it's like clockwork!

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Registered: 03-26-2003
it's like clockwork!
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Wed, 02-07-2007 - 1:53pm

Every single Wednesday (except for those w/ early release) Weston gets up and tells me he doesn't feel good. Every single Wednesday I feel his forehead and say, "I think you're ok, you should go to school and try it." Then he insists I take his temp w/ a real thermometer. Then he agrees since his temp is below normal that he can go to school. Then every Wednesday I either get a call from the school nurse sometime between 11 and 1 saying, "Weston is in my office w/ a headache and stomach ache." OR, she sends a note home saying, "Weston was in my office he had no fever but a headache and stomache ache. I had him lay down, then he went back to class."

I didn't realize this was happening until about a month or so ago. The long time school nurse used to just give him a drink then send him back to class, and he would not bring the note home. Then she retired and a whole lot of substitute nurses were there right before Christmas and Weston was sick a bit. Then after we went back the new nurse started. I had to tell her that he has autism and that there were several ways to approach him (he had a melt down in her office one day!), blah, blah blah. Today, I actually laughed when she said, "Hello, Mrs. X, I have Weston in my office complaining of a headache and stomach ache. I know it's been a while since we spoke about this and now, he's here again." yep, just last week on Wednesday at 12:45pm.

Anyway, I have an email into the OT to see what we can do to help Weston through PE. He has been taking a water bottle on PE days but that doesn't seem to have helped.

Betsy

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Registered: 01-25-2007
Wed, 02-07-2007 - 5:15pm

You might try to carefully review his Wednesday schedule to figure out what the trigger is. Do you think it's P.E.? His teacher can give you some idea how he acts during the school day. For example does he seem stressed all day or only at a certain time. My son's team noticed that he tended to have bad days whenever he had gym or music, and even though they happen in the afternoon he would be stressed all morning as if he dreaded what was coming. Maybe something on Wed. afternoons is really stressing him out. Is there anyone at the school who can help you pinpoint the cause?

Kathy

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Registered: 03-20-2003
Wed, 02-07-2007 - 6:57pm
Betsy.....what is it about Wednesdays?
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Wed, 02-07-2007 - 7:44pm

So PE is the culprit? Then something about PE needs to change. I am glad you are contacting the OT about it. Hopefully they have some good ideas for him and are supportive.

Let us know what they think of. I would be interested in thier ideas.

Renee

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 02-07-2007 - 8:05pm

I think it's time to call another IEP meeting. Wednesdays are spiraling out of control! It started out just a call from the nurse or Weston saying he didn't feel well, but the last few weeks have gotten worse. Now it's full out stimms from wake up (and I have to drag the child out of bed on Wednesdays) until we get home from church and off to bed.

No homework was done tonight at all. He came home and built himself a cave and spent all homework time alternating between chasing his siblings like a wild man scream through the house to under at blanket in a ball rocking. Then he had to be pulled into church for children's choir (he usually loves it but today had a horrible time going) but then when I looked in on him at choir he was singing and doing just fine. After children's choir he sat on my lap or laid in a heap on the floor while waiting for the other kids to finish their rehearsals so we could go home. I'm exhausted!

I do think it's PE. Wednesday is the only day he has PE. APE is not an option. This SD does APE only at ceratin locations where they have SDCs. I don't know what it is about PE that's making him feel so out of control though, he didn't start having this kind of reaction until December.

His teachers don't often notice when he's having an off day. They don't really pay much attention to the set of his jaw or his posture unless he's refusing to do work or something they ask. He'll just not react or he'll just zone out, but he doesn't tantrum for them at school very often at all. I think he's more of a flight kid (not a fight kid) so he gets out of the situation by going to the nurse. His teachers last year could sense when he was having a hard time or something wasn't quite right and they'd pull him aside and fix it or help him fix it-- this year-- not anything like that. (last year his team was really good, this year only the ST and OT really get him-- and even the ST doesn't comprehend all his difficulties).

Betsy

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 02-07-2007 - 9:22pm

Man I know that look. That set in the jaw and just that kind of off look in the eyes.

Mike has gotten really good at holding it in a school but I can see it in his eyes when I pick him up if he has been stressed. He just goes home and stims like a mad man.

I TOTALLY related to that homework story. That was mike for the last month up to this week. Finally this week he has done great BUT his SDC teacher has been doing math with him and he has been finishing the whole homework page in school so no math homework. I think that is the difference.

Otherwise he is coming home with "that" look and I know it is all the change but yeah, i know that look.

LOL, Cait has a look too. You can just tell it is going to come out eventually. I used to be able to peg it better. Now she comes home everyday with the look. I think it is the bus. So now it takes an hour or so to see if the look sticks and it was school or if it fades.

Renee

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Wed, 02-07-2007 - 9:26pm

No question...it's time to call another IEP and see what can be done about PE. I know Weston's situation is a little different, but earlier this year we figured out that Claire (age 7) would go into major league meltdowns on spanish days. (Our kids are on a four day rotation, and spanish was always "day 3". But day 3's rotated...so I couldn't figure it out based on the days of week.)

We ended up having her pulled from Spanish entirely. It's not a core subject for elementary school, and with expressive/receptive language delays in her native language, it didn't make sense to shove spanish down her throat and make every "day 3" miserable.

Could the problem be that he knows PE is impacting his grades? When I was in high school if we could prove we were active in another physically demanding activity, we could "comp out" of PE. Is Weston involved in any outside sports? Maybe this is an option you can put forth at the IEP. In there an aide or parapro around that could work with him one on one in an area outside of the gym (or wherever PE is held)? I know that both of my spectrum kids HATE being the school gym because of the way sound reverberates (sp?) off the walls. Maybe this has something to do with it?

Okay...so I don't have any answer for you, I'm just babbling via the keyboard. But I know this is a rotten situation to be in, and there's got to be some way to help the little dude out!

Keep us updated...

Amy

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Registered: 01-31-2007
Wed, 02-07-2007 - 9:31pm

I'm a teacher so I know a little about what can be done. Does your son have a full-time aide? If not, it might be time to request one to help him through his PE class. I have had a lot of expereince w/ spectrum students in my class and while they were wonderful all day in my room they would sometimes fall apart during specials/recess. There was this one little boy who could not handle music class. Of course I could not tell the parents that I understood why...the teacher, altough talented, was loud, a yeller and constantly banging some kind of instrument. Once the trouble began, I insisted on observing class a few times to find out what the trigger(s) were and sure enough, he wouold sit there ringing his hands, wanting to enjoy the singing, etc. BUT it was clear he was anxiously waiting for something to happen and sure enough as soon as the instruments came out the meltdowns began.
Maybe for your son, the PE teacher makes them run laps, takes too long w/ auditory instructions, who the heck knows BUT at this point I would request a meeting w/ the principal and teachers. Ask them to provide an aide that could push-in during the gym class and act as a 'general helper' but be there to specifically address his needs as they come up. IF they are not willing to help you out w/ sparing someone then it may be time to go back to an IEP meeting and start throwing around the word 'lawyer'...

anne