Mixed Dx and "behavior disorders"
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| Wed, 11-02-2005 - 3:10pm |
I posted recently about my DS (7) who has a "mixed bag" of diagnoses including Asperger's, possible ADHD, possible Bi-Polar and Anxiety. We had his IEP meeting today, and they want to classify him as Multiply Handicapped because he doesn't fit nicely into one category. I'm OK with that, I think. Their suggestion for placement was in a BD class (behavior disorders, formerly called Emotionally Disabled). Right now, there are only two other kids in the class, both 10 y.o. males. I'm not sure what to think about this placement...
Yes, being in a much smaller classroom will give them the extra time to address behavior issues as they arise. Yes, the teacher supposedly will have SpEd training and be better able to handle his outbursts, opposition, and lack of motivation, etc. Yes, they will be able to challenge him academically (hi IQ) in a one-on-one setting.
What I don't like is that he'll be isolated from his peers, with the exception of non-academics (ie. phys ed, art, music, etc.). He'll be expected to "mainstream" into the regular 1st grade class for 40 minutes a day and act appropriately with this group of strangers. He won't really have a chance to get to know the other 1st graders. I feel this will cause him to stick out even more and feel more social anxiety. Also, I don't know that all of his developmental needs associated w/ the AS will be addressed.
We're still processing all of this information, and have not signed the IEP yet. We plan to visit the classroom and the teacher, ask all of our questions, and make a decision after that point. I'm sure as I think about it more, there will be more things I like (and more I don't like) about the placement.
Have any of your kids with Asperger's been placed in such a class? What do you see as the potential benefits/ drawbacks?
Thanks,
Melissa

I just reread your previous post, as well as this one, and I wanted to make a few comments about medication.
This is just my opinion, and not medical advice, of course...but I really think you might want to consider looking into putting him on a mood stabilizer. All drugs have risks of serious side effects, even Tylenol. When the doctor prescribes a medication, they should do it gradually, and have you call them at the first sign of any negative side effect. If there is a problem with a medication, you take them off of it and try a different one. I highly recommend that you get a book called "Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medications for Kids" by Timothy Wilens, MD...and have your dh look at it. (Sorry if I'm repeating myself; I think I've said this before recently to someone.) Our son's developmental pediatrician had us read up on the medications she was considering, and I'm glad we did.
I also recommend "The Explosive Child" by Ron Greene, and "Bipolar Child" by Demitri and Janice Papalos. That's a lot, I know, but knowledge is power, as they say. You can also get some useful info about childhood onset bipolar at www.bpkids.org. Unfortunately, the message boards are no longer free, most of the other stuff is. I think there is stuff in there that compares bp with other common diagnoses.
My son is dx with AS, with possible mood-disorder NOS. The doctor said that she's pretty sure it isn't merely AS, because there were signs of psychoses. I never thought I'd but my child on a psychiatric medication, but after a while it became clear that he was miserable with himself. At first we thought he was being willfully defiant, testing limits, trying to show us who's boss, and that kind of thing. But what was confusing was that his bad behavior was so self-defeating. Like, I told him that all he had to do to earn a new Bionicle (his favorite thing in the world) was to go for a few days without spraying toothpaste/spit all over the mirror. He couldn't do it. It took way too long for me to realize how much he WANTED to behave well, and how much self-loathing he was developing every time he failed to.
The medication lets him be his true self, and to thrive. He still does quirky AS things, but he no longer screams bloody murder if someone gives him the wrong spoon. And he no longer licks the teacher. Medication doesn't replace good parenting; but in certain cases it's necessary. It's no different that a person with epilepsy needing medication. It's hard to be all that you can be when you are having grand mal seizures all day long. All the hype in the media about psychiatric medications being bad for kids comes from the cases where a child was misdiagnosed and given a stimulant for ADHD or an anti-depressant for depression...both of which can cause problems in kids with BP, unless they are first on a therapeutic dose of a mood stabilizer.
I have no experience with the type of class you describe, but it doesn't sound like the ideal place, IMHO.
Evelyn
David, almost 8
Nathan, 4
Just a quick note of warning on experimenting with drugs, though. We have several friends whose ASD kids have had very difficult even violent reactions on the drugs meant to help them and then estreme difficulty with the withdrawals. This includes mood stabilizers and anti-depressants. Taking them off one and then just rrying another is easier said then done, in some cases.
Our kids have very sensitive systems and there is sadly no way to predict the reactions, even with very careful administration. Several of these children were self-injurers, so of course the doctors wanted to find something that would help them. But now these kids are drug-free AND in a more restrictive environment, smaller classroom with more focused adult assistance.
Sometimes least restrictive environment does means away from the mainstream, without all the noise and chaos and unpredictability of larger groups of kids, and that can be the best and healthiest place for our children to learn and grow and progress!!!
yours,
Sara
ilovemalcolm