Depressing
Today I finally sat down and organized all of our paperwork - IEPs and evaluations - that I've had in various files and floating around the house for the last couple of years. I put everything in a 3 inch 3 ring binder with categories such as: evaluations/2011/2012/manifestation determination/report cards. It was heartbreaking to sit down and see it all in one place. We went from Kindergarten report card of delightful little person with almost all 4's (working above standard) to daily report cards with tallies for each swear word, hit, kick, burp, etc and academics that are falling off grade level. It was so sad I was not even hungry for lunch when I was done. It took almost two hours and completely filled the notebook. One thing I realized I am so thankful for with Calvin's new school is that they do NOT send home daily behavior reports. There is really no benefit in giving me a daily update on every little bad thing that happens. They do have to keep track so they can report if things are improving or not, but I don't see it every day. I get a call if there is a restraint or something else I NEED to know, otherwise we just discuss things at our meetings to see where things need improvement.
Hopeful
A few weeks ago I was out walking the dog and stopped to talk to a girl (about my age) who was standing in her driveway with her little one year old baby. I stopped to say hi since she was living in a house I knew had recently sold and wanted to say hi and see where they came from and if they had other kids, etc. After about one minute of talking she mentioned that she is a therapist/coach for autistic families. I told her I had a special needs child with similar needs to autistic kids and asked if she would mind if I stopped by another time to ask her a few questions so that she could direct me to groups or individuals who could help me in my situation. At the time I saw her I had two kids and the dog and was in a hurry to get back to school to pick up Clare. Anyway, we met this week and she did give me some good ideas of some services she sees her clients use. It was helpful talking to her to obtain this information. I was completely flabbergasted when she next offered to work with our family at the cost of our copay ($15/visit) until we are accepted with one of the other groups I am applying for. The wait list is months-year since most families use services long term. I am still shocked by this offer. Most of these types of professionals charge $60-$100/hour and that is why I have never found one I could use. I simply can't afford to pay someone what would be close to $10K/year. The reason she is offering to work for so little is that when she had her baby she pulled her self out of the full time professional world only maintaining a couple of her long term clients. However, she loves her work and would love to help our family. Since we live down the street from her it is pretty convenient and ideal for her to drop in and help us out once a week. I am hopeful she will be able to help us, even if it is in some small way. She is the reason I was getting the binder together so that she can see our history and get to know us on paper before she starts coming over. I should have gotten a little more organized long ago but I didn't know how. It was her suggestion to get the binder and file by date and category.
Also, I am trying once again to get Calvin occupational therapy. Over a year ago when he was evaluated by the autism department and the behavioral and developmental pediatrician they both recommended we get him in OT. I took him to an evaluation but he was not cooperative and the insurance denied our claim so I gave up. I am trying again with a new group (one used to autistic kids instead of one that works with injured kids -- huge difference) and also thanks to a few phone calls, I know better how to approach the insurance company so they'll pay for it.
Also, I found several sport teams that work with special needs kids, at least one for each major sport - baseball, basketball, soccer. It is good to know these options are out there and I am sure over the years we will give them a try.
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Friday, March 1, 2013
Friday, April 13, 2012
1st week
Overall the first week went well.
Good things:
Calvin likes his new school.
He had a good week.
His teacher called today to tell me he had a good day! (they try to re-train parents not to panic when the school calls home)
Calvin was well behaved on the bus when he took it.
Not as good things:
Calvin took the bus only one way each day. It is a long trip to school. Two mornings Calvin wouldn't get on the bus in the morning. Yesterday Calvin did not get on the bus at school to come home. I am hoping we work into a good routine with the bus. I'm not panicking yet since it is just the first week and there is so much new going on. We'll see what the next week brings!
One thing that is really different and is taking some getting used to is not getting daily behavior sheets. For the last year we have gotten detailed reports sent home. Now we get NOTHING at all. We will get a written report quarterly and other than that there is no written communication. I will speak to Calvin's case manager once a week.
Good things:
Calvin likes his new school.
He had a good week.
His teacher called today to tell me he had a good day! (they try to re-train parents not to panic when the school calls home)
Calvin was well behaved on the bus when he took it.
Not as good things:
Calvin took the bus only one way each day. It is a long trip to school. Two mornings Calvin wouldn't get on the bus in the morning. Yesterday Calvin did not get on the bus at school to come home. I am hoping we work into a good routine with the bus. I'm not panicking yet since it is just the first week and there is so much new going on. We'll see what the next week brings!
