Hi everyone. At the moment my son is enrolled in our public school. Are reasons for pulling him have nothing to do with the actual subjects being taught. He's actually fine with that. His state tests have consistantly shown above average scores, UNTIL this year. While his math is at 437 (accelerated), his class room work is sliding. Here's why. My son has epilepsy. The drugs (diazapam & lamictal) used to treat have severly affected his mornings. Even though he has an IEP, they REFUSE to follow it. I requested math to be in the afternoon as we were infromed by the neurologist that for at least 2 hrs after the meds are given, he is pretty much useless as far as his capacity to learn goes. BUT even though they WROTE it in the IEP, he has MORNING math! Go figure! So while his achievement tests show he knows the material very well, his actual class grade is dipping from the assignments done during class. ALSO and this is our biggest problem, they promised one on one help....NOPE! The class keeps moving right along because the teacher says she has 22 students and can't stop for him. THEN he's been giving almost 30 detentions this year for FORGETTING STUFF IN HIS LOCKER! Mind you, THEIR OWN psychologist did testing for the IEP and it CLEARLY states his short term memory is shot from the epilepsy and the meds. So when I told them that they were punishing him for his disability which is against the law, the teacher said, maybe it would jog his memory if he was sitting in detention and that because there are 22 other kids in the class, him having to go get stuff is a disruption! STILL not done...there's more. Since his diagnosis, my son has not been on ONE SINGLE field trip. Now, 3 weeks agao, they said if I went with him, he could go on the school camp trip, THEN they called back and said for medical reasons he can't go and actually said what kind of mother am I for wanting him to go in the first place! WELL...my response...I called the Epilepsy Foundation who informed me that the school was in direct violation of the Americans with Disabilites Act. They have also taken it upon themselves to go and educate this particular school. Meanwhile, there has been a complete and total breakdown in communication with the school & I honestly feel that due to all my complaining, my child will be subject to the consequences. And I no longer have any faith in our public school. SO...(sorry about the vent)....any suggestions on how to proceed at this point. Good curriculum? He likes math & science. Spelling is amazing, but reading process scores are borderline due to memory issues. Any curriculum that might help with that? Also, we are looking for a flexible alternative. He sometimes spends several days at a time in the pediatric epilepsy monitoring unit at the childrens hospital but they do have wi-fi available. I have no problem with state testing as it helps me to know where he's at. What are my options here? Thanks very much for any help or advice. Oh yeah...he's 11 yrs old. He's 5th grade. And sorry for any spelling errors. I'm just so dang irritated right now, i'm typing a mile a minute!
Forgot to add, when he misses school for days at a time, they just hand us a stack of 40 or so worksheets, but having missed the in class lecture, he's just stcuk doing loads of of paper work without the information. And they WILL NOT go over it with him. It's just insane. And they usually want it the following day.I just don't get that. That's like someone telling me to do a bunch of worksheets on anatomy and BAM I'm a doctor. How stupid is that? The in class lecture is crucial. When I was taking my collge classes, if I missed one single day, I was lost. Reguardless of the make-up work, without the ability to ask questions, forget it. My professor was moving on.
The best advise I can give you regarding an IEP is call your State Education department and file a complaint! I had to do it and it's amazing what happens. State Ed investigates it and if they are found not in compliance then they have to change it plain and simple. You could ask for compensitory services as well and they have to provide it. They MUST follow an IEP no questions asked. Don't be afraid to contact them I know it sounds scary but if that is the only reason you are going to home school they you owe it to yourself and your son to do it. When you get someone they just talk to you very kind and tell them your story in detail and that is it they handle the rest!
I must say, I agree with Cherry.. their position is illegal and illogical - I spent time in public schools as a teacher - even with tight resources, your son could be accommodated. They don't want to. But legally, they are obliged to. They need to hear that from someone who can (and will) make the entire experience very unpleasant for them. Honestly (and, hey, I'm a homeschooler, I'm prejudiced), I think homeschooling sounds like a great option for your son - he could not only work on his own daily time frame, he could work around (or even through) his hospitalizations without waiting for someone else to hand him a stack of work without the lecture information. BUT - I'm betting that if they're treating your son this way, they may very well be treating other children's IEPs with the same disregard. They need to hear a message, loud and clear.
