Guest guest Posted August 16, 1999 Report Share Posted August 16, 1999 said: >I've considered homeschooling..... but I'm afraid if we >do this that they will not provide other services that he >needs (speech). There's a way to do this. Children with disabilities who are homeschooled are still entitled to the services in their IEP. They are also entitled to participate in classes and activities at their neighborhood school as needed or desired. For example, if you find that your son needs or wants to learn calculus and that's outside your ability, you can either have him enroll in a calculus class at the HS or community college or hire a tutor. After-school activities and clubs are also open to homeschooled students. That said, my own homeschooling experience with my daughter was not that great. She was just too ill to learn much at 13. The one area where we had some success was setting up community internships. She worked as an intern a couple days a week for a friend of mine who runs an " alternative " newsstand (comic books, zines, interesting magazines). She was so introverted at this point that it was hard for her to handle customers, but it was her first work experience and I knew Chloe would be a good and understanding " boss " . She learned some bookeeping, stock ordering procedures, how to run a cash register and make change, unpacking and stocking shelves. These skills have since come in handy. High school was never successful for her but work has been an area where she has done well. While being homeschooled she continued to be in the theatre program at our neighborhood high school, and also had access to the school clinic and other facilities. Part of the problem was that I work - I work at home, but I still must make time to get my work done! She needed a lot of one-on-one support. The best high school experience she had was on homebound instruction. Maybe the key is to talk to the homebound instruction person about changing what she's assigning and how. Instead of " here's 5 things to finish by Tuesday " , could she lower the amount of work or pace it out as daily assignments? That's what Carmen's homebound instructor did after assessing her abilities. In the end, she had a daily math assignment and a weekly essay that required some research and some writing. The essay often covered other topics (science or history). This way the instruction time could be spent working one on one on things about the assignments that had been difficult. They met in the public library instead of in our home, because she felt one of Carmen's strengths was her writing ability but it needed to be butressed by learning to research topics - smart assessment. Carmen felt the library was a " safe " place as it it quieter than a classroom, no strange smells or anything, and they had nice tables for working. The homebound instructor also worked closely with us so we could know what things to ask her about and what she might need help with. She saw her purpose as helping Carmen to realize that she was indeed still intelligent (she experienced some temporary cognitive dulling, still don;t know if this was due to meds in the hospital or due to her bipolar disorder or OCD symptoms) and that she could succeed at schoolwork. If only we could have had a better transition plan - the district dropped the ball - things might've worked out. Although I have to say that the path she took has been successful for her. Mitzi Waltz * Author and Editor * http://www.teleport.com/~infobahn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 1999 Report Share Posted August 16, 1999 Mitzi, I want to thank you for sharing all of this with me (and the group). When went on homebound instruction last year I was informed that he would not get speech therapy because they did not provide speech therapy for home- bound students. I have a feeling that I will be doing lots of venting and asking lots of questions as the school year starts. Thanks for your input and being there for me! Take care Mitzi! mary from La. Mitzi Waltz wrote: > From: Mitzi Waltz <infobahn@...> > > said: > >I've considered homeschooling..... but I'm afraid if we > >do this that they will not provide other services that he > >needs (speech). > > There's a way to do this. Children with disabilities who are homeschooled > are still entitled to the services in their IEP. They are also entitled > to participate in classes and activities at their neighborhood school as > needed or desired. For example, if you find that your son needs or wants > to learn calculus and that's outside your ability, you can either have > him enroll in a calculus class at the HS or community college or hire a > tutor. After-school activities and clubs are also open to homeschooled > students. > That said, my own homeschooling experience with my daughter was not that > great. She was just too ill to learn much at 13. The one area where we > had some success was setting up community internships. She worked as an > intern a couple days a week for a friend of mine who runs an > " alternative " newsstand (comic books, zines, interesting magazines). She > was so introverted at this point that it was hard for her to handle > customers, but it was her first work experience and I knew Chloe would be > a good and understanding " boss " . She learned some bookeeping, stock > ordering procedures, how to run a cash register and make change, > unpacking and stocking shelves. These skills have since come in handy. > High school was never successful for her but work has been an area where > she has done well. > While being homeschooled she continued to be in the theatre program at > our neighborhood high school, and also had access to the school clinic > and other facilities. > Part of the problem was that I work - I work at home, but I still must > make time to get my work done! She needed a lot of one-on-one support. > The best high school experience she had was on homebound instruction. > Maybe the key is to talk to the homebound instruction person about > changing what she's assigning and how. Instead of " here's 5 things to > finish by Tuesday " , could she lower the amount of work or pace it out as > daily assignments? That's what Carmen's homebound instructor did after > assessing her abilities. In the end, she had a daily math assignment and > a weekly essay that required some research and some writing. The essay > often covered other topics (science or history). This way the instruction > time could be spent working one on one on things about the assignments > that had been difficult. They met in the public library instead of in our > home, because she felt one of Carmen's strengths was her writing ability > but it needed to be butressed by learning to research topics - smart > assessment. Carmen felt the library was a " safe " place as it it quieter > than a classroom, no strange smells or anything, and they had nice tables > for working. > The homebound instructor also worked closely with us so we could know > what things to ask her about and what she might need help with. She saw > her purpose as helping Carmen to realize that she was indeed still > intelligent (she experienced some temporary cognitive dulling, still > don;t know if this was due to meds in the hospital or due to her bipolar > disorder or OCD symptoms) and that she could succeed at schoolwork. If > only we could have had a better transition plan - the district dropped > the ball - things might've worked out. Although I have to say that the > path she took has been successful for her. > > Mitzi Waltz * Author and Editor * http://www.teleport.com/~infobahn > > --------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 1999 Report Share Posted August 16, 1999 HI : Thanks very much for the comprehensive materials you sent me on 504/IDEA. I am slowly sifting my way through this treasure trove. I am not sure about LA but here I have several times had the experience of being told service x or provider y or whatever was not a possibility. That now has become my cue that I have to fight harder, be more persistent, even insistent about what Steve needs. I'm afraid here the squeaky wheel gets the grease and I have become one of those. Contact your nearest protection and advocacy group and they should be able to help. Other moms with kids with NBDs have been wonderful in teaching me the way the system " works " . Good luck, aloha, Kathy (Ha) kathyh@... At 02:49 PM 8/16/99 -0500, you wrote: >From: <maryth3@...