One thing that is really different and is taking some getting used to is not getting daily behavior sheets. For the last year we have gotten detailed reports sent home. Now we get NOTHING at all. We will get a written report quarterly and other than that there is no written communication. I will speak to Calvin's case manager once a week.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
first day of school and transportation issues
Calvin had a good first day of school today. I drove him down to school this morning so that I could do some paperwork. We left pretty early in case of traffic but made great time. School is about 25 minutes from our house. He was excited to be there and happily went with his case manager to start the day!
After school he said he did math, spelling, reading, etc. etc. He said he has a binder that he carries around and he can get stars in each class when he is on task the whole time. He is not sure yet what the stars can help him earn.
He is very enthusiastic and seems to feel really good about his school situation so far. I'm sure eventually the super fun will wear off but hopefully by then he will have settled into a good routine.
Calvin will be riding the bus to/from school. Our home school district provides transportation. It can take up to 10 days to get the bus route worked out. I decided that rather than drive both ways for 2 weeks I'd have him piggyback onto another stop already in place. He rode the bus home from school and I picked him up at a bus stop about 10 minutes from home. I had planned on having to do this for the first week or two of school but was pleasantly surprised to get a call from the transportation department today saying that the route is ready for tomorrow!
The HUGE down side to the transportation provided is that Calvin will spend 1:35 minutes on the bus EACH WAY. That is such a long time. Calvin gets picked up at our house at 6:55. He arrives at school at around 8:20. Unlike regular school, the kids sit on the bus until school starts as there is no playground. So at 8:30 when the bell rings, the kids start getting off the bus and head to class. In the afternoon, Calvin gets on the bus at 2:30 when school ends and arrives home around 4pm. (Tuesday school gets out at 1pm and he will get home at 2:35).
I have a lot of worries about Calvin being on the bus for such a long time. The main worry is that he will get bored and get into trouble. I am hoping he will use his bus ride home to do homework or sleep. I think for the first week or two it will all be so new to Calvin that it will be interesting and exciting for him.
The reason the bus ride is so long is because Calvin is the first stop in the morning and the last stop in the afternoon. We live pretty close to the district bus yard so it makes sense that we are first/last. There are 10 kids who ride the bus and each one of them is picked up at their own home. It takes a lot of time to make those stops and then move onto the freeway to school. Buses aren't allowed to drive in the carpool lane so they experience more morning traffic than I do.
I was quite surprised that they'd have the bus route so packed and make the kids be on the bus so long. The transportation lady who makes the bus routes said that they have ordered more buses which were supposed to be here in January but never came. They hope to shorten the routes but can't until they get more buses. Once regular school gets out for the summer, they will re-do routes when they have more buses and then by fall new buses should have arrived so that the route will never be this crowded. (insert major frustration at the way government run stuff is so inefficient and ridiculous)
On the plus side, since Calvin is an early riser, I actually think it'll be nice to get up and get ready and then have him out the door first thing in the morning. Usually he is up around 6 and is ready to go by 7. It won't be hard for him to be ready at that time and he will probably have some positive momentum carrying him out the door!
I hope the kids on the bus are nice and he enjoys being with them.
BTW, there is an aide on the bus to help with any problems that may arise.
After school he said he did math, spelling, reading, etc. etc. He said he has a binder that he carries around and he can get stars in each class when he is on task the whole time. He is not sure yet what the stars can help him earn.
He is very enthusiastic and seems to feel really good about his school situation so far. I'm sure eventually the super fun will wear off but hopefully by then he will have settled into a good routine.
Calvin will be riding the bus to/from school. Our home school district provides transportation. It can take up to 10 days to get the bus route worked out. I decided that rather than drive both ways for 2 weeks I'd have him piggyback onto another stop already in place. He rode the bus home from school and I picked him up at a bus stop about 10 minutes from home. I had planned on having to do this for the first week or two of school but was pleasantly surprised to get a call from the transportation department today saying that the route is ready for tomorrow!
The HUGE down side to the transportation provided is that Calvin will spend 1:35 minutes on the bus EACH WAY. That is such a long time. Calvin gets picked up at our house at 6:55. He arrives at school at around 8:20. Unlike regular school, the kids sit on the bus until school starts as there is no playground. So at 8:30 when the bell rings, the kids start getting off the bus and head to class. In the afternoon, Calvin gets on the bus at 2:30 when school ends and arrives home around 4pm. (Tuesday school gets out at 1pm and he will get home at 2:35).
