Re: not sure if this is where i strat

[Guest guest]

>

> Dear Angelina --

>

> I'm sorry to hear you've had so much trouble getting help for your

child in

> school. If you are really serious about moving, I think the

Northeast Ohio

> region does very well in general with helping children with

disabilities in

> school. Some districts are probably better than others, but that

will be the

> case anywhere, I suppose. But there is a lot that can be done and

it's never

> too late to start.

>

> There is a federal law called IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities

Education

> Act) which the U.S. Congress just reauthorized in 2004. Under

this law, all

> children with disabilities are guaranteed a free and appropriate

education.

> If your child has been diagnosed with Asperger's and Bipolar

Disorder, that

> should qualify. I do not know of any parent advocate

organizations down where

> you live, but this is a link from slaw's website (a site

dedicated to

> helping parents learn how to effectively advocate for your

child's

> educational rights) that might be of help:

> _http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/help/oh.htm_

(http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/help/oh.htm) .

>

> n -- if you're reading this, is there someone in the St.

Basil's

> support group who is a realtor? If so, perhaps they could help if

Angelina is

> looking to relocate?

>

> I hope some of this helps. These are all the thoughts I had

right now, but

> more might come to me. Angelina, I wish you and your son the

best of luck.

> I sincerely hope you can find the right people to help him as

soon as

> possible. If he's depressed and expressing the wish to die, that

is a serious

> problem. As I'm sure you know, if you at any time think he's

going to act upon

> that, you should take him to a hospital right away. Perhaps, the

Suicide

> Prevention Hotline (the phone number should be listed in your

local phone book)

> could be of assistance to you in getting him some immediate

help. There are

> some good, caring child psychiatrists up here, but I do not know

of any in your

> area. Perhaps the Hotline could help.

>

> You and your son will be in my thoughts and prayers.

>

> --Suzanne

>

thanks suzanne for emailing me, yes my son has iep since he been in

preschool and they wont accept the dr diagor the hospitals, so it

like fighting nail and tooth and since i work for these people they

still to me like this,then my job would be put on the line i guess,

b/c it hard to find a job so you can be home with you kids at the

same time and not worry about babysitters. so that tell you how they

feel about there own people at school, but there none else in my

school except the teacher child whch you all might now he in

politic carey, well his child has spec needs but they got money

and an a name. they why i ask i like to know more of this area and

what type of jobs and programs you all ahve up here, do you have a

thing called respite? well like to save some money up and look for a

job before moving, well i cant think to well right now got a

migraine, but wanted to email back thanks, i dont feel alone now

thanks for being here angie

[Guest guest]

Oh, I get migraines too...not fun at all, are they? Especially when you have children to take care of...well, I hope you feel better soon.

Yes, working for the school and fighting them to get services for your child does tend to put you between a rock and a hard place, as it were. However -- and no, I'm not a lawyer and cannot give you legal advice, -- I've read enough on the slaw website to know that it is not very legal for a school system to retaliate against a parent, teacher or school employee for advocating for a child to get services. That's interesting, yet extremely disturbing, that the school system won't accept the doctor or hospital's diagnosis of your son. Did the doctor and/or the hospital put these diagnoses in writing so that you could give documentation to your school district that your son qualifies for services? If not, I would ask for that. If the school does not respond with services, you could ask them for something called Prior Written Notice. That is a form in which the school system has to put in writing the reasons why they denied services and what other options were discussed. Prior Written Notice is used for other purposes too, but this is one of them. Sometimes the Ohio Department of Education will do audits of school districts. If there is documentation that a child should be receiving services and he or she is not, then that could cause the school system some trouble. This is why I document EVERYTHING with the school. You'd be amazed to know how many battles have been won by parents for their children -- even without having to involve lawyers and due process hearings -- because they documented. It's hard to argue with things that are there in black and white.

Respite services are provided through each county's board of MR/DD -- there may be other places that offer therapy services and respite as well outside of the MR/DD. I know one of my son's therapy places offers limited respite care, but they do charge for it. With MR/DD it is on a sliding scale, or may even be free. I know here, with this group, there is talk of forming a foundation that would provide funds for the many things we all end up dealing with out-of-pocket -- biomedical treatments, respite care -- hey, the possibilities are endless, right?

I just found out today that our school system is looking to revamp parts of its Autism program for the better. They are going to provide more programs that fall in line with the recommendations of the Ohio Autism Taskforce! Yippee!!!! I heard that other districts in the area are doing this as well -- and some may have already done it. So, there are a lot of good opportunities for your child to be helped up here, Angie.

Again, I wish you all the best. Take care of yourself.

--Suzanne

[Guest guest]

This is slightly off topic, I know, but just wanted to give my 2 cents about the migranes. IMO, Relpax is the miracle drug for migranes. I used to be on Imitrex and even after the 2nd one the migrane wouldn't go away and the medicine made me feel worse than the headache did. With Relpax, there are like NO side effects (for me) and one does the trick if I catch it right away (as you have to with any migrane med). The first few times I was sleepy after I took it, but now I can function (as much as you can with a migrane) normally and the headache eases within 30 minutes and is gone within 2 hours! It's GREAT!! Meg"Unlocking Autism...One Child at a Time" Meghan Applied Behavior/Verbal Behavior consultant Applied Behavior Therapist Verbal Behavior Therapist meghananderson_aba@...