> > >Mitzi, >I want to thank you for sharing all of this with me >(and the group). > >When went on homebound instruction last year >I was informed that he would not get speech therapy >because they did not provide speech therapy for home- >bound students. I have a feeling that I will be doing lots >of venting and asking lots of questions as the school year >starts. > >Thanks for your input and being there for me! >Take care Mitzi! >mary from La. > >Mitzi Waltz wrote: > >> From: Mitzi Waltz <infobahn@...> >> >> said: >> >I've considered homeschooling..... but I'm afraid if we >> >do this that they will not provide other services that he >> >needs (speech). >> >> There's a way to do this. Children with disabilities who are homeschooled >> are still entitled to the services in their IEP. They are also entitled >> to participate in classes and activities at their neighborhood school as >> needed or desired. For example, if you find that your son needs or wants >> to learn calculus and that's outside your ability, you can either have >> him enroll in a calculus class at the HS or community college or hire a >> tutor. After-school activities and clubs are also open to homeschooled >> students. >> That said, my own homeschooling experience with my daughter was not that >> great. She was just too ill to learn much at 13. The one area where we >> had some success was setting up community internships. She worked as an >> intern a couple days a week for a friend of mine who runs an >> " alternative " newsstand (comic books, zines, interesting magazines). She >> was so introverted at this point that it was hard for her to handle >> customers, but it was her first work experience and I knew Chloe would be >> a good and understanding " boss " . She learned some bookeeping, stock >> ordering procedures, how to run a cash register and make change, >> unpacking and stocking shelves. These skills have since come in handy. >> High school was never successful for her but work has been an area where >> she has done well. >> While being homeschooled she continued to be in the theatre program at >> our neighborhood high school, and also had access to the school clinic >> and other facilities. >> Part of the problem was that I work - I work at home, but I still must >> make time to get my work done! She needed a lot of one-on-one support. >> The best high school experience she had was on homebound instruction. >> Maybe the key is to talk to the homebound instruction person about >> changing what she's assigning and how. Instead of " here's 5 things to >> finish by Tuesday " , could she lower the amount of work or pace it out as >> daily assignments? That's what Carmen's homebound instructor did after >> assessing her abilities. In the end, she had a daily math assignment and >> a weekly essay that required some research and some writing. The essay >> often covered other topics (science or history). This way the instruction >> time could be spent working one on one on things about the assignments >> that had been difficult. They met in the public library instead of in our >> home, because she felt one of Carmen's strengths was her writing ability >> but it needed to be butressed by learning to research topics - smart >> assessment. Carmen felt the library was a " safe " place as it it quieter >> than a classroom, no strange smells or anything, and they had nice tables >> for working. >> The homebound instructor also worked closely with us so we could know >> what things to ask her about and what she might need help with. She saw >> her purpose as helping Carmen to realize that she was indeed still >> intelligent (she experienced some temporary cognitive dulling, still >> don;t know if this was due to meds in the hospital or due to her bipolar >> disorder or OCD symptoms) and that she could succeed at schoolwork. If >> only we could have had a better transition plan - the district dropped >> the ball - things might've worked out. Although I have to say that the >> path she took has been successful for her. >> >> Mitzi Waltz * Author and Editor * http://www.teleport.com/~infobahn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 1999 Report Share Posted August 16, 1999 WOW, This is some great info! Really what this list is all about. What did you mean drop the ball? The work/school combo. sounds great. How old is she now, and how has everything turned out. You sound so resourceful, Your daughter was very lucky to have you! karenh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 1999 Report Share Posted August 16, 1999 HI Kathy, What can the protection and advocacy group do for you? Do they supervise the local school district to comply with the special education plan, such as 504? I'm trying to set up a meeting with the school on this plan. They wanted me to wait until the school psychologist comes back from summer. Based on last year's experiences, I do not have much hope on this comming year. h mentioned about the teacher's accountability. I don't see some of our teachers care about that. Our teachers declined to reduce any homework, even when the sedation problem attacked badly (because of the ssri). TC From: Kathy Hammes <kathyh@...> HI : Thanks very much for the comprehensive materials you sent me on 504/IDEA. I am slowly sifting my way through this treasure trove. I am not sure about LA but here I have several times had the experience of being told service x or provider y or whatever was not a possibility. That now has become my cue that I have to fight harder, be more persistent, even insistent about what Steve needs. I'm afraid here the squeaky wheel gets the grease and I have become one of those. Contact your nearest protection and advocacy group and they should be able to help. Other moms with kids with NBDs have been wonderful in teaching me the way the system " works " . Good luck, aloha, Kathy (Ha) kathyh@... At 02:49 PM 8/16/99 -0500, you wrote: >From: <maryth3@...> > >Mitzi, >I want to thank you for sharing all of this with me >(and the group). > >When went on homebound instruction last year >I was informed that he would not get speech therapy >because they did not provide speech therapy for home- >bound students. I have a feeling that I will be doing lots >of venting and asking lots of questions as the school year >starts. > >Thanks for your input and being there for me! >Take care Mitzi! >mary from La. > >Mitzi Waltz wrote: > >> From: Mitzi Waltz <infobahn@...