RE: Buster's 2nd Eval at School

[Guest guest]

The classes are 3 days a week, half days, and in the morning there are

18 kids(!) and 15(!) in the afternoon. Morning has 3 teachers and

afternoon has 2. I don't know I think 6 kids is a lot for each teacher

to handle, if more than one is like Buster. I'm going to give it a

chance but sheesh aren't those large classes?

I agree about the classes being large.

Cecilia, from Peru (mom to Dessiree 3½ yo)

Lovely husband

debbi

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[Guest guest]

>>Have you ever tired giving Buster cod liver oil?<<

What is that supposed to do?

debbi

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[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/13/03 11:18:50 AM Eastern Standard Time,

debbi_d@... writes:

> What is that supposed to do?

>

Stabilize nerve endings. That's what I was told. It really did seem to help

her. The only reason I've stopped is because she's having digestive issues

and it was making it worse. I do plan on starting it again.

[Guest guest]

Sounds to me like Buster will need a one on one shadow for safety reasons.

No sense waiting until they have a problem.

[Guest guest]

Honestly, I'm not sure but she made it sound like 18 kids with 3 people

total or 15 kids with 2 people.

debbi

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Re: Buster's 2nd Eval at School

I agree it's a lot of kids in the classroom if they are spectrum kids.

How

many aides or teachers assistants do they have?

Sue

[Guest guest]

My major concern is there were 6 of them in the room and it took at

least 3 of them full time to actively stop him from either climbing on

something or keeping him in the room. Yes, he will divert, but he's a

persistent little bugger -- don't go to the bathroom or turn your back.

I can see him going into and out of other classrooms and he's FAST!

Unless he's distracted by something inanimate he's gone. You have to

catch him if he slows somewhere. He takes a long time to settle down in

a new situation and there is WAY too much cool stuff for him to slow

down. Ugh, perhaps I need to think about what I should ask them to do

about this. Even with all the doors locked, if can use a key to get out

(if they weren't latched) and of course, you cannot do that at school. I

spent way to much time saving this child to let them lose him.

I'm probably over-worried about this, but it really is a concern. When

he was being followed for his subdural hematoma at about 18 months, he

found an electrical plug on the wall in the office, it had one of those

caps on it. He was easily diverted but he persistently and consistently

went back to it until he got the damn cap out of it. I don't buy for a

minute how he's diverted easily. He's temporarily, momentarily

distracted. But he does a security check of all the latches on every

door, every single day. I'm just not sure that the teacher (at least the

one that was there) is remotely prepared for his persistence. Ugh.

debbi

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Re: Buster's 2nd Eval at School

I'm going to give it a chance but sheesh aren't those large classes?

>

Yes. Very. At least for kids on the spectrum.

Salli

[Guest guest]

Debbie

It doesn't sounds like a larger class with work for him unless you think he

would mimic other children. Have you been given any other options besides

this classroom?

[Guest guest]

> My major concern is there were 6 of them in the room and it took at

> least 3 of them full time to actively stop him from either climbing on

> something or keeping him in the room.

This does not surprise me. And the classes that you described do not have

the manpower for this sort of kid. Are the others on the spectrum??

Yes, he will divert, but he's a

> persistent little bugger -- don't go to the bathroom or turn your back.

> I can see him going into and out of other classrooms and he's FAST!

> Unless he's distracted by something inanimate he's gone. You have to

> catch him if he slows somewhere. He takes a long time to settle down in

> a new situation and there is WAY too much cool stuff for him to slow

> down. Ugh, perhaps I need to think about what I should ask them to do

> about this.

I think you do too. They may not be prepared for him at all.

Even with all the doors locked, if can use a key to get out

> (if they weren't latched) and of course, you cannot do that at school. I

> spent way to much time saving this child to let them lose him.

Well, yes.

>

> I'm probably over-worried about this, but it really is a concern.

You are NOT over-worried about this. You know Buster better than anyone and

you know what a challenge he presents.

When

> he was being followed for his subdural hematoma at about 18 months, he

> found an electrical plug on the wall in the office, it had one of those

> caps on it. He was easily diverted but he persistently and consistently

> went back to it until he got the damn cap out of it. I don't buy for a

> minute how he's diverted easily. He's temporarily, momentarily

> distracted.

