Re: NEW TO THE GROUP _ NEED ADVICE

[Guest guest]

You need to call the head of the child services in your school district, or talk to the principal at the schoool.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Debbie~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

NEW TO THE GROUP _ NEED ADVICE

HI I am the aunt of a 9 year old with aspergers. His family is really struggling right now and the school situation is just not helping.His older brother(11) resents him, his younger brother(5) is starting to copy his behaviorsHis father is cluelessand his Mother is ready to call it quits.The school will not give him an IEP, and his 504 is just not getting him what he needs.How do we go about demanding a IEP? The mental health community just keeps throwing meds at him and now want him to start LYTHEIM.I have ben reasearching all day and have not really found any answers. Though I did find her a support group in her home town of Aiken SC.The family is on Medicade and so finding him a Developemental ped. may be hard.Any advice or suggestions?Joanna <><<

[Guest guest]

Joanna,

First I want to say how wonderful I think you are for trying to help your family! A good support system can make all the difference to the parents struggling for answers. JMO, but it sounds like the 11 year old and the parents could probably be helped by therapy. There are places out there (call a church and ask if they know of one), who give therapy at little or no cost to low income families, or accept payments as you can make them (a dollar here, a dollar there). The school situation.... if he's been diagnosed with AS, then I would suggest that the mother think about what she wants for her child in the school setting, then call a child advocacy center and ask for their help. My sister-in-law works with special ed. kids in elementary school, and she has told me on more than one occasion that once I have a diagnosis, if I even talk about bringing an advocate to the meetings with me, the school will do whatever I want. I hope you can help them get the help they need. Maybe someone else has some better ideas, because I'm still working on even getting my son a diagnosis, so I'm not sure how much help I can be. Also, I have a book called Asperger Syndrome and Your Child and it has some references in the back that may help-

www.aspergersyndrome.org - Online AS Info and Support

www.aspennj.org - A New Jersey based education, support, and advocacy org.

www.asc-us.org - National org. providing info, support, advocacy, etc...

www.maapservices.org

South Carolina DoE Office of Exceptional Children 803-734-8806

South Carolina Autism Society 800- 438- 4790

HTH,

Anne

-- NEW TO THE GROUP _ NEED ADVICE

HI I am the aunt of a 9 year old with aspergers. His family is really struggling right now and the school situation is just not helping.His older brother(11) resents him, his younger brother(5) is starting to copy his behaviorsHis father is cluelessand his Mother is ready to call it quits.The school will not give him an IEP, and his 504 is just not getting him what he needs.How do we go about demanding a IEP? The mental health community just keeps throwing meds at him and now want him to start LYTHEIM.I have ben reasearching all day and have not really found any answers. Though I did find her a support group in her home town of Aiken SC.The family is on Medicade and so finding him a Developemental ped. may be hard.Any advice or suggestions?Joanna <><<

[Guest guest]

Ok, My daughter (a special ed teacher and child advocate for another

county) has agread to be his advocate. She was really MAD when she

heard the way this was being handeled.

If anyone can get anything done she can. She has child(my

granddaughter age 5) who has CP and DSI, and we also think she is

austic. We fought all last year to get her in school and the distric

placed her in two days a week/three hours a day with a one on one

teacher. She got no other schooling no interaction with other

students... And for most of the time they were keeping her straped

into a tumbleforms cahir. NO wounder she would not do anything for

them. Well we took it so far as to gat a lawyer and start a law

suite, and now they are bending over backwords to get her the

education she needs.

So I think my daughter is the right one to help with this.

Joanna <><<

> by law, once the child is diagnosed, they have to give an IEP.

The advice in one of the responses about getting an advocate was

good. I had one, and it she was a big help! Call the principal,

the head of the special ed. dept., or the school board

superintendant. If that fails (and it shouldn't because it is the

law) you might have to get lawyers involved. I hope it doesn't go

that far! Good luck!

[Guest guest]

Joanna,

I haven't read all of the responses, so I may duplicate the

information you have recieved-sorry if I do.

I know how Mom feels (is this your sister?)

Please feel free to e-mail me, or give her my e-mail.

My son is 6, I have a 9 yr old son, and a 5 yr old daughter.

Yes, the oldest often resents his little brother, he often asks if we

could just hang a sign on him so other people would understand

(haven't we all thought that at times?), my five yr old is pretty

much a twin to her older brother, exactly same size, and since she

was born they were totally in tune to each other....until this

summer. They are still best buddies, but she became hyper thyroid,

and her hyperness irritates him to no end.

Yes she does copy him, but she also sometimes instigates. She is

really getting the short end of the stick...after all, how can she

have friends over if he has no friends...how can she have a birthday

party if he hasn't had any??? He knows what he is missing...it is

hard on the siblings.

I fought for over a year to try to get a dr to believe I wasn't just

dealing with 2 yr old temper tantrums. My husband thought it was

me...kept saying I needed to get out more.

Well, almost 4 years later he has gone to his first meeting at

school, and is outraged at the lack of help we are getting.....I know

I can't say...where were you 4 yrs ago. At least he is finally

starting to catch up. So I guess there is hope for your nephews

dad. I guess better late than never. My husband loves my son, and

has always done lots of stuff with the kids, but he goes to work,

comes home, plays, and then it is bed time. He wasn't here for the

hard parts of the days. I think it took a period of unemployment and

being home 24/7 to really understand. Don't get me wrong, he doesn't

totally understand, but it is progress, and I will take any I can

get! I am sure others gave you advice on the IEP, but I just wan't

to let them know they aren't alone!

As far as the school stuff goes, I have the NOLO book called " The

Complete IEP Guide, how to advocate for your special Ed Child " by

Attorney Lawrence M. Siegel. This is my bible. It is new, and it

has every step from requesting initial evaluations, all the way thru

transition training from school to jobs. It has a section in the

back with sample letters to write, and tear out forms. It is great!

Good luck!

-Jenn

-

>

> HI I am the aunt of a 9 year old with aspergers. His family is

> really struggling right now and the school situation is just not

> helping.

>

> His older brother(11) resents him,

> his younger brother(5) is starting to copy his behaviors

> His father is clueless

> and his Mother is ready to call it quits.

>

> The school will not give him an IEP, and his 504 is just not

getting

> him what he needs.

>

> How do we go about demanding a IEP?

>

> The mental health community just keeps throwing meds at him and now

> want him to start LYTHEIM.

>

> I have ben reasearching all day and have not really found any

> answers. Though I did find her a support group in her home town of

> Aiken SC.

>

> The family is on Medicade and so finding him a Developemental ped.

> may be hard.

>

> Any advice or suggestions?

>

> Joanna <><<