> >> >> said: >> >I've considered homeschooling..... but I'm afraid if we >> >do this that they will not provide other services that he >> >needs (speech). >> >> There's a way to do this. Children with disabilities who are homeschooled >> are still entitled to the services in their IEP. They are also entitled >> to participate in classes and activities at their neighborhood school as >> needed or desired. For example, if you find that your son needs or wants >> to learn calculus and that's outside your ability, you can either have >> him enroll in a calculus class at the HS or community college or hire a >> tutor. After-school activities and clubs are also open to homeschooled >> students. >> That said, my own homeschooling experience with my daughter was not that >> great. She was just too ill to learn much at 13. The one area where we >> had some success was setting up community internships. She worked as an >> intern a couple days a week for a friend of mine who runs an >> " alternative " newsstand (comic books, zines, interesting magazines). She >> was so introverted at this point that it was hard for her to handle >> customers, but it was her first work experience and I knew Chloe would be >> a good and understanding " boss " . She learned some bookeeping, stock >> ordering procedures, how to run a cash register and make change, >> unpacking and stocking shelves. These skills have since come in handy. >> High school was never successful for her but work has been an area where >> she has done well. >> While being homeschooled she continued to be in the theatre program at >> our neighborhood high school, and also had access to the school clinic >> and other facilities. >> Part of the problem was that I work - I work at home, but I still must >> make time to get my work done! She needed a lot of one-on-one support. >> The best high school experience she had was on homebound instruction. >> Maybe the key is to talk to the homebound instruction person about >> changing what she's assigning and how. Instead of " here's 5 things to >> finish by Tuesday " , could she lower the amount of work or pace it out as >> daily assignments? That's what Carmen's homebound instructor did after >> assessing her abilities. In the end, she had a daily math assignment and >> a weekly essay that required some research and some writing. The essay >> often covered other topics (science or history). This way the instruction >> time could be spent working one on one on things about the assignments >> that had been difficult. They met in the public library instead of in our >> home, because she felt one of Carmen's strengths was her writing ability >> but it needed to be butressed by learning to research topics - smart >> assessment. Carmen felt the library was a " safe " place as it it quieter >> than a classroom, no strange smells or anything, and they had nice tables >> for working. >> The homebound instructor also worked closely with us so we could know >> what things to ask her about and what she might need help with. She saw >> her purpose as helping Carmen to realize that she was indeed still >> intelligent (she experienced some temporary cognitive dulling, still >> don;t know if this was due to meds in the hospital or due to her bipolar >> disorder or OCD symptoms) and that she could succeed at schoolwork. If >> only we could have had a better transition plan - the district dropped >> the ball - things might've worked out. Although I have to say that the >> path she took has been successful for her. >> >> Mitzi Waltz * Author and Editor * http://www.teleport.com/~infobahn --------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 1999 Report Share Posted August 16, 1999 Hi TC: If you find that you are not getting the help you need for and that the school is violating his rights under Section 504 or IDEA then the P & A people will help you to launch a suit. They can also work to help you negotiate with the school to avoid a suit. Here we also have mediation when an impasse is reached about 504/IDEA matters. You might also want to ask the school for a referral to a parent advocate. Because of the Felix class action suit in Hawai`i we have Children's Community Councils all over our state to provide feedback on a system-wide basis about overall progress towards helping eligible kids. What I have found more helpful than using advocates was to determine based on all available information what I was asking for. I also try to learn what these MPs/IEPs look like. They look for goal statements and quantifiable results. You need to do quite a bit of preparation and involve the professionals in backing you up that needs for example, more time as an accommodation for his OCD. Generally I have found that I am the person who has the major role in making sure that the school follows along with the 504 plan. No one else seems to have the same investment or understanding of the challenges Steve faces in school and so we are best positioned to do the job. The plan needs to be customized for Chris' needs and he may be able to help you determine what help would work best. I try to involve Steve in all his 504 meetings now, it helps to teach him that it is his responsibility to learn to cope with OCD. Like you I am facing a waiting period while the major players return to their school jobs. Another thing that has worked well for us is for me to schedule lunch meetings or doctor appointments specifically to discuss with individuals on the 504 team what I would like them to do to help Steve. That way, when the meeting comes off, all your ducks are in a row. It takes a lot of time, but it has saved me a lot of frustration. We have also in the past insisted on telephone conference calls to include all the major players in Steve's care (suggested by P & A attorney). What accommodations did you ask for last year in Chris' plan? What we do here when there is a slip up in following the plan, is to ask for a 504 team meeting. Sometimes just asking for another meeting and letting them know what your concerns are will result in a change in behavior from the school. It is important to develop as constructive a relationship as possible with the teachers and let them know you understand their frustrations. I know you mentioned that is in AP classes. Steve is in several GT programs and we have found that even those teachers are willing to make accommodations as long as you can assure them that everyone is working hard on recovery and we realize they have important academic goals. Good luck with Chris' 504 plan, take care, aloha, Kathy (Ha) kathyh@... At 07:01 PM 8/16/99 -0400, you wrote: >From: tchao@... > >HI Kathy, > >What can the protection and advocacy group do for you? Do they supervise the >local school district to comply with the special education plan, such as 504? >I'm trying to set up a meeting with the school on this plan. They wanted me to >wait until the school psychologist comes back from summer. Based on last year's >experiences, I do not have much hope on this comming year. h mentioned >about the teacher's accountability. I don't see some of our teachers care about >that. Our teachers declined to reduce any homework, even when the sedation >problem attacked badly (because of the ssri). > >TC > > > > >From: Kathy Hammes <kathyh@...> > >HI : > >Thanks very much for the comprehensive materials you sent me on 504/IDEA. >I am slowly sifting my way through this treasure trove. > >I am not sure about LA but here I have several times had the experience of >being told service x or provider y or whatever was not a possibility. That >now has become my cue that I have to fight harder, be more persistent, even >insistent about what Steve needs. I'm afraid here the squeaky wheel gets >the grease and I have become one of those. > >Contact your nearest protection and advocacy group and they should be able >to help. Other moms with kids with NBDs have been wonderful in teaching me >the way the system " works " . Good luck, aloha, Kathy (Ha) >kathyh@... > >At 02:49 PM 8/16/99 -0500, you wrote: >>From: <maryth3@...> >> >>Mitzi, >>I want to thank you for sharing all of this with me >>(and the group). >> >>When went on homebound instruction last year >>I was informed that he would not get speech therapy >>because they did not provide speech therapy for home- >>bound students. I have a feeling that I will be doing lots >>of venting and asking lots of questions as the school year >>starts. >> >>Thanks for your input and being there for me! >>Take care Mitzi! >>mary from La. >> >>Mitzi Waltz wrote: >> >>> From: Mitzi Waltz <infobahn@...