I have a lot of worries about Calvin being on the bus for such a long time. The main worry is that he will get bored and get into trouble. I am hoping he will use his bus ride home to do homework or sleep. I think for the first week or two it will all be so new to Calvin that it will be interesting and exciting for him.
The reason the bus ride is so long is because Calvin is the first stop in the morning and the last stop in the afternoon. We live pretty close to the district bus yard so it makes sense that we are first/last. There are 10 kids who ride the bus and each one of them is picked up at their own home. It takes a lot of time to make those stops and then move onto the freeway to school. Buses aren't allowed to drive in the carpool lane so they experience more morning traffic than I do.
I was quite surprised that they'd have the bus route so packed and make the kids be on the bus so long. The transportation lady who makes the bus routes said that they have ordered more buses which were supposed to be here in January but never came. They hope to shorten the routes but can't until they get more buses. Once regular school gets out for the summer, they will re-do routes when they have more buses and then by fall new buses should have arrived so that the route will never be this crowded. (insert major frustration at the way government run stuff is so inefficient and ridiculous)
On the plus side, since Calvin is an early riser, I actually think it'll be nice to get up and get ready and then have him out the door first thing in the morning. Usually he is up around 6 and is ready to go by 7. It won't be hard for him to be ready at that time and he will probably have some positive momentum carrying him out the door!
I hope the kids on the bus are nice and he enjoys being with them.
BTW, there is an aide on the bus to help with any problems that may arise.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
new school
I am so excited for Calvin to start as his new school Tuesday morning. We need tomorrow to finish making arrangements and the school needs to be sure they are set up with enough staff in the right places to be ready for him. I am really hoping that this will be a good change for him. I feel like I'm having a little deja vu saying this because it was just a few months ago that we were making a school change and to be honest it was kind of disastrous.
We had our IEP meeting last friday to discuss Calvin's annual goals. He only met one of his 15 or so goals. By any measurable standard he has had a terrible year. Any doubt I had that he needed new placement was washed away as we reviewed his goals for the year and saw that he is not making any progress on them. His teacher kept saying stuff like, "if he were more cooperative . . . " or "We could have met this goal if he had not refused to work" or "I was not able to complete this evaluation because he was not compliant." I so wished I could have just said "STOP!!! It is obvious he is failing here! Let's just move on and discuss placement!" But, it was not my first miserable hour in an IEP meeting so I just bucked up and moved forward.
Calvin really needs a place to teach him HOW to respond to, deal with and meet challenges that he faces daily. I am hoping that his new school will do this. That is what they claim they do well. Looking back I see that the special education class he had been attending at Painted Rock was more of a place where bad behavior was tolerated rather than a place to learn how to rise above the bad behavior.
Dave and I still have the fear that he will spend a few months here and be kicked out but the school personnel assure us that they are NOT AT ALL worried. They have seen Calvin's file, they know what they are getting and they said they have seen much worse. They also say they LOVE to get kids so young! They often get older kids - in the teens - and they are much harder to work with than the young ones like Calvin. They are completely confident that they can help him. He was accepted at 4 different schools and all 4 of those schools said the same thing.
I also think it is great timing to start a new school. We have just finished a nice spring break week. We didn't do too much or go too far from home, but we did enjoy a few fun family activities and Calvin had time to rest and rejuvenate and be ready to go! He got a new backpack and some new shoes (he needed both desperately), so that he is ready for a fresh start! I am glad that he is also excited to go to this school. Even though he can't articulate it, I know he also feels hope and excitement for his future!
We had our IEP meeting last friday to discuss Calvin's annual goals. He only met one of his 15 or so goals. By any measurable standard he has had a terrible year. Any doubt I had that he needed new placement was washed away as we reviewed his goals for the year and saw that he is not making any progress on them. His teacher kept saying stuff like, "if he were more cooperative . . . " or "We could have met this goal if he had not refused to work" or "I was not able to complete this evaluation because he was not compliant." I so wished I could have just said "STOP!!! It is obvious he is failing here! Let's just move on and discuss placement!" But, it was not my first miserable hour in an IEP meeting so I just bucked up and moved forward.
Calvin really needs a place to teach him HOW to respond to, deal with and meet challenges that he faces daily. I am hoping that his new school will do this. That is what they claim they do well. Looking back I see that the special education class he had been attending at Painted Rock was more of a place where bad behavior was tolerated rather than a place to learn how to rise above the bad behavior.
