Is have a SN child something to hide?

[jodifla]

Hey BeckyScott, I hear what you're saying.

I completely agree about treating issues like speech at the youngest age possible. The trickier part is foisting treatments like ABA on kids who aren't a good match for them, and knowing, like I said in an earlier post, if your clinician is qualified, which unfortunately doesn't include a lot of psychologists who are making the assessments.

I know of several parents who initially believed what the EI based school program told them....only when they started doing their own research, they realized that wasn't their child's issue at all. (One parent was told, after less than an hour in the room, "Well, your child isn't making eye contact with me, so I'm going to label him autistic so you can get 30 hours of ABA a week.)

 

[alizesmom]

I know I'm risking my life here but why do questions about special needs always seem to end up with discussions about autism and related diagnoses?
Maybe I'm the only one whose children have physical/mental disabilities but it is really frustrating. Okay, I asked for it so blast me, I'm in one of those moods anyhow. Karen

 

[Tissa]

I guess it's because a lot of us around here have children with Autism etc.
No you are not the only one who has a child with physical/developmental disabilities. My youngest has Autism and my oldest has Cerebral Palsy. Lucky me

Years ago back when my oldest was in PPCD his teacher told me something that really helped. She said "don't worry about labels, they are only there to get him the services he needs, they are not who he is".

My oldest is 13 going into the 7th grade. He has always been in special ed classes and ridden the little yellow bus. It doesn't affect him at all, he sees himself as a regular kid.

 

[ireland_nicole]

I know I'm risking my life here but why do questions about special needs always seem to end up with discussions about autism and related diagnoses?
Maybe I'm the only one whose children have physical/mental disabilities but it is really frustrating. Okay, I asked for it so blast me, I'm in one of those moods anyhow. Karen

I understand, too; DS has a brain malformation and hypotonia (and now, apparently ADHD; whatever...) DD has ASD,RAD,Bipolar,ODD,ADHD,dyspraxia and a visual perceptual disorder; you yeah, we pay attention to the Austism stuff, but certainly have a wide range of interests I guess it goes back to the whole 1/150 thing. I can't think of any other dx that has that kind of volume - that's probably why it swings back so much. Still, theres a lot of things that apply to multiple dx's.

And here's a ; I have "those days" too! A lot actually I wonder why?

 

[alizesmom]

Apologies offered. It really was a bad day yesterday and you guys got some of the backlash. I honestly realize that there are more kids with spectrum diagnosis so obviously more interest. Karen

 

[ireland_nicole]

Apologies offered. It really was a bad day yesterday and you guys got some of the backlash. I honestly realize that there are more kids with spectrum diagnosis so obviously more interest. Karen

Hey, none of that! If you can't be yourself for a few minutes here, where can you I'm glad today is better for you, and fwiw, I have benefitted from a lot of your posts, so don't give up just 'cuz you're human and have a bad day
Nicole

 

[mechurchlady]

Apologies offered. It really was a bad day yesterday and you guys got some of the backlash. I honestly realize that there are more kids with spectrum diagnosis so obviously more interest. Karen

My mother shuts down at anything unfamiliar. She has a Dont-Beat-Me Modes where she cringes as if she is going to get hit when I raise my voice to her or challenge her. She has to do things her way not because she is the Queen but because she cannot see any other way. I have 10 things to do but she has to have things done in her order and only those things she wants done, NOW. She yaps away and some of the sewerage from her mouth is so repulsive but she cannot see that she is making inflamatory remarks, hate speech, racist remarks or uttering stuff that offends me.

Hun your little ranting was not a ranting and I did not think you was ranting. Compared to what I go through daily, pshaw, that was nothing worse than a sneeze in my life.

AS seen with me and mom there are thousands and thousands of adults who never were diagnosed with brain damage of any kind. My mom is much more aspie or autistic than I am. it is a daily battle, so it seems, to deal with hidden disabilities where there is not easy answer. with CF they can do blood work and check the breathing and with diabetes they have blood tests.

Especially hard is the kid with many quirks. The ladies with spectrum kids have to deal with myths, labeling, and limitations put on kids who actually can go far beyond the boundaries put on them. Last night I spent 5+ hours with mom in the hosptital and they brushed of my remarks about mom. She is a special needs person who never got the diagnosis. I bet this morning they will have let her ring the call bell and never answer it. I bet this morning they will have tried things that she balked at. I bet this morning they are feeding her food she does not like and she will have messed up sugars. I was told by the doctor that my quote of her meds was wrong. The fire department wrote down the med amounts but the doctors need to see the pills I guess. Every day it seems it is another fight somewhere for the special needs people.

I really would like to hear about all of the special needs people out there and how parents cope. Your story may cause someone to help you or their remarks will help someone else.

Big hugs and stop looking at your hissy fits with a microscope as you will not find them. Trust me as I am the Queen of meltdowns and hissy fits.

big hugs and chocolates
Laurie

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

IEP is for ANY special education. My son was in the gifted program at his school and has no disabilities. He had an IEP.

That's odd, I was in gifted and had no IEP. No gifted kids I know of in this district require an IEP. I think this is because gifted is not a required service (our state actually cut all funding for gifted) but special ed is. Perhaps that was just a decision your school made.

I hear what parents are saying- this is such a touchy situation as far as education is concerned. Just please remember that some teachers want what is best for ALL of the children and sometimes their hands are tied by administration and laws. A few years ago I had a student that was difficult to have in class and finally we found out he had Asberger's, the mom hadn't released that information to us, just finding out that information helped me to teach him. I spent the rest of that week researching, talking to parents that have more experience that I do. The rest of that year went great - he grew, I grew, the whole class grew. I had him the next year also and I considered that a priviledge! So the lesson here, not all teachers are created equal! Matter of fact most teachers I work with would do the exact same thing! Please try hard to not judge us and give us a fair chance - I know it is hard but some of us work to teach and want what is best for our students!

I can see it both ways. I sub for my district when I am not in class and I can clearly remember one class where I had two ASD children. Nobody informed til halfway through the day, and then I realized why I was having some behavior problems from these particular students. I confided in a teacher because another student (also SN) claimed one of the ASD kids was bullying him. The teacher then explained to me how the accused had ASD and was probably being taken out of context. I did treat them differently as I realized that their behavior was a manifestation of their illness. I found that I was a bit more patient with them. Some will say this is a bad thing, I don't know, but as a sub that helped me to understand part of the dynamics of that classroom.

Alizesmom: I think one of the reasons that Autism gets brought up is that it is much harder to look at a child with a "hidden" disability like autism and say "that child has special needs." I hope this does not sound cruel, but when you see a child in a wheelchair or a child with Down Syndrome, nobody needs to tell you that that child has a disability, so I would imagine that those parents are not as sensitive about other people knowing since it is fairly obvious. Those disabilities which are not immediately obvious are the ones that people are talking about because in most cases the only way somebody will know is if you come out and say something.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Bookwormde: You might also like Kathie Snow, the author of "Disability is Natural". I attended a workshop by her, and she had some interesting things to say. I meant to post but then got side tracked by all my classes. I'll try to post about it later tonight.