> >>> >>> said: >>> >I've considered homeschooling..... but I'm afraid if we >>> >do this that they will not provide other services that he >>> >needs (speech). >>> >>> There's a way to do this. Children with disabilities who are homeschooled >>> are still entitled to the services in their IEP. They are also entitled >>> to participate in classes and activities at their neighborhood school as >>> needed or desired. For example, if you find that your son needs or wants >>> to learn calculus and that's outside your ability, you can either have >>> him enroll in a calculus class at the HS or community college or hire a >>> tutor. After-school activities and clubs are also open to homeschooled >>> students. >>> That said, my own homeschooling experience with my daughter was not that >>> great. She was just too ill to learn much at 13. The one area where we >>> had some success was setting up community internships. She worked as an >>> intern a couple days a week for a friend of mine who runs an >>> " alternative " newsstand (comic books, zines, interesting magazines). She >>> was so introverted at this point that it was hard for her to handle >>> customers, but it was her first work experience and I knew Chloe would be >>> a good and understanding " boss " . She learned some bookeeping, stock >>> ordering procedures, how to run a cash register and make change, >>> unpacking and stocking shelves. These skills have since come in handy. >>> High school was never successful for her but work has been an area where >>> she has done well. >>> While being homeschooled she continued to be in the theatre program at >>> our neighborhood high school, and also had access to the school clinic >>> and other facilities. >>> Part of the problem was that I work - I work at home, but I still must >>> make time to get my work done! She needed a lot of one-on-one support. >>> The best high school experience she had was on homebound instruction. >>> Maybe the key is to talk to the homebound instruction person about >>> changing what she's assigning and how. Instead of " here's 5 things to >>> finish by Tuesday " , could she lower the amount of work or pace it out as >>> daily assignments? That's what Carmen's homebound instructor did after >>> assessing her abilities. In the end, she had a daily math assignment and >>> a weekly essay that required some research and some writing. The essay >>> often covered other topics (science or history). This way the instruction >>> time could be spent working one on one on things about the assignments >>> that had been difficult. They met in the public library instead of in our >>> home, because she felt one of Carmen's strengths was her writing ability >>> but it needed to be butressed by learning to research topics - smart >>> assessment. Carmen felt the library was a " safe " place as it it quieter >>> than a classroom, no strange smells or anything, and they had nice tables >>> for working. >>> The homebound instructor also worked closely with us so we could know >>> what things to ask her about and what she might need help with. She saw >>> her purpose as helping Carmen to realize that she was indeed still >>> intelligent (she experienced some temporary cognitive dulling, still >>> don;t know if this was due to meds in the hospital or due to her bipolar >>> disorder or OCD symptoms) and that she could succeed at schoolwork. If >>> only we could have had a better transition plan - the district dropped >>> the ball - things might've worked out. Although I have to say that the >>> path she took has been successful for her. >>> >>> Mitzi Waltz * Author and Editor * http://www.teleport.com/~infobahn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 1999 Report Share Posted August 16, 1999 TC, had a teacher like this last year. He was almost failing her class. Her comment to me was.... " I can't grade him on work that is not turned in " . He had not completed any of his tests or assignments. I wanted to tear off her head. She hadn't even made an effort to contact me... even though she was suppose to be sending home a progress report. I had sent to Sylvan to help him with this teacher's class and when Sylvan tried to call her, she wouldn't even talk to them! I had even told her to be expecting a call from them. I could go on and on.... it's like I said, there is always one. mary from La. tchao@... wrote: > From: tchao@... > > HI Kathy, > > What can the protection and advocacy group do for you? Do they supervise the > local school district to comply with the special education plan, such as 504? > I'm trying to set up a meeting with the school on this plan. They wanted me to > wait until the school psychologist comes back from summer. Based on last year's > experiences, I do not have much hope on this comming year. h mentioned > about the teacher's accountability. I don't see some of our teachers care about > that. Our teachers declined to reduce any homework, even when the sedation > problem attacked badly (because of the ssri). > > TC > > From: Kathy Hammes <kathyh@...> > > HI : > > Thanks very much for the comprehensive materials you sent me on 504/IDEA. > I am slowly sifting my way through this treasure trove. > > I am not sure about LA but here I have several times had the experience of > being told service x or provider y or whatever was not a possibility. That > now has become my cue that I have to fight harder, be more persistent, even > insistent about what Steve needs. I'm afraid here the squeaky wheel gets > the grease and I have become one of those. > > Contact your nearest protection and advocacy group and they should be able > to help. Other moms with kids with NBDs have been wonderful in teaching me > the way the system " works " . Good luck, aloha, Kathy (Ha) > kathyh@... > > At 02:49 PM 8/16/99 -0500, you wrote: > >From: <maryth3@...> > > > >Mitzi, > >I want to thank you for sharing all of this with me > >(and the group). > > > >When went on homebound instruction last year > >I was informed that he would not get speech therapy > >because they did not provide speech therapy for home- > >bound students. I have a feeling that I will be doing lots > >of venting and asking lots of questions as the school year > >starts. > > > >Thanks for your input and being there for me! > >Take care Mitzi! > >mary from La. > > > >Mitzi Waltz wrote: > > > >> From: Mitzi Waltz <infobahn@...> > >> > >> said: > >> >I've considered homeschooling..... but I'm afraid if we > >> >do this that they will not provide other services that he > >> >needs (speech). > >> > >> There's a way to do this. Children with disabilities who are homeschooled > >> are still entitled to the services in their IEP. They are also entitled > >> to participate in classes and activities at their neighborhood school as > >> needed or desired. For example, if you find that your son needs or wants > >> to learn calculus and that's outside your ability, you can either have > >> him enroll in a calculus class at the HS or community college or hire a > >> tutor. After-school activities and clubs are also open to homeschooled > >> students. > >> That said, my own homeschooling experience with my daughter was not that > >> great. She was just too ill to learn much at 13. The one area where we > >> had some success was setting up community internships. She worked as an > >> intern a couple days a week for a friend of mine who runs an > >> " alternative " newsstand (comic books, zines, interesting magazines). She > >> was so introverted at this point that it was hard for her to handle > >> customers, but it was her first work