New here -- possible 7 yr. old with Aspe

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2006
New here -- possible 7 yr. old with Aspe
5
Sat, 09-29-2007 - 10:45am

Hi all.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-27-2007
Sat, 09-29-2007 - 12:40pm

Hi, Welcome to the board. The first two things I did was go to our pedi and then also keep talking with the school. My son was having so many issues that they decided to hold a "team study meeting," and from there we are currently testing for an IEP. They are testing in a whole range of areas. For example his academic tests already came back and he "scored off the charts," but of course that is expected. His social skills and motor skills are the issue. Also the school is having a psycologist test him and 2 of them from the school have been observing. I think on that specializes in autism is also coming to the school as well. Then I guess the next thing is to get all the results back and have our meeting....I am nervous about that part.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2006
Sat, 09-29-2007 - 3:11pm

Hi and thanks for your reply.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
Sat, 09-29-2007 - 6:04pm

Hi Liz and welcome to the board,


There are many of us here that have kids who score great academically, but have problems in other areas. It makes it tough to get help for them at school -unless they have serious behaviour issues (and most don't).


I was interested to hear your description of Josh's behaviour towards his friend in settings outside of his/your house. I see similar stuff with my son, Peter (9, HFA). He tends to "compartmentalize" people with certain settings and he has difficulty dealing with them out of context.

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2006
Sun, 09-30-2007 - 9:05am

Thank-you Paula. I really appreciate your reply. It really actually makes me feel better to know that Josh is not the only one who does this.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-28-2004
Sun, 09-30-2007 - 9:13am

Hello, and welcome to the board,


Your son sounds a lot like my 6 year-old Aspie's best friend, except that the academic things baffle my son's friend a bit. Oh my goodness, he is extreme in his emotions. But at least I always know how he feels!


Like Paula said, it is hard to get school's attention except when there are academic things or behavior issues that interfere with other kids' ability to learn their academics. So my son's friend, who seems to really need OT and social skills help to his mother, gets only time with the special education teacher to help with the academics.


I have had mostly good experiences with teachers and therapists, but I do not have much faith in "the system" to help kids get appropriate supports. In seems to me that employees of the school system are discouraged from pointing parents to IEP's. I think schools tend to build on fears ("Do you really want to label him?" "Do you really want him in Special Ed?") or help parents make excuses such as blaming parenting, etc. I do not know of anybody who has a child who is on target academically who did not have to be very persistent to aggressive to get services. I am a bit jaded.


It is also good to get a medical evaluation from whomever seems appropriate to your son, because a medical diagnosis makes it easier to be persistent. Refusing some things in the face of a medical diagnosis may be more illegal than some other gentle flim-flams schools pull. But schools still do their own evaluation, and may try to claim that the diagnosed condition does not effect him at school.


If you want the school to evaluate, you have to ask in writing. I think it is best to ask for an evaluation in

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