Dave and I still have the fear that he will spend a few months here and be kicked out but the school personnel assure us that they are NOT AT ALL worried. They have seen Calvin's file, they know what they are getting and they said they have seen much worse. They also say they LOVE to get kids so young! They often get older kids - in the teens - and they are much harder to work with than the young ones like Calvin. They are completely confident that they can help him. He was accepted at 4 different schools and all 4 of those schools said the same thing.
I also think it is great timing to start a new school. We have just finished a nice spring break week. We didn't do too much or go too far from home, but we did enjoy a few fun family activities and Calvin had time to rest and rejuvenate and be ready to go! He got a new backpack and some new shoes (he needed both desperately), so that he is ready for a fresh start! I am glad that he is also excited to go to this school. Even though he can't articulate it, I know he also feels hope and excitement for his future!
Monday, April 2, 2012
extended school year (ESY)
I am so excited that Calvin will attend school until July 30th. For me and for him. For me because it will be so nice to have some care free summer days with my girls and for him because I think he will do really well to have some extra time in school especially since he is moving to his new school in April. The transition will be better, I think, because he has 4 full months of school instead of just 6 weeks, which is all that would be left in the regular school year.
I said I am so excited but it would be more correct to say I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!
Regular school gets out the second week of June. ESY is a special education term. There are 5 different ways to qualify for extended school year. Each has to do with the idea that if the child isn't in school they will lose skills at such a rate that they will fall behind before the start of the next school year. The category that Calvin qualifies under is behavior. There are other areas such as basic life skills and academic skills.
The month of august will be a fun month to have everyone home because our pool is warm and we will enjoy swimming until school starts again!
I said I am so excited but it would be more correct to say I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!
Regular school gets out the second week of June. ESY is a special education term. There are 5 different ways to qualify for extended school year. Each has to do with the idea that if the child isn't in school they will lose skills at such a rate that they will fall behind before the start of the next school year. The category that Calvin qualifies under is behavior. There are other areas such as basic life skills and academic skills.
The month of august will be a fun month to have everyone home because our pool is warm and we will enjoy swimming until school starts again!
Friday, March 30, 2012
it is done
We had our IEP meeting this afternoon. Everything went well. Calvin will be starting at his new school after spring break (our spring break is next week). He'll be going to Institute for Effective Education, COOK education center. Hopefully he will start making great improvements and will enjoy school there!
It will probalby take a week or so to get transportation set up so we might have one crazy week of me having to drive 30 mintues to get him to school but I am hoping things will get set up quicker than that! His first day will actually be Tues after break so we do have one day to try to get a good start on transportation arrangements.
It will probalby take a week or so to get transportation set up so we might have one crazy week of me having to drive 30 mintues to get him to school but I am hoping things will get set up quicker than that! His first day will actually be Tues after break so we do have one day to try to get a good start on transportation arrangements.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Yay!
Calvin was accepted at the Cook school!
He had a great 1/2 day trial there this morning. He was very well behaved and excited to be there. The staff assures me that when he is no longer excited about school or well behaved they will be ready to deal with that! He is very excited about this school and knows that they are expecting him to start after spring break.
Our IEP is Friday (tomorrow) at 3pm where we will hopefully work out all the details and get everything signed and moving forward.
We have been so blessed that things have moved so smoothly and quickly.
He had a great 1/2 day trial there this morning. He was very well behaved and excited to be there. The staff assures me that when he is no longer excited about school or well behaved they will be ready to deal with that! He is very excited about this school and knows that they are expecting him to start after spring break.
Our IEP is Friday (tomorrow) at 3pm where we will hopefully work out all the details and get everything signed and moving forward.
We have been so blessed that things have moved so smoothly and quickly.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Today - the final two schools
Two school visits today to our top two choices. We have seen 5 schools total and feel 2 would be really good for Calvin.
Springall and Cook school at the Institute for Effective Education (TIEE)
First visit was to take Dave to springall which he hadn't seen yet. We had a nice visit at the school. They currently have one elementary class but with the addition of a couple of new students starting right after spring break they will expand to two classes. Each class will have 7-8 kids. They have a nice campus and a good sense of community. I like the campus which has big fields and lots of open space. They have a big emphasis on sports. They do PE every day, rotating through the different sports each season and get the opportunity to play on sports teams throughout the year. They also have a golf program.