experience and I knew Chloe would be > >> a good and understanding " boss " . She learned some bookeeping, stock > >> ordering procedures, how to run a cash register and make change, > >> unpacking and stocking shelves. These skills have since come in handy. > >> High school was never successful for her but work has been an area where > >> she has done well. > >> While being homeschooled she continued to be in the theatre program at > >> our neighborhood high school, and also had access to the school clinic > >> and other facilities. > >> Part of the problem was that I work - I work at home, but I still must > >> make time to get my work done! She needed a lot of one-on-one support. > >> The best high school experience she had was on homebound instruction. > >> Maybe the key is to talk to the homebound instruction person about > >> changing what she's assigning and how. Instead of " here's 5 things to > >> finish by Tuesday " , could she lower the amount of work or pace it out as > >> daily assignments? That's what Carmen's homebound instructor did after > >> assessing her abilities. In the end, she had a daily math assignment and > >> a weekly essay that required some research and some writing. The essay > >> often covered other topics (science or history). This way the instruction > >> time could be spent working one on one on things about the assignments > >> that had been difficult. They met in the public library instead of in our > >> home, because she felt one of Carmen's strengths was her writing ability > >> but it needed to be butressed by learning to research topics - smart > >> assessment. Carmen felt the library was a " safe " place as it it quieter > >> than a classroom, no strange smells or anything, and they had nice tables > >> for working. > >> The homebound instructor also worked closely with us so we could know > >> what things to ask her about and what she might need help with. She saw > >> her purpose as helping Carmen to realize that she was indeed still > >> intelligent (she experienced some temporary cognitive dulling, still > >> don;t know if this was due to meds in the hospital or due to her bipolar > >> disorder or OCD symptoms) and that she could succeed at schoolwork. If > >> only we could have had a better transition plan - the district dropped > >> the ball - things might've worked out. Although I have to say that the > >> path she took has been successful for her. > >> > >> Mitzi Waltz * Author and Editor * http://www.teleport.com/~infobahn > > --------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 1999 Report Share Posted August 16, 1999 Thanks Kathy, You are wonderful! I'm gearing up to being a very loud, squeeky wheel. LOL! mary from La. Kathy Hammes wrote: > From: Kathy Hammes <kathyh@...> > > HI : > > Thanks very much for the comprehensive materials you sent me on 504/IDEA. > I am slowly sifting my way through this treasure trove. > > I am not sure about LA but here I have several times had the experience of > being told service x or provider y or whatever was not a possibility. That > now has become my cue that I have to fight harder, be more persistent, even > insistent about what Steve needs. I'm afraid here the squeaky wheel gets > the grease and I have become one of those. > > Contact your nearest protection and advocacy group and they should be able > to help. Other moms with kids with NBDs have been wonderful in teaching me > the way the system " works " . Good luck, aloha, Kathy (Ha) > kathyh@... > > At 02:49 PM 8/16/99 -0500, you wrote: > >From: <maryth3@...> > > > >Mitzi, > >I want to thank you for sharing all of this with me > >(and the group). > > > >When went on homebound instruction last year > >I was informed that he would not get speech therapy > >because they did not provide speech therapy for home- > >bound students. I have a feeling that I will be doing lots > >of venting and asking lots of questions as the school year > >starts. > > > >Thanks for your input and being there for me! > >Take care Mitzi! > >mary from La. > > > >Mitzi Waltz wrote: > > > >> From: Mitzi Waltz <infobahn@...> > >> > >> said: > >> >I've considered homeschooling..... but I'm afraid if we > >> >do this that they will not provide other services that he > >> >needs (speech). > >> > >> There's a way to do this. Children with disabilities who are homeschooled > >> are still entitled to the services in their IEP. They are also entitled > >> to participate in classes and activities at their neighborhood school as > >> needed or desired. For example, if you find that your son needs or wants > >> to learn calculus and that's outside your ability, you can either have > >> him enroll in a calculus class at the HS or community college or hire a > >> tutor. After-school activities and clubs are also open to homeschooled > >> students. > >> That said, my own homeschooling experience with my daughter was not that > >> great. She was just too ill to learn much at 13. The one area where we > >> had some success was setting up community internships. She worked as an > >> intern a couple days a week for a friend of mine who runs an > >> " alternative " newsstand (comic books, zines, interesting magazines). She > >> was so introverted at this point that it was hard for her to handle > >> customers, but it was her first work experience and I knew Chloe would be > >> a good and understanding " boss " . She learned some bookeeping, stock > >> ordering procedures, how to run a cash register and make change, > >> unpacking and stocking shelves. These skills have since come in handy. > >> High school was never successful for her but work has been an area where > >> she has done well. > >> While being homeschooled she continued to be in the theatre program at > >> our neighborhood high school, and also had access to the school clinic > >> and other facilities. > >> Part of the problem was that I work - I work at home, but I still must > >> make time to get my work done! She needed a lot of one-on-one support. > >> The best high school experience she had was on homebound instruction. > >> Maybe the key is to talk to the homebound instruction person about > >> changing what she's assigning and how. Instead of " here's 5 things to > >> finish by Tuesday " , could she lower the amount of work or pace it out as > >> daily assignments? That's what Carmen's homebound instructor did after > >> assessing her abilities. In the end, she had a daily math assignment and > >> a weekly essay that required some research and some writing. The essay > >> often covered other topics (science or history). This way the instruction > >> time could be spent working one on one on things about the assignments > >> that had been difficult. They met in the public library instead of in our > >> home, because she felt one of Carmen's strengths was her writing ability > >> but it needed to be butressed by learning to research topics - smart > >> assessment. Carmen felt the library was a " safe " place as it it quieter > >> than a classroom, no strange smells or anything, and they had nice tables > >> for working. > >> The homebound instructor also worked closely with us so we could know > >> what things to ask her about and what she might need help with. She saw > >> her purpose as helping Carmen to realize that she was indeed still > >> intelligent (she experienced some temporary cognitive dulling, still > >> don;t know if this was due to meds in the hospital or due to her bipolar > >> disorder or OCD symptoms) and that she could succeed at schoolwork. If > >> only we could have had a better transition plan - the district dropped > >> the ball - things might've worked out. Although I have to say that the > >> path she took has been successful for her. > >> > >> Mitzi Waltz * Author and Editor * http://www.teleport.com/~infobahn > > --------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 1999 Report Share Posted August 17, 1999 Hi Kathy, Yes, I provided the doctor's recommendation letter to the school to reduce the homework load. It did not seem to affect the plan. When I asked for homework makeups at a later date and some accomodations, the school psychologist even commented, " Are you trying to cover up Chris's situation as if nothing happened? " Or, a very common comment I got was, " It's not fair to other students! " When I asked for reducing the homework, the school psychologist (the person responsible for Chris's 504) let the teacher decided that " it would not be junior year class anymore " . It sounds like a great idea to have lunch meetings. But, I work about one hour away. So, I called the school a lot over the phone. My mistake was not knowing our rights. I started to understand this after I joined this list back in April which was a little too late to revise the plan dramatically. As far as AP courses go, I did not request for reducing the homework, because AP students should be able to handle the courses ( I was told) and they should not be there, if they can not handle them. The request for reducing homeworks were to the other regular classes. We did not even get that. Homeworks and tests were not allowed to make up, if they exceeded certain time limit. Re-test is not a fair thing, not allowed. Therefore, a lot of missing homeworks and tests were counted as zero and made Chris's GPA a miserable one. Only the AP Physics teacher said he would consider the situation. But, I have no idea how he did it and the number of zero grades he put in. The school's general reaction to our requests was, " If performs so well in his SAT, why cann't he perform at school? " A good SAT is normally considered to be merit to all students, but it's used againt us. I can not explain that question. If I can, would be cured and we would not be in the position to ask for 504 plan. The school has a new principal. I'm hoping to start fresh with all the knowledges I learned from the list. I'll start a meeting with teachers first, which I didn't do last year. Thanks for the suggestions. Take care. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 1999 Report Share Posted August 17, 1999 HI TC: I am so sorry that you met up with all this run around at the school. Actually I should not be using a euphemism like run around but tell it like it is. Chris' civil rights were violated, pure and simple. However, as you say, you know what they are now and can bargain more forcefully now. You did very well to keep your cool after the school psychologist accused you of trying to cover things up when you were trying to work out a system to help cope. TC, you are obviously a much nicer person than I. :-)) As far as the AP classes go, as long as you are asking for temporary accommodations while receives proven treatment, there is no legal nor moral reason why all the teachers would not do what the Physics teacher did. Time to call an attorney. Their question about why superior performance on the SAT and not on classwork, merely shows their lack of knowledge about OCD. That is not surprising; to work on this you need to take a professional to the school to explain as it is unlikely that they will listen to you. All I can say is this is not unusual for OCDers. Steve won the school Geo bee and was in the top 100 in our state the first week he went back to school after being too sick to go to school for months. He was still very sick at the time. If I hadn't seen it myself I would not believe someone so sick could stand up with anxiety and mood disorders, and answer questions in a public setting under time pressure. At the same time he was not doing his assignments, acting up in class, O/Cing all over the place at home and also at school. Sometimes there is no logic to how OCD works. Sometimes they can handle and sometimes they can't. With treatment they can handle almost all the time. can probably explain to you why he can test well on the SAT and then struggle with classroom assignments/other work. Steve enjoys taking tests and as this helps him boss back his re-reading and re-writing compulsions. Perhaps can do multiple choice, " pencil in the circle " stuff okay, but reading at length and then writing might trigger his OCD more. ONly he knows and he can share with you how it is for him if he doesn't feel too embarrassed. Good luck with the new principal. Perhaps the physics teacher can help you by sharing with others how he got the accommodations to work for Chris. Please let us know how the 504 negotiations go. Take care, aloha, Kathy At 07:12 PM 8/17/99 -0400, you wrote: >From: tchao@... > > > > >Hi Kathy, > >Yes, I provided the doctor's recommendation letter to the school to reduce the >homework load. It did not seem to affect the plan. When I asked for homework >makeups at a later date and some accomodations, the school psychologist even >commented, " Are you trying to cover up Chris's situation as if nothing >happened? " Or, a very common comment I got was, " It's not fair to other >students! " When I asked for reducing the homework, the school psychologist (the >person responsible for Chris's 504) let the teacher decided that " it would not >be junior year class anymore " . > >It sounds like a great idea to have lunch meetings. But, I work about one hour >away. So, I called the school a lot over the phone. My mistake was not knowing >our rights. I started to understand this after I joined this list back in April >which was a little too late to revise the plan dramatically. > >As far as AP courses go, I did not request for reducing the homework, because AP >students should be able to handle the courses ( I was told) and they should not >be there, if they can not handle them. The request for reducing homeworks were >to the other regular classes. We did not even get that. Homeworks and tests >were not allowed to make up, if they exceeded certain time limit. Re-test is not >a fair thing, not allowed. Therefore, a lot of missing homeworks and tests were >counted as zero and made Chris's GPA a miserable one. Only the AP Physics >teacher said he would consider the situation. But, I have no idea how he did it >and the number of zero grades he put in. The school's general reaction to our >requests was, " If performs so well in his SAT, why cann't he perform at >school? " A good SAT is normally considered to be merit to all students, but >it's used againt us. I can not explain that question. If I can, Chris would be >cured and we would not be in the position to ask for 504 plan. > >The school has a new principal. I'm hoping to start fresh with all the >knowledges I learned from the list. I'll start a meeting with teachers first, >which I didn't do last year. Thanks for the suggestions. Take care. > >TC > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 18, 1999 Report Share Posted August 18, 1999 , You know there are such people who can only comprehand things they experienced and do not want to understand the new things. It appears to me that those teachers are restricting themselves in their own little familiar world and are not willing to step out. At the end, how did that teacher grade ? Did she give zeros for all the missing homeworks and tests? Those people should not be in the teaching position. Good luck on this coming year. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 18, 1999 Report Share Posted August 18, 1999 Hi Kathy, Actually, the missing tests were due to absences from the school. He missed quite bit school days. It's amazing Steve can perform so well in the Geo bee, when he was so sick and under such a time constraint. This is exactly what the school was critcizing, " SAT has huge time pressure, why did it not affect Chris? " The othe instance they used to support their arguments was the Model UN trip. He did very well. The school argued, " Model UN required lots of reading, how did do it and did so well? " I guess I sometimes fall into the trap to attempt to reasoning and answer such questions myself. Even the doctor does not know the answer. Yes, I'll ask to dig in to see if he tell the difference. Thanks for the ideas. Take care. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 18, 1999 Report Share Posted August 18, 1999 HI TC: YOu make a good point, often with OCD we don't know why things are working a particular way (very little logic operating) but we (and the teachers) need to recognize that it is OCD that makes things a particular way. There are good days and there are bad days. For missed assignments you might ask for make up opportunities, and if it seems too much, ask to do 1 out of 2 questions to reduce Chris' workload while he catches up. We have found calling the school and letting them know Steve would miss school and asking for work in advance has helped. That way they know we are all making a good faith effort. Sometimes I have had to tell them, sorry he is just too sick to do anything at all. It is so easy for them to see us as overprotective mamas. I think you are so right, don't worry about explaining why the OCD is working this way, just remind them it is and explain what accommodations you are asking for. Just tell them how wonderful it is that could do so well at the model UN and that this gives hope and motivation that the rest will improve soon. Tell them OCD doesn't make much sense to an observer and you and they can go quite crazy trying to make sense of it. Things that look like manipulation are not what they seem, they are struggles with fear and anxiety. IT is a hard sell, however I am sure you can come across very genuinely with the teachers on this. When they see the improvement and the diminshed need for accommodations as improves they will learn more how to deal with OCDers. Good luck, take care, aloha, Kathy At 06:37 PM 8/18/99 -0400, you wrote: >From: tchao@... > >Hi Kathy, > >Actually, the missing tests were due to absences from the school. He missed >quite bit school days. > >It's amazing Steve can perform so well in the Geo bee, when he was so sick and >under such a time constraint. This is exactly what the school was critcizing, " >SAT has huge time pressure, why did it not affect Chris? " The othe instance >they used to support their arguments was the Model UN trip. He did very well. >The school argued, " Model UN required lots of reading, how did do it and >did so well? " I guess I sometimes fall into the trap to attempt to reasoning and >answer such questions myself. Even the doctor does not know the answer. Yes, >I'll ask to dig in to see if he tell the difference. > >Thanks for the ideas. Take care. > >TC > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 1999 Report Share Posted August 19, 1999 TC, He had an F grade going into the 4th week of a six week period. After putting him on homebound his grades were good enough to pull it up to a D. mary from La. tchao@... wrote: > From: tchao@... > > , > > You know there are such people who can only comprehand things they experienced > and do not want to understand the new things. It appears to me that those > teachers are restricting themselves in their own little familiar world and are > not willing to step out. At the end, how did that teacher grade ? Did she > give zeros for all the missing homeworks and tests? Those people should > not be in the teaching position. > > Good luck on this coming year. > > TC > > --------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 1999 Report Share Posted August 19, 1999 Kathy, You even told the school tht Steve was too sick to do any homework at all and the school even accepted it? Your school sounded like a very reasonable one. But, I think your strategy was good. You told the school in advance and asked for homework. Maybe that's how you got your accomodations, because you showed them your altitutde. Thanks for the suggestions. By the way, explained the difference between SAT and school performance. He said that you can take SAT over and over again and he did not have pressure and OCD did not affect him much. But, school thing is not repeatable and tession is high. There you go! I should have thought about that. Pressure and anxiety are the root of OCD problems. I thought that was interesting to share. Take care and good luck on the new shcool year. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 1999 Report Share Posted August 19, 1999 >From: tchao@... > >, > >You know there are such people who can only comprehand things they experienced >and do not want to understand the new things. It appears to me that those >teachers are restricting themselves in their own little familiar world and are >not willing to step out. At the end, how did that teacher grade ? Did she >give zeros for all the missing homeworks and tests? Those people should >not be in the teaching position. > >Good luck on this coming year. > >TC Ever heard of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the test with four different scales (to be measured)? In the last one it goes from Perceiving to Judging, and those who Perceive (P at the end) like to wait and see, try new things, and basically look at the bigger picture. Folks with the J for Judging like to make very quick decisions, and struggle with new things, find waiting to make decisions overwhelming. OK, my bias is showing here. But all in all I like finding out how their groupings work out, and seeking the P for perceiving when dealing with anything needing flexibility (as in dealing with our kids). It helps tremendously %^) sara smith Oh yes, this test is often misused, misinterpreted. So I am not into those discussions. I read the author's books, and just use it in the broader senses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 1999 Report Share Posted August 19, 1999 HI TC: Another thing that helped us was that Steve's older brother, Mark, had gone to the same school for 6 years and Steve had also been at the school for 6 years when OCD hit big time. Also Steve was the school president and was seen as a responsible, conscientious, academically-oriented kid. They still have no idea of the hellion we were dealing with at home and sometimes I think it is just as well they don't know some of the aggression, verbal abuse and physical violence that went on when we were learning how to deal with OCD. Chris' explanation is very clear, he can probably explain that to the teachers and get their understanding. Perhaps in therapy or in talking to teachers he can workon not feeling so anxious and obsessing about pressure at school. Maybe the teachers don't have to push so hard on an OCDer, and they will get better results? I am still trying to set up the 504 meeting for Steve. Maybe next Tuesday it seems. Take care, good luck, aloha, kathy (Ha) kathyh@... At 06:19 PM 8/19/99 -0400, you wrote: >From: tchao@... > > > > >Kathy, > >You even told the school tht Steve was too sick to do any homework at all and >the school even accepted it? Your school sounded like a very reasonable one. >But, I think your strategy was good. You told the school in advance and asked >for homework. Maybe that's how you got your accomodations, because you showed >them your altitutde. Thanks for the suggestions. > >By the way, explained the difference between SAT and school performance. >He said that you can take SAT over and over again and he did not have pressure >and OCD did not affect him much. But, school thing is not repeatable and >tession is high. There you go! I should have thought about that. Pressure and >anxiety are the root of OCD problems. I thought that was interesting to share. > >Take care and good luck on the new shcool year. > >TC > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 1999 Report Share Posted August 20, 1999 Kathy, That is so true that your reputable past school years established the credentials for Steve. Unfortunately, we don't have such luck. We moved here two years ago. The new environment made the whole thing worse. Although we found had OCD the previous year, but it did not affect his performance and I did not pay much attention either. The new environment triggered the nightmare for us and we don't have the crentials as you do. I guess that everything is working against us. I always wonder if would have such problems if we stayed in the old place. He was a highly respected student there. Sometimes, that guilty feelings creep up... Well, I need to focus on the current situation and work on our 504 plan. Take care and good luck on your new school year. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 1999 Report Share Posted August 20, 1999 Sara, I think I heard similar system before. Yes, we need more P teachers. Unfortunately, we have a lot of J people in school, including teachers. Interesting information. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 23, 1999 Report Share Posted August 23, 1999 Hi TC: I am sorry if my comments made you feel guilty about moving. We started Steve in a new school last year and have found it possible to work on building a good working relationship in a new place too. Please do not give up. For us it is a lot like dealing with OCD itself, reduce expectations, don't give up, work as a team and then things will go more smoothly. Good luck to you too. School starts Tuesday here. Take care, aloha, Kathy At 06:51 PM 8/20/99 -0400, you wrote: >From: tchao@... > > > > >Kathy, > >That is so true that your reputable past school years established the >credentials for Steve. Unfortunately, we don't have such luck. We moved here >two years ago. The new environment made the whole thing worse. Although we >found had OCD the previous year, but it did not affect his performance and >I did not pay much attention either. The new environment triggered the nightmare >for us and we don't have the crentials as you do. I guess that everything is >working against us. I always wonder if would have such problems if we >stayed in the old place. He was a highly respected student there. Sometimes, >that guilty feelings creep up... > >Well, I need to focus on the current situation and work on our 504 plan. Take >care and good luck on your new school year. > >TC > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 14, 2000 Report Share Posted February 14, 2000 , that's just how I feel. I don't want to waste my energy fighting a losing battle. do you have anyone come in, like therapist or special ed. teachers? Seth does so well at school, but he lives at home and has to learn here. he needs to learn how to go to the library with us and not pull every book off the shelf. he needs to learn you can't tip over every chair you see. he needs to learn you can't pick up every shoe in the store and try to spin it. there's no time to teach that stuff when he's gone all day learning how to live at school. we spend at least 2 hours of every day looking out the window for the bus, because if you're not out there in 10 minutes, they take the kids to the police station, but they can be 2 hours late and that's okay. And they say they care about the kids? Go figure! Nice to meet you and I'm glad I'm not alone anymore! Gail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 12, 2000 Report Share Posted March 12, 2000 Well, I'm not , but I homeschool my . He's almost 10 (in May - boy does the time fly) and has DS, Autism, ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I homeschool for the academics, he goes to speech at his home school for 30 minutes twice a week. We have an in-home intensive therapist come 3 days a week. She watches his behavior on Monday while I teach, we go to a church Bible study on Wednesday, where she helps him socialize with the other children in the daycare area, and Friday's are field trips (even if it's just working on WALKING BESIDE the cart instead of RIDING INSIDE IT while we shop at K-Mart). We get reimbursed for 19.6 hours of respite care. He didn't qualify for OT (go figure, since the admitted he had sensory problems - I'm supposed to be consulting with the OT over the phone) or PT. I basically schedule his subjects to change every 15 minutes or less (I try to figure out what he can do in 15 minutes and if he gets done faster, he gets the time to himself). I cover reading (through an Edmark Reading program) math (he's about 1st-2nd grade), writing (Handwriting Without Tears - cursive), geography, social studies (a 2nd grade book) and science (which is either a textbook for 2nd-3rd grade or unit studies on subjects that interest him - for instance we planted a garden, as we live in Hawaii, and are tending it), a kids bible devotional, a computer language program and I try to squeeze in a P.E. book that I have, but I'm usually too pooped to do anything but let him play outside. Loriann Wife to Dewight Mom to , 9.10, DS-ASD, ADHD and ODD and , 9 months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 12, 2000 Report Share Posted March 12, 2000 , Please tell all about homeschooling Evie. I would love to know what and how you teach. Do you have therapists come in? How many hours a day? Oh please tell all! Gail, Mom to Seth(4) jo(7) (9) (22) (24) grandma to Errick(4) and wife to (my hero) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 12, 2000 Report Share Posted March 12, 2000 does get speech therapy. He's just started talking the last few years. He's high functioning, but still speaks in basic 3-4 word sentences. The only complete, grammatically correct sentence I've heard him utter was shortly after starting the GF diet.....I asked him if he wanted grits for breakfast. He said, " I hate grits! " Edmark is an educational program, and they have a sight reading program that is just great. It's the same program his school was using with him (only they were going too slow for him - I go faster so he doesn't get bored). You don't have to be verbal to do it, because you do alot of matching (point to which word is " ball, " that sort of thing. It also came with a sign language guide. It's expensive, though. I got mine second hand and very cheap. Here's their web address, but you have to order a catalog to see the reading program, it's not on the website: http://www.edmark.com/ I also use a language program (again, you don't have to be verbal because you are clicking on the right answer) from Laureate systems. It is also expensive (why are the things we NEED so expensive?), but they have a 50% discount for parents ordering for the first time. Here's their website: http://www.llsys.com/webparents/laureate3par.html I want TouchMath for him, and the special ed teacher agrees that he'd benefit tremendously from it, but once again, it's too expensive. Here's their site: http://www.touchmath.com/welcome_frame.htm Loriann wife to Dewight Mom to , 9.10, DS-ASD, ADHD, ODD and , 9 months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 12, 2000 Report Share Posted March 12, 2000 I forgot to mention, his OT (we communicate even though he doesn't qualify for services) said that with his short attention span, cursive would be better. Every time the pencil leaves the paper is an opportunity to lose one's attention, and with cursive, the pencil leaves the paper less often. Loriann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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