bathroom accomadation and public school

[pumpkingirl71]

Anyone have children with special bathroom needs in public school? What has worked for your child? My daughter has frequent accidents and the school isn't helping her. Part of the problem is logistics, there is no bathroom in the nurses office and she needs 15 or so minutes set aside to use the bathroom. Her needs are written into her 504 plan, but I can't think of a way to get teh school to meet them. The nurse is also very resistant to helping my daughter get cleaned up after an accident.

[AbbieB]

This is just unacceptable.

As a former elementary teacher this just sickens me. I had a child in my K and then 1st grade class that had some special bathroom needs, along with frequent accidents. I just hated how hard it was to get any cooperation form anyone to help this kid. If I had not been very vocal on a daily basis the rest of the school staff would have been more than happy to let her sit in wet clothes until she went home. At some point it was suggested that I bring in a change of clothes for her because there was nothing the school wanted to do. (In this child's case the parents were not willing to admit there was an issue and refused to provide extra clothing.)

I'm sorry I do not have any advice for you, outside of being very vocal and persistent. I hope you are able to work this out soon. No one deserves this kind of treatment.

[pumpkingirl71]

Originally Posted by AbbieB

I'm sorry I do not have any advice for you, outside of being very vocal and persistent. I hope you are able to work this out soon. No one deserves this kind of treatment.

Thank you for the support I have to say, another thing that is making me CRAZY in that the teacher is amazing and wonderful and I fear she will end being the one to help dd when it is not her job. She has 24 other kids to teach. She also often stays late to call me about my daughter's accidents. I know the nurse also works hard, but it just seems that this is the nurses job.

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by pumpkingirl71

Her needs are written into her 504 plan, but I can't think of a way to get teh school to meet them.

Have you talked to the principal? That would be my first step.

[Emmeline II]

I think the process is that you would ask (in writing) for another meeting. Then, if you are still not satisfied you would go to mediation and if that failed, a due process hearing.

I would also search this forum for "advocate," it seems that there are disability advocates that can help you deal with the school without charge.

[williamsmommy2002]

My 6 year old has bathroom accommodations in public school. He has sensory issues and is on the spectrum. He will not use public restrooms. During K he was taken to the restroom once a day in the office and the toilet was flushed after he left. In 1st, he is offered at least 2 times a day and goes in the office. He is just beginning to ask to go when he needs to. We have a little different issue because DS is fully potty trained but he will pee on himself if his only alternative is a public restroom.

[CherryBomb]

Dd2 pees successfully every time she needs to go, but because of her stroke she still has a lot of trouble with bowel movements. THere's a potty in the Kindergarten room and if she does have a bm, her teacher takes her to either one of the special ed teachers, or to her old preK teacher right across the hall (lucky for us the developmental prek for the district is in that school!) They've all been really great about it. I'd definitely ask for a meeting to discuss it. If it's in your child's IEP how to address toileting, and they aren't doing it, that's a big problem.

[CarrieMF]

What grade is she in?

Does she have other special needs that she can't do all the steps herself or does she just need that 15minutes to do it herself?

Why the nurse, especially when there is no bathroom in there? Are there no aides that could take her?

[pumpkingirl71]

Originally Posted by CarrieMF

What grade is she in?

Does she have other special needs that she can't do all the steps herself or does she just need that 15minutes to do it herself?

Why the nurse, especially when there is no bathroom in there? Are there no aides that could take her?

She is in first grade. She needs help getting cleaned up, especially if she had an accident. I am not opposed to an aide helping her, but I assumed it would be the nurse since it is a medical need.

[CarrieMF]

the accidents are a medical need, getting cleaned up is a social & personal need.

If they have aides(especially if there is one in the classroom) see if you can go that route.

[zebra15]

I work in a school district -as a sub- so I see a number of IEP/503 and accommodations. In our area this is not a nurse issue as the nurse needs to be available to the entire school for immediate needs (asthma, injury, diabetic needs,illness etc of every student)

Your child should have an aide/assistant available for bathroom needs. Either someone who can come and help them at certain times for bathroom breaks or someone your child can go to for help when they need a bathroom break. 15 mins each time is A LOT of classroom and education time to miss for a bathroom break. If she goes 2x a day thats 30 mins of education time. I would guess if your child has an aide that time will be about 5-7 mins?

You need to call another accommodation meeting to change the requirements for your child. I find it hard to believe the teacher is ok with your child missing that much class time for restroom breaks-even with a medical condition.

[KCMichigan]

Originally Posted by zebra15

I find it hard to believe the teacher is ok with your child missing that much class time for restroom breaks-even with a medical condition.

There is no way the teacher can be 'not OK or OK' with it. If it is a medical need, it is what it is.

No one can dictate how long a child (or adult) can take a restroom break, especially if they have special needs.

15 minutes is not that unusual for a bathroom break. IF you take the whole class that is easily 10 minutes.

