Wednesday, 27 January 2010
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School Trying to Sweep Autistic Child 'Under the Rug' - Need help
My little guy Sky is a gifted, autistic six-year-old. He can read at a third grade level and his math knowledge is above average for his age.Sky's mainstream and special ed teachers are unhappy with his behaviors . They want him in a different school where there is a self contained autistic class.
Our Sky already knows how to act autistic, we want to change these behaviors not increase them. SkyGuy is a mimic – that is part of how he learns. (You know, like echolalia.)
Think about that. Put our little mime with normal children and (hopefully) he'll act in a normal (or near normal) manner. Put him in an autistic class and he will pick up even more autistic idiosyncracies.
I don't think any autistic child should be in a classroom with only other autists!
Sigh. Then there are Sky's behavior problems.
Our impulsive SkyGuy is also ADHD and OCD.
He has odd behaviors and does not always comply with his teachers’ wishes.
Lately Sky has been spitting and yesterday he pushed a classmate into a puddle. He was suspended last week for the spitting and now today, for the pushing! Imagine, suspended twice at the age of six!!
Where is this going?
Moving Sky out of his current classes is best for the teachers because they have so many other children to tend. I get that! I agree, controlling and redirecting Sky often requires one-on-one attention, which creates a stressful situation for his already overburdened teachers. (His first grade teacher has 24 other children in the room.)
However, we want an IEP that is best for Skyler, not his teachers. Getting help for the teachers is the school district's problem.
A one-on-one staff to follow our Sky around in a normal school situation, sounds ideal to me. The school says Sky's condition does not warrant that. (What they really mean is they don't want to pay for the extra staff.)
So this is where we are, sitting on the brim of a Zakh Price fiasco. (Zakh is the eleven-year-old autistic boy in Little Rock Arkansas, charged with a felony for defending himself.)
How many of you have faced this dilemma? Is this a FAPE issue? How do we get the help we need?
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About the Author
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- From: altie
- Name: Fran Alt
- About Me: My husband Fred and I have spent the last six years raising our autistic great grandson. Fred is 72 and I'm on the doorstep of 70! We've had our little guy since the day he was born. (We have Sky because his mom is also autistic.) Opening new doors to Sky's world is our greatest pleasure. The tough job of dealing with day to day problems of autism is simply our 'way of life'. Sky is both a challenge and a wonderful, loving gift.
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Comments (16)
Actually this is a least restrictive environment issue. Not a FAPE issue. They aer supposed to educate him in the least restrictive environment allowable. the fact is any autism related classroom that they put him in will cost several times more than hiring a one-to-one. It doesn'tmake much sense, except for the fact that th school does nto want to have tod eal with the autism issues.
You happen to be right about autistic children modeling behaviors in order to learn appropriateness, but if Sky is not in a place to do that, it is a wasted placement in mainstream. It is obvious that the reason they are suspending Sky is to try to build a case for out of district placement. It's not about him its about them. You are right, however, the question you really want to ask yoruself is do you want him where he is not wanted and they will not teach him properly?
I would contact the Dept of Education in your state and get a list of local autism programs. Go visit and see which one YOU like. You do not have to put him where you do not want. FInd one that you like. My oldest was in an out of district palcement which catered to all levels on the spectrum and was eventually brought back in district with a one-to-one. Self-contained can mean alot of configurations too. It may mean academics with the special ed teacher, with specials in the mainstream too.
Please check things out before you say no. WOrse come to worse though, get a good lawyer.
Good luck.
It really infuriates me when teachers try to avoid children who have needs different from those of most. It is a teacher's job to nurture, teach and help every child, to the best of their ability, so why aren't they??
asbergers mom...my piece needs clarity.
The spitting incidient happend at lunch and the pushing at playtime in the school yard. Sky says he was spit at first and named three children!! I guess they denied it and only Sky was suspended. Sky does not lie! As for the pushing incident, I don't know what prefaced it and Sky does not express himself well enough to recount that. Both incidents happened while he was out of the classroom and with an aid - not a special ed aid, just the first grade aid! And, she has expressed that she hates having to watch Sky, (who is also a flight risk). She complains to me that its not fair to have him and 24 others!! Like what can I do, it's her job!
In the classroom Sky's misbehaviors are: not complying and not paying attention.
I assured the first grade teacher that he is a sponge and despite what it looks like, he is learning! Considering the fact he passes all his test and does everything above greade level, they cannot argue with me. He refuses to write in his journal - he hates writing. He only takes the spelling test because he wants to prove he's the best. They prod him by saying "Oh, you can't spell these words?" Boom. He's on task. Sky loves winning.
The principal and others have expressed the fact that they fear he will leave school grounds and that is why they think he needs to be in a self contained class. Again, for me one-on-one is truly the answer. And I am trying to learn all I can, so I can fight for a shadow.