The second visit was an after school visit with TIEE with Calvin. It is a chance for him to see the school and also for them to do a quick academic assessment so that he can come for a 1/2 day trial and can be appropriately grouped for his classes. It was tough to get him to the school -- he was nervous to come to a new place and was tired and grouchy -- but dave did a good job talking to him and distracting him and keeping him in a good mood. Once we got there he was pretty agreeable. We met a couple of people and then the teachers took him to asses him for about 45 minutes. He said he had a good time and they said he was very cooperative. Calvin was super impressed with their video game room with wii, xbox, playstation and game cube!
Tomorrow he will go back to the school for his 1/2 day at school.
The setup at TIEE is a bit different. It is in an office building. The elementary classes are on the 1st floor. The kids are put in academic groups of 2-3 kids and they are in a small class for each academic class. For each hour, they rotate rooms and groups so that they are in the correct academic placement for each subject. one advantage to this is that they can progress academically faster than if they are in larger classes. It is also nice for attitude/behaviors because if they have a bad hour in one class they get a fresh start when they change classes. I personally could not stand to be inside all day like that but I think it would be fine for Calvin.
HOMEWORK: Springall - a packet each week Cook - will start with something small and work up to more
BEHAVIOR SYSTEM: springall - level system. daily behavior sheets with stars (green, red, yellow) Cook - the kids carry around behavior sheets that are for THEM -- so that they can see what they are working towards, rather than sending behavior sheets home to parents. Parents have weekly phone calls from teachers scheduled to go over progress/concerns
PE - both do PE daily
SCHOOL TIME - springall 7:30 am - 2pm. Cook 8:30-2:30, early release on Tues at 1pm
SCHOOL YEAR - springall - similar to regular school with extended summer for July. Cook- school year runs labor day to the end of july for all students.
We know for sure that Calvin has been "accepted" to Springall and we are still waiting to complete the process at the cook school before we make our final decision, as we do not know if they will "accept" Calvin into their program. It is possible we can do it this week (we have an IEP meeting on the calendar for 3pm Friday). Otherwise, we'll have to wait 'til after spring break.
Springall and Cook school at the Institute for Effective Education (TIEE)
First visit was to take Dave to springall which he hadn't seen yet. We had a nice visit at the school. They currently have one elementary class but with the addition of a couple of new students starting right after spring break they will expand to two classes. Each class will have 7-8 kids. They have a nice campus and a good sense of community. I like the campus which has big fields and lots of open space. They have a big emphasis on sports. They do PE every day, rotating through the different sports each season and get the opportunity to play on sports teams throughout the year. They also have a golf program.
The second visit was an after school visit with TIEE with Calvin. It is a chance for him to see the school and also for them to do a quick academic assessment so that he can come for a 1/2 day trial and can be appropriately grouped for his classes. It was tough to get him to the school -- he was nervous to come to a new place and was tired and grouchy -- but dave did a good job talking to him and distracting him and keeping him in a good mood. Once we got there he was pretty agreeable. We met a couple of people and then the teachers took him to asses him for about 45 minutes. He said he had a good time and they said he was very cooperative. Calvin was super impressed with their video game room with wii, xbox, playstation and game cube!
Tomorrow he will go back to the school for his 1/2 day at school.
The setup at TIEE is a bit different. It is in an office building. The elementary classes are on the 1st floor. The kids are put in academic groups of 2-3 kids and they are in a small class for each academic class. For each hour, they rotate rooms and groups so that they are in the correct academic placement for each subject. one advantage to this is that they can progress academically faster than if they are in larger classes. It is also nice for attitude/behaviors because if they have a bad hour in one class they get a fresh start when they change classes. I personally could not stand to be inside all day like that but I think it would be fine for Calvin.
HOMEWORK: Springall - a packet each week Cook - will start with something small and work up to more
BEHAVIOR SYSTEM: springall - level system. daily behavior sheets with stars (green, red, yellow) Cook - the kids carry around behavior sheets that are for THEM -- so that they can see what they are working towards, rather than sending behavior sheets home to parents. Parents have weekly phone calls from teachers scheduled to go over progress/concerns
PE - both do PE daily
SCHOOL TIME - springall 7:30 am - 2pm. Cook 8:30-2:30, early release on Tues at 1pm
SCHOOL YEAR - springall - similar to regular school with extended summer for July. Cook- school year runs labor day to the end of july for all students.