A child with a motor difficulty may take twice as long to walk down the hall, no one is going to say that is ok or not.

An aide is the most logical solution since for more severely disabled students, they are often responsible for bathrooming/personal needs.

[pumpkingirl71]

Originally Posted by zebra15

15 mins each time is A LOT of classroom and education time to miss for a bathroom break. If she goes 2x a day thats 30 mins of education time. I would guess if your child has an aide that time will be about 5-7 mins?...
I find it hard to believe the teacher is ok with your child missing that much class time for restroom breaks-even with a medical condition.

She takes fifteen minutes if she has help or not. I am not sure how her teacher could not be OK with it, that is just what she needs.

[PikkuMyy]

When I was an aide, I helped the children with their bathroom needs - both regular and accident cleaning up. It was just part of the job. We made sure to have protective gloves in the bathroom and it took however long it took and no one worried about the time the child was missing to use the bathroom.

[jecombs]

pumpkingirl,
I work in the schools and that nurse's attitude just disgusts me. You are right, if your DD has a medical condition it doesn't matter what the teacher thinks about her bathroom breaks.
My advice to you is to persue getting your evaluated by your Exceptional Children (Special Ed) folks. If she qualifies for their services, she will get an Individual Education Plan (IEP) with her bathroom needs documented in it. The school is legally required to abide by whatever is in an IEP. However a 504 plan is not legally binding (at least in our state). An IEP can also dictate who is supposed to help your DD get cleaned-up, if she needs help. Although if the school nurse has such a bad attitude about it, maybe you could get someone else to help.
Best of luck to you and your DD for a successful school year!

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by pumpkingirl71

She takes fifteen minutes if she has help or not. I am not sure how her teacher could not be OK with it, that is just what she needs.

it's a lot of time to consistently leave a large group of children with no adult. (I'm all for sn kids getting what they need, but I wouldn't want my child in the classroom where the teacher was gone that much. It's a disaster waiting to happen, just for behavior issues, not even talking about instruction)

A part time aide, shared with another student (or 2) makes sense.

I would put everything in a letter and send with signed receipt, and I would be in the principals office being a complete PITA until it was resolved. I would make it easier to figure out a solution than to deal with me.

In the state we live in, 504s are just as legally binding as IEPs.

[KCMichigan]

Originally Posted by Linda on the move

In the state we live in, 504s are just as legally binding as IEPs.

504s should be legal in EVERY state (see www.wrightslaw.net). Some area are more 'friendly' toward using them, it depends on the school district you are in. It is not an option.

A 504 is not quite as comprehensive and mandated as an IEP. IEP would be preferred, but for students that dont have/qualify for an IEP, a 504 is a legal binding document that the school HAVE TO follow.

Any state or district that says they dont 'do' 504 is breaking the law. They have to. Period.HERE is clarification on 504s

[PikkuMyy]

Originally Posted by KCMichigan

504s should be legal in EVERY state (see www.wrightslaw.net). Some area are more 'friendly' toward using them, it depends on the school district you are in. It is not an option.

A 504 is not quite as comprehensive and mandated as an IEP. IEP would be preferred, but for students that dont have/qualify for an IEP, a 504 is a legal binding document that the school HAVE TO follow.

Any state or district that says they dont 'do' 504 is breaking the law. They have to. Period.HERE is clarification on 504s

Yes, definitely. a 504 is part of the ADA, which applies to every school. Anything in 504 plan is legally binding and teachers and schools are required to follow it or they can be taken to court.

[peaceful_mama]

As a former education assistant in a public school, I worked with a student who had needs similar to your daughter's.

What happened in my school was I was assigned to one student, also in her grade, but also to attend to this child's specific times that she needed help. For example, since both children needed to use the elevator, and the school did not (for obvious reasons I guess) allow students to use the elevator without an adult, I would take both children with me on the elevator.
She did require assistance in the bathroom, so since her classroom was right next door to the one I worked in, her teacher would just stick her head in and ask for my help. (No, this wouldn't be a nurse's job, the nurse in my school was far too busy with medication, kids with tube feedings, and the like to help with bathroom issues that can easily be handled by a person without an RN's skills)

My student's classroom teacher simply took responsibility for the few moments I wasn't there, things like making sure doors were open for him to get to the music room or whatever when I had to ride the elevator up to the art room with the other student, or keeping an extra watch on him while I went to the bathroom with the other student. (the student I worked with was physically disabled and needed a lot of physical help, things like picking up dropped items, turning pages in a book.)

In my experience, the school will keep this kind of job to one, maybe two assistants, so that the child will know and trust the person who is helping, also so the adult will be familiar with the child's needs--and of course a person who is going to treat the child respectfully, but that *shouldn't* be a problem anyway. Good luck

[pumpkingirl71]

Just coming back to post an update Thanks for all of your help!

We reconvened the 504 team. We didn't get everything we asked for, but the school did set up her own bathroom for her. Still not 100% happy, but my main goal is that dd still loves school