bureaucrats, clueless brand new therapists, aides that quit on short notice...

[teri]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHGHGHGHGH!!!!!!!!!!!

School is back in session!!!! It starts all over again!!!! This week has been unbelievable.

I am sure that many other people over on this board are going through the same old thing... got any funnies to share?

Here is my favorite craziness so far. I have a 9 yo son, PDD/autstic spectrum, we have been through several years of therapy and behavior mod. The new grad inclusion consultant showed up in my son's class and proceeded to get in his face, he flipped out - she was overcontrolling. She called me into the school in a panic, said she needed to have some kind of consequences. She says (no joke...) "I think we need to do a star chart. Have you ever seen a star chart? Here, let me show you an example..."

Have I ever seen a star chart? Golly.... let me think...

She called me into the school on no notice, in a panic, to ask me if she should make a star chart???? This year is going to be fun.

 

[olena]

Oh Teri.....I'm so sorry. I wish you buckets of pixie dust. It sounds like it will be needed.

 

[teri]

Wow, Olena, that is some Pixie Dust you have there!!!

I got a call from the new specialist, she wanted to update me on how things went today and we cleared the air about the appropriate and inappropriate uses of star charts.

Now if I can just get the new director of Special Ed to call me back so we can talk about testing and eligibility and services that are already supposed to be in place....

If I didn't have a sense of humor about all this I think I would be completely bonkers by now! Well, OK, I am already bonkers.... oh, you know what I mean!

 

[SueOKW]

Ewwww... sounds more than a little scary! (The teacher, I mean, not YOU being bonkers...)

This year we seem to be on the other end of the spectrum. Kevin has a new teacher and a new school this year - 2 years out of school and full of good ideas and energy. We love her. An aid that he had about 8 years ago has him again, and he is thrilled no end. He's been extremely happy.

One thing the new teacher does that we love - she created a notebook for him with updates EVERY DAY about his activities. We initial it to show we've read it. So far nothing but positive comments.

Glad to hear things are doing a little better for you.
Sue

 

[SueM in MN]

The most frustrating part is having to fight the same fights over and over again. Especially the ones that you thought were settled.
The most scary thing is someone asking a question that is totally clueless.

 

[teri]

Sorry, I just have to vent, please excuse me. I am laughing about this, really.

aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhh!!!!!!

Thank you.

I have left 4 messages in 3 weeks with the new director of Sp Ed and no calls back. Somebody, quick, surround their phones and message pads with Pixie Dust!!!!!!! I did get a call back today from somebody at my daughter's school... "Maybe we should set up a meeting." Gee, do ya really think so? School started 2 weeks ago and we haven't had a transition meeting yet.

Gotta laugh about it.... at least my DD is happy at her new school.

 

[SueM in MN]

As long as we are spreading pixie dust, if you have any extra, please send some my way too.
DD missed the bus today because she changed her mind about the shirt she was wearing. After she was all dressed, she decided she wanted it changed and she was not going to sit in her wheelchair in THAT shirt. So, I had this stiff as a board little body only touching the wheelchair at the tips of her shoulders, back of the thighs and the back of the heel of her foot. By the tome I got her talked into sitting in the wheelchair, the bus had left. I hope the year isn't going to go like this. I don't mind running her to school now while the weather is nice, but it's gonna be really old when the wind chill is 30 below.

 

[teri]

Oh, Sue! Pixie Dust, on its way!

My son is feeling stressed about school as well, he has been regressing, too. :::sigh:::

 

[SueOKW]

{{{hugs}}} and pixie dust to you guys! And may the force be with you.... You are in my thoughts.

Sue

 

[Tiiiigergirl]

Oh Teri I feel for you, I really do!

I was briefly telling my husband about what happened to you and asked him sarcastically if he knew what a star chart was. Our son has TS and ADHD and so we have had to implement several behavioral mod programs through the years. Our son overheard our conversation and missed my sarcasm and piped up that "yes he knew what a star chart was." He proceeded to explain all about them and how they work and what kinds he likes best. He likes the candy ones the best.

 

[SueM in MN]

Too funny!!

 

[mhopset]

Should have bonked her on the head and then said "yeah I think I have heard of a star chart"
Hope things go better for you in the future teri. Good luck, and do something fun llike plan your next WDW vacation.

 

[nancycels]

can't believe she asked u that!! star charts! yikes!!! have 2 daughters, 19 and 24, the 19
yo is still in H.S. as a postgrad... where there is still one teacher doing star charts!!!! now,
I understand that for some kids this may be necessary, but these are mildly retarded kids
who know how to work the system to their advantage!!! bet they all end up w/cavities
from those darn candy charts!!!!!!

 

[Lershac]

Now I am just a browser.... reading the board out of interest, I have no disabilities or any kids with 'em... When you said a "star chart" the first thing I thought of was horoscopes.... I burst out laughing and though "OMG I hope she isnt serious" Then as I read down, I figgered it out.... do ya mean one of those task-completed here's a gold star charts?


LOL

 

[teri]

Yep, Chuck, that is exactly what I mean.

After I explained my objection to the start chart, they decided to do "Tickets" instead. Every time they catch him doing something good they give him a ticket, if he gets enough tickets they give him a reward. I think it stinks. I had to go get him from school early on Friday because he was out of control... as I walked in the aide was saying, "Come on, don't you want a ticket? If you get enough tickets you can________..." I think it is totally disruptive, they are focussed on extrinisic rewards that have nothing to do with the curriculum. It is an interruption of thought processes at a a time when kids whould be thinking about the math, or reading, or art -- not figuring out how to get the next ticket. He had a playground accident, got upset, started acting up... and they are begging him to behave so he can get tickets??? He already knew he wouldn't get enough for what he wanted to do because he lost so much time already, why should he want more if he knew it wouldn't be enough? Why bother to turn it around? I really don't like this system.

Sorry, I just had to rant. Things really are going better all around, except when I have to go pick him up from school early because their behavior mod system backfires.

 

[SueM in MN]

Sounds like a bribe to me (from someone who worked for almost 3 years in a strict behavior mod inpatient pediatric psych unit).
Point or ticket systems only worked if the kids I worked with knew they had enough to make their base reward. Once they already knew they had blown it, it was useless.