We know for sure that Calvin has been "accepted" to Springall and we are still waiting to complete the process at the cook school before we make our final decision, as we do not know if they will "accept" Calvin into their program. It is possible we can do it this week (we have an IEP meeting on the calendar for 3pm Friday). Otherwise, we'll have to wait 'til after spring break.
early morning . . . long day!
We usually take the TV cord out of the TV and keep it in our room at night so Calvin can't get up in the night and watch TV. Last night we forgot. Calvin got up at 4:30 and watched TV all morning 'til I came out of my room at 7:30 (I thought everyone was sleeping in so I took my sweet time getting ready!) It is going to be a long day!!!
Today we have 2 school visits. Of the 5 schools I have seen, we have narrowed it down to two schools. The first Dave hasn't seen yet, so I'm taking him there this morning. The second wants to meet Calvin so we are taking him there this afternoon. He will probably be in a NASTY mood so they will get a good look at the most difficult side of Calvin which I guess is good so they know if they can handle him or not.
Today we have 2 school visits. Of the 5 schools I have seen, we have narrowed it down to two schools. The first Dave hasn't seen yet, so I'm taking him there this morning. The second wants to meet Calvin so we are taking him there this afternoon. He will probably be in a NASTY mood so they will get a good look at the most difficult side of Calvin which I guess is good so they know if they can handle him or not.
Monday, March 26, 2012
report card
I don't think I have ever shared ALL the real details of what goes on with Calvin at school with anyone besides Dave and Dan - since they live with him they know what he's like. Plus we can all laugh together at some of the crazy stuff that goes on. Most everyone else is too horrified to handle the full truth!
Well, I am going to share some of the nitty gritty here today (for my records). I will copy verbatim some of Calvin's report card.
Since joining the SDC class in 11/28/2011 . . .
Calvin had 239 instances of profanity usage (verbal and written), 275 instances of distracting noises made during periods of instruction, 174 instances of throwing items, and 290 instances of hitting/kicking others. He ran out of class 12 times.
Academically, Calvin does fine, although he is not working to his potential because of the above behaviors and suspensions which cause him to miss school.
I would say that his behavior has probably gotten worse since he started this class and he doesn't seem to be making the improvements anyone would hope to have and that is why we'll be chaining schools. My hope is that a year from now those numbers will be in single digits.
Since we get a daily behavior report we knew all of this was going on and kind of had to chuckle at the fact that his teacher sat down and counted all of this up.
One of the differences we will see in the school we are hopefully moving to is that they do not send home as detailed behavior reports because as they said, "our teachers do not have time for copious notes." The man power required to take such detailed notes is man power that will be better used teaching and working with the kids - providing assistance and support minute to minute.
Well, I am going to share some of the nitty gritty here today (for my records). I will copy verbatim some of Calvin's report card.
Since joining the SDC class in 11/28/2011 . . .
Calvin had 239 instances of profanity usage (verbal and written), 275 instances of distracting noises made during periods of instruction, 174 instances of throwing items, and 290 instances of hitting/kicking others. He ran out of class 12 times.
Academically, Calvin does fine, although he is not working to his potential because of the above behaviors and suspensions which cause him to miss school.
I would say that his behavior has probably gotten worse since he started this class and he doesn't seem to be making the improvements anyone would hope to have and that is why we'll be chaining schools. My hope is that a year from now those numbers will be in single digits.
Since we get a daily behavior report we knew all of this was going on and kind of had to chuckle at the fact that his teacher sat down and counted all of this up.
One of the differences we will see in the school we are hopefully moving to is that they do not send home as detailed behavior reports because as they said, "our teachers do not have time for copious notes." The man power required to take such detailed notes is man power that will be better used teaching and working with the kids - providing assistance and support minute to minute.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Institute for Effective Education (TIEE)
TIEE has several different programs in San Diego. The one that will probably be the best fit for Calvin is at the Cook Education Center.
There they have classes in very small groups 2-4 kids who work based on ability level for each subject. They rotate from room to room for each subject and work with different kids and adults for each class so that they can work at the appropriate academic level for each subject.
They focus on positive behavior with lots of attention for doing the right thing.
Video games on campus!
Once a week all of the teachers meet to discuss each student. Goals/work, etc can be adjusted.