Out of district? We are both around 70-years-old. A bus is out of the question and driving so far early in the morning would be hateful. We want Sky in a school close to home, one we can walk to - this school is less than half a mile.
Yes you are right he is in a situation where he not wanted and they are not going to even try to teach him...but again, Sky is a sponge and he is learning despite them and himself.
Thank you Elise, for giving me so much information!
XnoXsunlight - In an ideal world - yes. Today most folks just want a paycheck. Yes many teachers love their job, but in the end, it is a job. BTW - you left a scent...vanilla and cinnamon!
Problem with leaving him there, even if he had a full-time aide, is that its a toxic environment. Even if he learns well academically, he's not going to learn much in the way of esteem and respect from teachers that are now doing their best to exclude him. If they are forced to continue educating him they might not change their attitude towards him or at best tolerate him.
I hope you find a solution, you are in a very hard place right now.
Elise left some good advice... and an attorney can help you decide what options are best.
FYI, if it is truly a one-on-one aide you want the most, see Sky's doctor and get a script for one. Once Sky has that script, the school HAS to comply. FAPE/Least Restrictive is a hard balance for the schools to make and I do feel for them. But the truth of the matter is this, it's exactly as you said... it's more about Sky than them. Fight as far as you can for that little guy!
I chose to homeschool because in my state it's very easy to do (no restrictive laws, state tests, etc.). There is even a virtual school online, which is public school at home, that is free. They meet with teachers once a month, in the home. They have text books same as any other student, etc. It was a great option for us, but since you and your spouse are in your 70s... I'm not sure how your age/possible health considerations may impact a choice to homeschool.
Any decision you make needs to be in Sky's best interest, and I know you'll do what you can do towards that end!! Keep up the good work you're doing for him and seek an attorney who knows the laws in your state. Consultations are usually free :)
I had a student with asbergers when I was doing my student teaching, and have recently seen his progress, but anyways, coming from a beginners teaching point of view (meaning I'm not jaded yet) I'm saddened that as teachers and schools we can't do more for your child. i always tried to instill a sense of love toward the kid i had with asbergers. I knew he didn't know how to read my emotions or facial expressions for happiness, but i did my best to assure him that he did a goood job, well, something happened for some reason, because of the class he was in, and he saw that certain kids who acted certain ways got attentino, and i think he's tried to mimic that, but doesn't understand the sarcasm that lies behind it, and he comes across mean instead. it's sad, because they are trying harder then the average person to figure things out and fit in. you are absolutely right for wanting to mainstream your child,...but like you said, it's a stressful situation for the teacher and they have 24 other bodies that all have their own issues to tend to as well, perhaps she can tend to your child some of the time, but not all of the time. Do you really think having his own aide will help him either? Is he going to go through his entire life with someone standing behind him at all times? He will never integrate into society if you do this, and unfortunately if he's as capable as you make him see, he'll begin to see the negative consequences of his actions. It may just be frustrating for a while, and you may see temper tantrums because imagine if you couldn't understand the world and why people couldn't understand you.....keep loving him with all your might. You may even want to consider home-schooling, but, of course you need to find a social avenue for him to be with other kids that perhaps is not necessarily a learning environment.
@altie -
Wow, I know exactly how you feel, my child was in one school and expected to act and be treated as if was a typical child even though he had obvious differences from the other kids, at this point he had only had an IEP that allowed him speech therapy, this year he will be 8 he was tested and he has autism which no surprise to us we already suspected this, we changed schools, and my husband and I were ready for a fight with the school to have his needs met, but to our surprise the school he is at now has bent over backwards to make sure he is safe, he is learning, they hired a full time para strictly for him, they allow him extra time for lunch if needed, they allow him opportunity to destress with his para if needed, and I agree with you, if he had been put into a all autistic setting he would of picked up additional autistic traits, academic wise he is right on target or above in some areas, his issues are like your son's, he is a flight risk and has some behavior issues, I know alot of people are against public schools when it comes to autistic children but I have to say the school my child goes to is on top of things starting with the principal to his staff all excellent and understanding of what role they play in supporting not just mine but all the children with special needs. Keep to your guns, it is the school's and districts responsibility to make sure his needs are being met don't let them put you and your child in a corner as they have do nothing, arm yourself with knowledge of your child's educational need's, read your parent rights booklet they have to give you, call for a consultation with a attorney that specializes in helping families with special need children, and remember his IEP can be revised at anytime you feel that his needs have changed and they must comply it is the law.