Yes. That needs to be made clear to them.

But he does a security check of all the latches on every

> door, every single day. I'm just not sure that the teacher (at least the

> one that was there) is remotely prepared for his persistence. Ugh.

>

>

Good luck. You have enough concerns about this placement that I do think it

is questionable, but are there other placements more suitable for a spectrum

kid? You know, you just really NEED someone who knows autism to teach

someone with autism, or even just to keep from losing someone with autism.

Salli

[Guest guest]

>> This does not surprise me. And the classes that you described do

not have

the manpower for this sort of kid. Are the others on the spectrum?? <<

Good question, they supposedly can't tell us. Confidentiality and all

that, they said. But apparently at least some are, otherwise I don't

even remotely get the " autism is cool " remark.

>> They may not be prepared for him at all. <<

Honestly, I'm hoping it's better than it looked, perhaps other children

will intimidate him a bit, but it can't possibly last for long. I think

I need to at the very least stay a few days to see how it goes.

> I'm probably over-worried about this, but it really is a concern.

>> You are NOT over-worried about this. You know Buster better than

anyone and

you know what a challenge he presents. <<

Thanks I think I need a bit of validation here. He is an incredible

challenge and I don't want him going back into a cocoon again. I'd

rather he be active and outgoing than the reserved within himself.

> I don't buy for a

> minute how he's diverted easily. He's temporarily, momentarily

> distracted.

>> Yes. That needs to be made clear to them. <<

I don't think they got the full impact because he was half asleep when

we went in. :|

>> Good luck. You have enough concerns about this placement that I do

think it

is questionable, but are there other placements more suitable for a

spectrum

kid? <<

Well, I've got one more meeting and we'll see exactly what they

recommend and I'll spend my time preparing them for what Buster actually

needs. Plus it's only 12 hours a week. I don't know but he doesn't speak

at all and he has more than one issue here. This just makes me nervous.

Unfortunately, Arizona is one of the states that leaves sped class size

up to the district. Marana is a farm town that is just immerging from

the cotton growers. It still has lots of dirt roads but it takes in

quite a bit of money in taxes. I may have to become much more vocal in

this. But 18 kids is an outrageous amount IMHO, I mean a regular

classroom in AZ can have no more than 30, and that is pushing it. More

fighting... can't one thing go smoothly?

debbi

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[Guest guest]

Another thank you. I really want to ask for that, but was leery. I just

don't think they can handle him with 5 other kids that need attention as

well.

debbi

Re: Buster's 2nd Eval at School

Sounds to me like Buster will need a one on one shadow for safety

reasons.

No sense waiting until they have a problem.

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[Guest guest]

I wouldn't say you are overly concerned....I'm glad to hear you are

focussing on this possibility. I would be VERY concerned about them being

able to keep a close enough eye on him!

Sue

[Guest guest]

That does sound like a large class. Maybe you should

ask for a 1:1 aide for Buster, especially if you have

safety concerns.

Tuna

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

We went to Buster's second eval at the school with the

speech therapist, the physical therapist, a teacher, a

pyschologist, and a couple other people today. They

asked us some cursory questions. And then mainly they

played with him (their words). He attended to nothing,

except trying to get outside. They diverted him but he

was fast and at least on one occasion had the door

open enough to where within another second, he'd have

been gone, even with six of them in the room. He sat

in the chair for a grand total of 1-1/2 minutes and

attended to nothing longer than that, except when they

let him out in the playground. There they had a play

house which he climbed in the windows head first (and

that freaked them out, but not me, I'm used to it).

They scheduled his third appointment (apparently for

an IEP) for a month from now and then they will give

us a start date.

The classes are 3 days a week, half days, and in the

morning there are 18 kids(!) and 15(!) in the

afternoon. Morning has 3 teachers and afternoon has 2.

I don't know I think 6 kids is a lot for each teacher

to handle, if more than one is like Buster. I'm going

to give it a chance but sheesh aren't those large

classes?

debbi

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

=====

You can learn many things from children.

How much patience you have, for instance.

- lin P.

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[Guest guest]

Not yet, we have another meeting next month.

debbi

Re: Buster's 2nd Eval at School

Debbie

It doesn't sounds like a larger class with work for him unless you think

he

would mimic other children. Have you been given any other options

besides

this classroom?