HW is assigned. For us it would probably start small as we build the habit and then increase to a little bit each day.
extra curricular/clubs: karate, yoga, sports, music, art
Big focus on working towards behavior that will work in the real world, rather than pull out for OT, therapy, etc. which can be difficult to apply in real life.
Research based behavior methods.
Once they receive a packet from the school district they will set up a time to meet Calvin and evaluate him. Then he will do a 1/2 day trial before they decide if they think they have a program that will meet his needs.
Once a month you can go in and watch videos of your kid to see how things are going.
Looks like the school year is 220 days going through july. Many of the schools have summer school as an option but it looks like for this school the school year is extended for all students. This is good, especially since we are starting the school so late in the year.
There they have classes in very small groups 2-4 kids who work based on ability level for each subject. They rotate from room to room for each subject and work with different kids and adults for each class so that they can work at the appropriate academic level for each subject.
They focus on positive behavior with lots of attention for doing the right thing.
Video games on campus!
Once a week all of the teachers meet to discuss each student. Goals/work, etc can be adjusted.
HW is assigned. For us it would probably start small as we build the habit and then increase to a little bit each day.
extra curricular/clubs: karate, yoga, sports, music, art
Big focus on working towards behavior that will work in the real world, rather than pull out for OT, therapy, etc. which can be difficult to apply in real life.
Research based behavior methods.
Once they receive a packet from the school district they will set up a time to meet Calvin and evaluate him. Then he will do a 1/2 day trial before they decide if they think they have a program that will meet his needs.
Once a month you can go in and watch videos of your kid to see how things are going.
Looks like the school year is 220 days going through july. Many of the schools have summer school as an option but it looks like for this school the school year is extended for all students. This is good, especially since we are starting the school so late in the year.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
dreams and decisions
Last night I dreamed about these two schools: Springall and SD Center for Children. I am thinking about them so much and trying to figure out which would be best for Calvin or if there is something that I will find at another school. I am going to tour 2 more schools next week and I think at that point I will be ready to make a decision as to where we should send Calvin.
We have already decided that we will send him to a non-public school. It makes me sad to have him leave Painted Rock. I love having him at the same school as Clare and I love having him close to home. I like that he can participate in chorus there. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent as we visit these other schools that Painted Rock does not have the support Calvin needs. There is a reason these other schools exist -- it is to help kids like Calvin! And, I think they are fairly successful at it. At Calvin's elementary school, he is in a special education classroom with staff trained to work with Calvin but when he escalates they have nobody to turn to for help. At these other schools they have the classroom teachers + lots of extra staff to take a kid out and work with them one on one or pull them into another room where they can have a break as needed. Nobody is annoyed or mad when a child melts down. It is expected that they will and the staff feels it is their job to help the child in the moment but also to teach the skills necessary to improve function in the future. This is a 100% change from the reaction of the painted rock staff who are frustrated, upset and feel they do not have time to help someone so difficult. It is not their job. I understand that. And that is why we will be making a change.
We have already decided that we will send him to a non-public school. It makes me sad to have him leave Painted Rock. I love having him at the same school as Clare and I love having him close to home. I like that he can participate in chorus there. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent as we visit these other schools that Painted Rock does not have the support Calvin needs. There is a reason these other schools exist -- it is to help kids like Calvin! And, I think they are fairly successful at it. At Calvin's elementary school, he is in a special education classroom with staff trained to work with Calvin but when he escalates they have nobody to turn to for help. At these other schools they have the classroom teachers + lots of extra staff to take a kid out and work with them one on one or pull them into another room where they can have a break as needed. Nobody is annoyed or mad when a child melts down. It is expected that they will and the staff feels it is their job to help the child in the moment but also to teach the skills necessary to improve function in the future. This is a 100% change from the reaction of the painted rock staff who are frustrated, upset and feel they do not have time to help someone so difficult. It is not their job. I understand that. And that is why we will be making a change.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
One thing that is constant is change
After just 3 months in the ED special education class in Poway Unified School District at Painted Rock we are looking for other schooling options for Calvin.
The IEP team has submitted an application to two non-public schools: Springall ACademy and San Diego Center for Children. There is a district employee who looks at the children and then decides where they thing the best fit would be in terms of a non public school. I am going to visit these two schools and I will also visit a couple of other schools so that I have a better idea of what is out there that might suit Calvin's needs.