OMG...all this wonderful advice. I want to hug each and every one of you!! Time. Finding time to reply, as most of you know, is not easy. Sky is out right now and I do have time when he's in school....but oh, how my house work suffers. There's never a happy medium. I plan to read everything again! So many thanks!!!!! ...and hugs ~ Fran
Fran,
I quickly skimmed the answers/responses from the other readers so excuse me if someone already mentioned this but have you all request a functional behavior assessment (FBA)? If he is engaging in non-compliance or other inappropriate behaviors at school, by law the school must analyze the function of the behavior and develop a behavior intervention plan (bip) based on their assessment. The assessment should be conducted by someone who is a board certified behavior analyst or at the very least a professional who has been trained extensively (not just a one day workshop) on how to conduct a FBA. I hope this is helpful. There is also a yahoo group call Parents United for Special Education that I know a lot of parents post questions on about their children's rights at school.@Megan - Thanx Megan. Our doctor, pediatric psychiatrist who specializes in autism just told me the same thing. She wants a Functional Behavior Assessment!
Fran,
I first have to say God Bless you and your husband in the way you have taken care of your grandson. You probably think it was a no-brainer, but it truly is remarkable. My son is also 6 years old and has Autism. He currently attends 2 schools and has done that for Kindergarten (last year) and 1st Grade (this year). This was on the recommendation from a specialist doctor who saw him a few years ago. The first school he goes to is an Autism only classroom. There are only 4 or 5 kids in the class and he has his own aide with him at all times. In that classroom, they work with him more on his Autistic developmental needs (Speech, Occupational, etc). He has done very well in that class. Every day they do an activity to describe the weather outside. A few Fridays ago, the teacher didn't return to class on time so he "took over" and asked the other students who wanted to say the weather. His teacher said he used the exact words she uses and they really liked it. In the other school, he goes primarily to a special-ed class with kids with other disabilities. That is where he does more of his academic learning (math, spelling, etc). He does well with that too. In fact, last year he knew all the alphabet, both upper and lower case letters before most of the "normal" kindergarteners. He also spends some time with the traditional 1st grade class during their "specials" (art, gym, etc). It's not as easy this year and he doesn't spend as much time with them as we would like.
I think you may benefit from a structure similar to this. It may add some "protection" for him because aside from the teachers not wanting to "deal" with him, it sounds like he is getting somewhat picked on by the other kids. I know with my son, he has trouble making friends because his verbal skills are still developing. He currently doesn't truly engage the other kids in play, etc. When he gets play time, he would rather do "file folders" which are things like math assignments.
I would definitely start with getting something from his pediatrician or even a referred specialist. I would also contact a lawyer. We did that back when he was in pre-school to get him some additional therapy. Thankfully for us our lawyer is my brother, his God-Father. Have the lawyer review all the doctors info and previous school IEPs and then if necessary, call and early IEP meeting (again, we did that when he was in pre-school).
I wish you much luck with this. It sounds like Sky is a wonderful, bright little boy. As parents, grand-parents and caregivers of children with Autism, we all must work together to get our children what the need to be the best they can be.
Brian
So far, other than suspending Sky, no one has pushed for changing the situation. Yesterday at home, Sky threw a tin box toward his DT worker! Sky did not want to leave a video he was watching and instead of being verbal he threw the tin. I was shocked. This behavior is new and scary. As for school, we are taking one step at a time. Right now we need a Functional Behavior Assessment.
What a typical -- and sad -- state of affairs. It is so ironic that the people/educators we entrust to care for our kids to are often the most hostile.
David Brooks
www.partentswithpatience.org
I have complete empathy for you. My son Austin is 9 and is mildly Autistic. He is in 4th grade now but we have been having problems with our small school district since 2nd grade. We continued trying to get services for him but the school said that because his "disability" did not affect his academics (we all know how smart our autistic children are) that he did not qualify for any special services let alone an aide. Needless to say that I was frantic when I got a call from the school principal one day saying that there had been a "misunderstanding" at school. Our son left school during school hours, walked 7 city blocks, flagged down a stranger and got in the car with the stranger asking them to take him home because he was lost. Thank God the stranger was a good samaritan and called the police. Our sons school didnt even know he had left the classroom and was gone until he was brought back in a police car. When I had a meeting with the school, I was informed that this is actually the second time he wandered off. The first time they found him in the basement of the school. I pulled him out of public school and home schooled him through third grade to try and take that time to get new evaluations. He is now back in public school and we are fighting for the IEP and aide again. The school is lucky that I did not sue them but I am not interested in that. I am strictly interested in my son getting a public education in an environment that is safe for him.
@tbuehre -Wow...your story left me breathless. Our biggest fear.
In September, in the playground, Sky told his new teacher, "It's hot; I'm going home." A very scary thought.
How are things going for Austin this year? We are not getting calls from the school - yet. Daily reports from the classroom teacher are good. But it is early in the school year and SKy's behovior is known to change, so I am not getting my hopes up....