Don't give up!

[Piper]

Two years ago, my daughter asked for advice on how to get her son the help he needed in school. His principal wouldn't test or accept the testing her private doctors had done. He was constantly in the principal's office for disruptive behavior and sent home from school. The principal also shortened his day from full to half. He was in Kdgn. My daughter got private therapy for him since the school refused to help.

She taped every meeting she had with anyone in the school, took meticulous notes and contacted an advocate as well as the autism society in her area. My DGS is starting second grade this year and they had a due process hearing this morning. Here is her note(Today is her birthday) :

Oh, my goodness, everyone, thank you so much for the beautiful, heartfelt, friendly, wonderful birthday wishes! What a beautiful thing to see after coming home from our special education due process mediation meeting....‎....in which we received reimbursement for 2 years worth of social skills and therapy for S., payment for his future services of the same, an agreement for more thorough and specific assessments to see if he needs an aide (we think he needs an aide, but they want more evidence) and the meeting was only 2 1/2 hours rather than the expected all day. All my work is finally paying off! Happy birthday, indeed!

So to all those others struggling--don't give up! Keep good records and keep fighting for what your child needs!

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Piper, That is just great news. I am so glad your DD kept the notes and recordings. I regret it took two years but she must a be a great advocate and really fighting for what is best.

WTG!!!

 

[Piper]

DD spent hours transcribing the recordings and making sure she would have everything she needed. She had multiple doctors to back her up.

The principal had stated that there was no such thing as high functioning autistic or sensory processing disorder. She had been in the business world until she decided she wanted to run a school and really had no idea about any child who wasn't "average."

My DD said that over the course of the two years, other parents in the school had told her their children had been denied services. Although she is hoping that there are no repercussions on her son, things couldn't get much worse than they have been. I am proud of her hard work.

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Piper you have a great daughter and you must be very proud. It is hard to go against the system and win, yet she did! I hope that other parents can come to her for guidance and perhaps a class action against the evil principal.

 

[YarnBombed]

You just have to keep fighting. We've been fighting that battle ever since DS was three and aged out of the state's early intervention program.

At the end of kindy, when DS was diagnosed with ADHD, the school was very insistant that he be put on meds..to make the teacher's job easier. And so, trying not to be those parents (the ones who the staff doesn't care for because they think they're a pain in the rear end), we did so. And it was a year of hell. Yes, he was calmed down and could concentrate better BUT the tradeoff was that he was angry a lot, had violent outbursts (which he'd never had before) and depressive spells.

This year, we're at a new school thanks to re-zoning of the district and with his teacher's and the new sp.ed. assistant's support, we took him off the meds. And he's doing JUST FINE. They are doing their best to accomodate him and I am really really thankful for that.

he principal had stated that there was no such thing as high functioning autistic or sensory processing disorder.

Sorry..if I were her, I'd have to call BS on that. If there IS no such thing as SPD, then what the heck would that principal think of my kid? LOL He has to have clothes that are very, very soft or they bother him. If we buy a shirt with a tag, it has to come out or it bugs him. Tight clothes bother him. Textured clothes bother him, so it's plain teeshirts and cotton shorts for the majority of his wardrobe. He loves the feel of food in his mouth, so he'll stuff his mouth so full he gags because he loves that full feeling. I'm sorry..if that isn't SPD, then please tell me what is?

 

[Piper]

Unfortunately, they are still fighting the school. She got a good IEP finally, but getting the school to implement it is another story. She just called another meeting. She said they are either going to do what they should or spend all their time in meetings!

 

[SueM in MN]

Yep, keep going.

 

[lilmissdisney216]

Keep on truckin!!! Piper you have an amazing daughter!!! Its people like her that will change the world!!!

 

[YarnBombed]

It's hard getting them to implement the IEPs sometimes. Been there, done that. Keep fighting..that's all you can do. Because if you don't fight for them, who will? *hugs*

 

[cogero]

Piper one thing I have learned since I started this journey is documentation is the key and it is an uphill battle the entire time.

I am so dreading next year when my son goes into the public school system in Kindergarten.