school is *done* with my explosive child - Page 5

[CarrieMF]

I think that threatening a full time suspension is the same thing as not providing education. What else does it mean?

suspension just means he's not in the building, not that education is not happening at the school's cost.

Removing from the regular classroom once a week or more means he is being removed from the 'least restrictive environment'

no it doesn't. Moving him to a separate room is putting him in the least restrictive environment. Being in the class is causing a problem for her son, being out the class could help his behaviour & outbursts.

[fullofgrace]

Sorry --

I was talking in terms of the continuum of placements -- how placements are looked at in general not on an individual level. Regular classroom here is generically labeled the least restricted because it is a 'typical' classroom full of 'typical' peers. It takes paperwork (and often a code of some sort) to place a child in the least restrictive environment specific to him/her.

So absolutely HIS least restricted environment sounds like it is not the regular classroom. ITA. But the school cannot decide or act on removing him from what is typically considered the least restrictive environment without a parent agreeing/signing paperwork to that effect. Does that make more sense?


FWIW - BTDT with one of my kids who needs to be removed from class to regroup.

[fullofgrace]

Originally Posted by CarrieMF

Getting an IEP does not mean this kid's services will be funded. Here you need 2 diagnosis to get ANY funding and it often isn't enough. I work with a 8yo low functioning autistic boy who is at a 13month old level, some days he's barely at a 4month old level. He does not speak, has zero motivation to do anything, will eat anything he thinks resembles food(severe oral sensory issues) except fruits & veggies. He is only in his grade 3 class for gym & most days we leave that early. He cannot do anything that his class does eduation or physically wise. On top of that he had epilepsy. He CANNOT EVER be left alone, 5 feet away is sometimes too far. He does have an IEP, but is only funded half time. They(the OT, behaviour psychologist, & SLP) want him in the classroom more, but it does not benefit anyone.

That's so sad.

That's not how it works here. They can't just not fund services agreed to in the IEP. (though districts will try) If you get an IEP, every goal and service that is within that IEP is legally required to be fully funded per U.S. Federal Law.

[CarrieMF]

But the school cannot decide or act on removing him from what is typically considered the least restrictive environment without a parent agreeing/signing paperwork to that effect. Does that make more sense?

I suppose this would depend on the school/district. At the beginning of the year we tried to keep the boy I work with in the class. Day 1 I had him out & we haven't gone back in except for my breaks & gym class. my breaks, the teacher has the class schedule set up so it's not a time which would be distruptive to the rest of the class & vice versa. We gave up on music class(too noisy) and any art activities(eats everything). The teacher finally "got it" that he could not be in the class when a sub-ta brought him in & tried to do stuff with him while the class was learning. The parents were not consulted, they were told that we were not keeping him in the room, they did not have to sign anything agreeing to it. It is the ONLY way he could be at school.

That's not how it works here. They can't just not fund services agreed to in the IEP. (though districts will try) If you get an IEP, every goal and service that is within that IEP is legally required to be fully funded per U.S. Federal Law.

He gets the services. He's only funded half time from the gov't. The other half comes from the school. he should be funded 100% from the gov't & because whomever decides how they put gov't funding through(has nothing to do with the school), it is keeping school money away from other students who could use extra help & will benefit from that help. This school NEEDS a full time floating TA, but can't afford one because the 3 severe special needs kids aren't getting full funding from the gov't. 2 are funded from the gov't half time - 1 is low functioning autistic & the other is high functioning autistic(though does fine with other students helping him). The 3rd is not funded from the gov't at all, a DS child who is pulled out of class for most of his school day. There was another high functioning autistic boy who was not funded. There is another child who needs a 1-1 aide, but isn't funded at all & the school does not have the funds to provide one for him next year.

[VisionaryMom]

Originally Posted by Heavenly

I would take him to a different psychiatrist and have a full assessment done. I don't know nearly enough about his behaviour to make any kind of assumption but I do want to note that Early Onset Bipolar Disorder is often misdiagnosed as ADHD. Again, not saying that he would have anything like that but it sounds like there could be more going on.

I thought that as well. My son has juvenile BP, and I don't know if I'm just projecting. I do know, however, that Prozac will cause the kinds of problem you're seeing in your son in someone who is bipolar. Taking an anti-depressant only makes us unstable, which in children tends to manifest in violent behavior.

[Linda on the move]

Violent behavoir can be caused by a variety of underlying problems. There's a boy in my DD's social skills class with Asperger's who has has a history of violent outburst when he hits sensory overload (my DD with the same dx, shuts down and starts stimming). This boy is the sweetest kid on planet the rest of the time.

I'm not suggesting that the OPers child has aspergers, but just that she find someone really, really good and figure out what is going on with her son before things get even worse.

I'm convinced that many kids who fail to finish high school or end up in jail have mild special needs that no one ever figured out.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by Mom2M

She advised her to immediately start supplementing with Magnesium and begin a diet with no processed foods, no dyes or sugar.

Just from the magnesium, the change was incredible. She started it right away and then he missed a day a couple weeks later and exploded that day just like he had been.

I started supplementing with Magnesium this week and every day has been a "yellow" day (traffic light discipline system); the only phone call I received this week is when ds ate a huge ball of playdoh (playdoh eating has been a problem all year). Last week he had been suspended (again) and the three weeks before that had been nearly all "red" days.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by Emmeline II

I started supplementing with Magnesium this week and every day has been a "yellow" day (traffic light discipline system); the only phone call I received this week is when ds ate a huge ball of playdoh (playdoh eating has been a problem all year). Last week he had been suspended (again) and the three weeks before that had been nearly all "red" days.

