maybe some help for PE
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| Fri, 02-16-2007 - 8:40pm |
After many emails with all of Weston's team I think we might have some things that might work.
The OT met Weston at the door of the gym after PE on Wednesday and took him to her room. She could tell he was distressed and he couldn't talk to her. So, they did several things and she got him to talk to her. Anyway, he couldn't tell her what exactly what bothering him about PE but the noise is a huge factor. Also the jumping rope which has been the unit they've been doing was very disturbing for him but they have now finished this unit and are going on to something else. He also told her that noise bothers him everywhere, esp the cafeteria. I had noticed he wasn't eating his lunch anymore and wouldn't ever eat hot lunch anymore. The OT said that she's noticed his stimming was REALLY noticeable in the cafeteria. His teachers said he always takes the advantage of sitting off away from his class and he rarely will settle down to eat then at the end of lunch will get upset that he hasn't eaten his lunch. (oh, so glad they told me!grr!)
So, after talking w/ his teachers and the special ed coordinator, her first solution is noise reducing ear plugs. We're going to try those asap for cafeteria and quiet reading time (Tuesday will be the first day back at school). The OT wants him to use them in PE, but the spec ed coordinator wants him to do 2 weeks in PE "normally" to see if it was just the jumproping that was causing his distress. The OT said she will talk w/ him after PE this week to assess whether it's better or not and see if we need to make some accomidations before the 2wks are over.
If the noise reducing ear plugs don't change his difficulties significantly we're going to get him an MP3 player w/ calming music for cafeteria and quiet time and possibly for PE as well. The OT wants Weston to be able to use this for PE whenever he thinks he needs it as well, but the special ed coordinator doesn't like that idea (said something about 'least restrictive environment' 'fewest accomidations necessary'- blah blah blah!).
Betsy

Glad to hear you've got some plans...and that the OT "gets it". But as far as the Spec. Ed. Coord. goes, WHAT AN IDIOT!!! How does an MP3 player affect his LRE placement? Sounds to me like this coordinator is more worried about proving the OT wrong than he/she is helping Weston. UGH.
Thank goodness you've got somebody who's "in the trenches" available to assess the situations and make sincere recommendations.
GL
Amy