See the all-new, redesigned .com. Check it out.

[Guest guest]

>

> Oh, I get migraines too...not fun at all, are they? Especially

when you

> have children to take care of...well, I hope you feel better

soon.

>

> Yes, working for the school and fighting them to get services for

your child

> does tend to put you between a rock and a hard place, as it

were. However

> -- and no, I'm not a lawyer and cannot give you legal advice, --

I've read

> enough on the slaw website to know that it is not very legal

for a school

> system to retaliate against a parent, teacher or school employee

for

> advocating for a child to get services. That's interesting, yet

extremely

> disturbing, that the school system won't accept the doctor or

hospital's diagnosis of

> your son. Did the doctor and/or the hospital put these diagnoses

in writing

> so that you could give documentation to your school district that

your son

> qualifies for services? If not, I would ask for that. If the

school does not

> respond with services, you could ask them for something called

Prior Written

> Notice. That is a form in which the school system has to put in

writing the

> reasons why they denied services and what other options were

discussed. Prior

> Written Notice is used for other purposes too, but this is one of

them.

> Sometimes the Ohio Department of Education will do audits of

school districts.

> If there is documentation that a child should be receiving

services and he or

> she is not, then that could cause the school system some

trouble. This is

> why I document EVERYTHING with the school. You'd be amazed to

know how many

> battles have been won by parents for their children -- even

without having to

> involve lawyers and due process hearings -- because they

documented. It's

> hard to argue with things that are there in black and white.

>

> Respite services are provided through each county's board of

MR/DD -- there

> may be other places that offer therapy services and respite as

well outside of

> the MR/DD. I know one of my son's therapy places offers limited

respite

> care, but they do charge for it. With MR/DD it is on a sliding

scale, or may

> even be free. I know here, with this group, there is talk of

forming a foundat

> ion that would provide funds for the many things we all end up

dealing with

> out-of-pocket -- biomedical treatments, respite care -- hey, the

> possibilities are endless, right?

>

> I just found out today that our school system is looking to revamp

parts of

> its Autism program for the better. They are going to provide more

programs

> that fall in line with the recommendations of the Ohio Autism

Taskforce!

> Yippee!!!! I heard that other districts in the area are doing

this as well --

> and some may have already done it. So, there are a lot of good

opportunities

> for your child to be helped up here, Angie.

>

> Again, I wish you all the best. Take care of yourself.

>

> --Suzanne

>

hi suzanne and thanks for your email, everyone has made me feel

welcome and not alone. but yes since 3 grade we had doct that was

given to the school and some of it disappreared. when i wanted to

look inot his folder the spec ed folder, i forgot what it called but

it didnt have any of the doc, i gave them and then there were stuff

i never got that talk about him in preschool ands stuf, but the

school pshcologist keep saying now he growing up, i said yes but it

still showing yr after yr teacher saying he need supervision and now

they got the teacher to keep quite on saying he needs superviosn b/c

of the aide issue, also there another folder that they keeping from

me and i cant prove it or get to it but at the last iep meeting they

had to go get the other folder and get stuff out, i went i try to

question that they try to cahnge the subject and some else told me

there is a folder but they get inot trouble if it get out, they is

os much cover up it crazy i went to superintent and so on no one

will listen. but when he was in the hospital they sent dr statements

they refused they said that they can use it for refernces, but they

said the school they see my kids more then the dr does and he not

asperger & bipolar, i said you dont have the degree and he said yes

he does and i said well you cant diag only dr can he said no but we

can tell if you kid is or not, even at the last iep meeting the

school psh said that they might change his label might if i would

not ask for an aide!!! get that a bargin tool for them, and he said

this could help him in the future and i thought ok get himn to

belive this and then later on in another meeting he said no we not

changing it just to congitive disbility not sure what that is, but

the one spe ed director said if you dont want this label then the

emotional disturb would be the only label you would get and then he

be sent off to a sever behavioral school, i said no what the problem

you would get close to 20,000 if you label him autism and they just

got quite but said well finish this iep at later date. and we havent

fisnh it aug rolling around here fast. i hate this place, the school

is just out for sports and nothing else like i state before our

basketball stadium gym is the size of a half thr school they could

of use that for more education and spec ed but no . it hard to find

doctors i have been going anywhere between 2-3 hr away to got to dr

and this drains me from work & then go home and take care of them.

that why i thought if i could find a place that had freindly peole

and a good support group and good school for the spec needs kids

then i would move, i just tired my kids are not happy one one son

that easliy go and no handicap he get along with people good he

only has few friends it like if you not from this town then you not

really welcome that how i feel. i live here 15 yrs and only few i

can try to talk to but they dont understand autism and where i from

south carolina i had more freinds there living there 10 yrs then i

have here and charleston big town. i dont know but the thing is

since i been gone from there alot of my freinds have moved on move

out of state. lost contact. i just feel so depress here, the only

thing i like here is my job where i can be home with my kids when

they off and son on and have the summer off with them, but i guess

to be happy and get the education and finidng friends i guess is to

pay the price of that. how are jobs up there ? do they ever have

school job openings?what part of north are you at i know that a big

place. thank for being here guys angie