It is really weird to me that the school is offering to pay for private schooling for Calvin (at a cost of $30K/year) after such a short trial in the ED class. The only guesses I have are: either they are really scared I am about to sue them or they are really on top of things and see that he is not making good progress in his current class and want to expedite the process of getting him moving in the right direction. That or they just want to get rid of him. After all, even though it costs a ton of $ to send him away it is not their $ they are spending. . .
Anyway, whatever the case may be, we are on another journey to find placement for Calvin. Back in november we visited all of the special needs classes the district has that might work for him. OF those we saw the ED class was really the only feasible option and though I think he has been doing better there in terms of getting work done, he is not really making great improvements in behavior. So now our options are 1. leave him in this placement or 2. find another school.
I have mixed feelings about this venture. First, I am grateful we don't have to sue the district or pay $$$ to hire an educational advocate to take the next step. However, I am sad to see Calvin move further and further from the general education route and "regular" kids. It is also a difficult decision because I don't have any experience with any of these schools and feel such great pressure to do what would be best while I feel I am not equipped to do so.
When he moved to the ED class we were told that the usual discipline rules don't apply and that when Calvin escalates we won't be called and told to come get him. However, he has been suspended 5 days since starting the ED class so they are changing the rules a bit. I feel like their attitude has changed from, "we can work through this" to "we can't deal with this." With such an attitude Calvin is sure to fail so for this reason I feel added pressure to take him out of Painted Rock.
These special education schools had more highly trained support staff who are used to dealing with difficult kids. I hope we can find someplace where Calvin will thrive. He is such a smart and wonderful boy underneath his anger, tantrums and coping problems. He has such potential if we can help him find himself and develop his talents. I pray every day that as parents we will find the key to unlock his amazing potential. I am hopeful with each change that we make that we have found that magic jelleybean and then I am devastated when I see that there was no magic after all. Unfortunately there will not be a quick and easy solution, but I keep hoping that over time we will find success for him.
I also don't know if in hoping he will pass through these troubles if I am asking for a miracle or if it is a reasonalbe goal to help him work towards a more normal life. Either way, I cling to that hope as only a mother can and live one day at a time.
The IEP team has submitted an application to two non-public schools: Springall ACademy and San Diego Center for Children. There is a district employee who looks at the children and then decides where they thing the best fit would be in terms of a non public school. I am going to visit these two schools and I will also visit a couple of other schools so that I have a better idea of what is out there that might suit Calvin's needs.
It is really weird to me that the school is offering to pay for private schooling for Calvin (at a cost of $30K/year) after such a short trial in the ED class. The only guesses I have are: either they are really scared I am about to sue them or they are really on top of things and see that he is not making good progress in his current class and want to expedite the process of getting him moving in the right direction. That or they just want to get rid of him. After all, even though it costs a ton of $ to send him away it is not their $ they are spending. . .
Anyway, whatever the case may be, we are on another journey to find placement for Calvin. Back in november we visited all of the special needs classes the district has that might work for him. OF those we saw the ED class was really the only feasible option and though I think he has been doing better there in terms of getting work done, he is not really making great improvements in behavior. So now our options are 1. leave him in this placement or 2. find another school.
I have mixed feelings about this venture. First, I am grateful we don't have to sue the district or pay $$$ to hire an educational advocate to take the next step. However, I am sad to see Calvin move further and further from the general education route and "regular" kids. It is also a difficult decision because I don't have any experience with any of these schools and feel such great pressure to do what would be best while I feel I am not equipped to do so.
When he moved to the ED class we were told that the usual discipline rules don't apply and that when Calvin escalates we won't be called and told to come get him. However, he has been suspended 5 days since starting the ED class so they are changing the rules a bit. I feel like their attitude has changed from, "we can work through this" to "we can't deal with this." With such an attitude Calvin is sure to fail so for this reason I feel added pressure to take him out of Painted Rock.
These special education schools had more highly trained support staff who are used to dealing with difficult kids. I hope we can find someplace where Calvin will thrive. He is such a smart and wonderful boy underneath his anger, tantrums and coping problems. He has such potential if we can help him find himself and develop his talents. I pray every day that as parents we will find the key to unlock his amazing potential. I am hopeful with each change that we make that we have found that magic jelleybean and then I am devastated when I see that there was no magic after all. Unfortunately there will not be a quick and easy solution, but I keep hoping that over time we will find success for him.
I also don't know if in hoping he will pass through these troubles if I am asking for a miracle or if it is a reasonalbe goal to help him work towards a more normal life. Either way, I cling to that hope as only a mother can and live one day at a time.
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