Awesome positive changes! (How the heck can they eat playdough? That stuff is pure salt! And yet all kids do it from time to time.)

[blizzard_babe]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

(How the heck can they eat playdough? That stuff is pure salt! And yet all kids do it from time to time.)

I don't know, but it's universal. No matter what group of little ones you're teaching, if you bust out the playdough, someone (usually several someones because of the monkey-see-monkey-do effect) will eat it.

Glad to hear about the positive movement!

[GoddessKristie]

I haven't had time to read all of the replies, so I hope I'm not reposting someone else's suggestion, but...
I'm reading Boy's Adrift by Leonard Sax and though I'm not yet half way through I think this is a book that might really benefit you. It talks alot about boys not really being ready for school at 5 when a lot of girls are and recomends in some cases that boys that age be pulled out and put back in a year later when they're ready. I can't say if that's what he would recomend for your child, but I HIGHLY recomend this book to all mothers of boys. You might find some answers there.
www.boysadrift.com

[mamasaurus]

Just had to post about my experience:

I had a 5yo in preschool who was not following rules, running away from the teachers, hitting, kicking, biting and more. I was asked to take her out of the school.

She also had HUGE outbursts. Over nothing. (Apparently.) However, once we received her diagnosis and started working with a behavioral specialist, we figured out that her outbursts related to "unexpected" situations.

Basically, if something unexpected happened, she would lose it. That was why it was SO DIFFICULT to pinpoint what was causing her outbursts. They could be about anything at all - the common thread was that they were unexpected things.

I took her to a private child psychologist and she was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, and she has a massive IQ. She is now 7yo and reading on a high school level.

We tried diet elimination. To no avail. Because what was going on with her wasn't really about diet, it was about how her brain was wired and that fact that she was so advanced that she was WAY, WAY ahead of everyone else.

What really helped her over the past two years was an intensive behavior plan, overseen by a behavioral specialist.

I'm curious what the paraprofessional does with your child all day at school?

In my DD's case, her paraprofessional was guided by a behavioral specialist who set up a very specific plan and approach to helping my DD learn how to behave at school. She had visual aids, wiggle breaks, special seating in the classroom, social skills groups, and more. She improved immensely.

I agree with the others that you NEED TO GET AN OUTSIDE EVALUATION. Do NOT rely on the DOE to diagnose your child. And if your psychologist says there is nothing wrong with your son, then go to another one until you get an answer.

Then, take that diagnosis to the school and get an IEP.

I LOVE Wrightlaw, too. They came to my area and held a conference and it was amazing. Every parent with a special needs child should attend one.

[CarrieMF]

(How the heck can they eat playdough? That stuff is pure salt! And yet all kids do it from time to time.)

for some kids(and quite possibly the op's son since it's been an issue all year) it's a sensory release eating playdough(and funtac as it's a similar texture/consistency)

[Mom2M]

Originally Posted by Emmeline II

I started supplementing with Magnesium this week and every day has been a "yellow" day (traffic light discipline system); the only phone call I received this week is when ds ate a huge ball of playdoh (playdoh eating has been a problem all year). Last week he had been suspended (again) and the three weeks before that had been nearly all "red" days.

Awesome!!! Hope it keeps going!

[DaughterOfKali]

My son was quite explosive at that age.

The only thing that really helped was that he could take sensory breaks when he started to feel overwhelmed.

With time, he has become less explosive (yet still as stubborn.)

[Mom2M]

Oh yeah, I talked to my sister and she said the increase in magnesium was related to his bowel movements. She would increase it and his stools would be loose, when they weren't anymore, she would increase again until they were and then stopped when he was doing well.
I guess that meant his body was adjusted to the increase.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by Mom2M

Awesome!!! Hope it keeps going!

I just looked up magnesium and behavior and found that there have been some studies done that show about half of children identified as autistic and given B6 and magnesium demonstrated improvements in behavior.

[sierramv]

I'm not sure how I ended up in this forum but I read through the replies last night and this morning it is all I could think about. We are a homeschooling family of three DC (8,4,2).

My son was in public school until half way through 1rst grade. He was at the other end of an explosive child, and I feel that for him I should respond.

The little boy that he went to school with was/is very explosive, the school was not nearly as proactive as your school about offering him the services he needed, but my son was often on the recieving end of this childs outbursts; and even when we wasn't it concerned him to see the way this child treated and reacted to other students.

I went to the teachers, vice principal, principal, school board, etc. to find out what they were going to do to ensure that my son was in a safe, nurturing, environment that he felt like he could learn and grow.

They basically told me that they had to follow certain steps and document everything before they could actually do anything about this child. In the meantime I had been into the school a dozen times about this childs behaviour issues and his mother had NEVER been called to pick him up.

I am glad you are being proactive in addressing his issues, you are his biggest and best advocate. I just felt that I should offer the other side of the issue, they ended up adding another teacher and shrinking class sizes to 14 students becasue there were so many behavior problem kids that the teacher spent so much time dealing with behavior issues they were unable to teach the class and the other children were not getting the education they deserve.

I think it is a balance between the schools responsibilty to educate our children and our responsibilty as parents to deal with issues beyond the schools resources. It is not the schools responsibilty to raise out children for us and I am not saying that is what you are suggesting, I am saying that our kids are our kids. My option was to take my son out of school and homeschool him, so that is what I did.