. So I think you are absolutely right and you need to check out the classroom, teacher, environment etc and not just assume that it is Garrett.
Kirsty, mum to Euan (9, Asperger's) Rohan (4, NT) and Maeve (2, NT)
"My definition of housework is to sweep the room with a glance"
Follow my blog on http://mumsnet.com/blogs/kirsteinr/
very interesting! I hope you're able to figure out what exactly is going on and put a stop to it. Change is often a trigger for other symptoms for our kids. I'm so glad you talked to some other parents and found that he's not the only one having problems since the break.
Betsy
So things did not get better until one of the bullies moved away? Yikes.
I am partly relieved to find some support in numbers - plus I think it gives us more leverage with the school. But I am also chagrined to think that I may have been underappreciating DS's difficulties.
Pages