Re: We've called Circa and the US dept of Ed. We're waiting on replies. We were told a day or two. I've thought about enrolling in neighboring district, but the drive is insane. My son requires a diastat rectal kit if he seizes past 3 minutes. He stops breathing and is at risk for SUDEP. Our school won't give it as the drug can cause respiratory failure and the dept of ed, said it's at the schools discretion. They will call 911, but our response time is usually past that time limit. I explained that it easier to give cpr to a still child than to give cpr to a child whos airware is contracting with the seizures. Our school only has a school nurse available 1 day a week, she rotates daily through the district. But she wouldn't give it either. The neighboring school is in the boondocks, in the middle of a corn field and EMS is response is even slower. The other districts are HORRIBLE....metal detectors etc....horrible ratings as well. I thought about chartering, but I'm unsure of the flexibility there. I've gotten conflicting opinions. My other children will stay where they are reguardless. My oldest is at Baldwin Wallace, my 9 yr old is 4th grade, my 6 yr old is in K. It's only my one child that I'm having concerns about. I don't want to see this bright funny happy kid go into a depression because he lost hope with school. I feel like if he could go at his pace, take the time to get it if his memory fails him, start later (right now he has to get up at 5:30 am to catch a 6:15 am bus) which is hard for an epileptic. Stress ie: lack of sleep, depression etc is the number one cause of the seizures. ESPECIALLY hours of sleep. I feel like if he could say start at 9am he'd have a clearer head. His meds will be past the peak point, he will have eaten. Right now he RARELY eats breakfast. One of his newer drugs Topamax, causes weight less and no appetite. So first thing in the morning, food is hard for him. But by 9 he's hungry & has to wait till luch to eat. Funny thing: in his IEP they promised snacks. So he took one on the first day & the teacher said no eating in class. Whatever, it doesn't matter who I call at this point. I'm so angry with them that I feel like even if they changed, they've already done the damage. When I asked the principle what I was supposed to tell my sone about the camp trip, he suggested I tell him it's a punishment for the detentions! NOT that it was for medical reasons. He thought that punishing him for something beyond his control, would be better than telling him it was from the epilepsy. GREAT! So if I tell my son that, he'll be backed into a corner of: No matter what I do right or wrong, I'm in trouble....YEAH...no problem there except for the severe depression and acting out that would cause. Epileptics in general have 50% higher rate of suicide than the general population. Sometimes I wonder where school administrators get their degrees. This is horrible, but I swear, last time I talked to him, my face what hot, my hands were shaking, I kept very calm, but inside, I was a mess. I even passed up my stop on the way home. This has been such a rough year. I do have neighbors who homeschool and some who virtual school. It's becoming more and more common. The stereotype used to be insane, but it's gaining in popularity. And I'm seeing why. Their children have avoided learning the middle finger their first day of K (something my child learned ). They've avoided having to purchase thousands of dollars in name brand school clothes so their kids can fit in. They've avoided the pushing and shoving (my kid got punched in the stomach for being a 'loser geek who pees his pants and drools while seizing)..etc..... the list goes on. WOW: I must be having one of those days. I apologize for venting my head off!
(((hugs)))....and WELCOME!!! My son has Tourette's Syndrome and "did some hard time" in public school. We fought for his 504 accomidations and they refused the few simple things, too. (no timed tests, ability to type his homework, etc.) and he got referals daily for talking...to himself...also known as vocal tics. Ok. Gotta watch myself...brings me back to a very unhappy time for all of us. Anyway, I can say with confidence that homeschooling will save your son's emotional and educational state. There are many curriculums (not sure if that is the correct plural without googling ) that can be taken along on a laptop or done in workbook form so that the amount of materials you'd be taking to the hospital would be at a minimum. Or, if you are so inclined, you could keep the teaching for when you are comfortably at home. Education isn't a race, and unless your state has strict requirements on a school year schedule, you are free to progress at your own pace. And from the sounds of it, you have a bright boy who is eager to learn and his natural curiosity would drive him to excel in any circumstance. I know I was amazed at the difference in my son's stress level once he was removed from an environment where he knew--because teachers told him--that he was a nuisance. Even my own aunt who is a teacher in the district said that she wouldn't be able to tolerate his TS in her classroom. Keep in mind his is only mild motor and vocal tics, not loud, no profanity. Mostly head and eye tics and grunting or clearing the throat. He has adapted so well under so little stress at home that his tics are barely noticable. (stress increases the severity) Sorry such a long post. I'm pretty passionate about this kind of thing. Again, welcome!
I just wanted to say... Welcome to the group! I'm in Ohio as well....there are a few ladies in the state that know tons of helpful info here & I hope you find the answers you're looking for. =)
Not having read it all.... Is this Elijah you're talking about? I never knew he had all those problems! First of all, if they write things into the IEP (ie: math in the AM) that you disagree with, DON'T SIGN IT. I would talk directly with the super of the district. Tell them that you've talked with the epilepsy foundation, they have informed you that the district is in violation, and tell them that if things don't change NOW you will consider filing a lawsuit. (That's a word that makes the district takes notice!!!) Suggest a meeting with the super, the principal and an advocate from the epilepsy foundation. Tell them the meeting must take place ASAP. When it's done, you should have in your hand a very specific list of exactly what they're going to do to make the changes necessary, possibly with a time line of WHEN it will happen. Also they need to understand that if it's not followed, you WILL file a suit for violation of the disabilities act. How's that sound for starters? Oh, do you know that if they put ANYTHING in his IEP that you don't agree with (ie: math in the AM), you can refuse to sign it? Not having your signature on it carries LOTS of weight!
Elijah? I don't have a child named Elijah. Sorry, I'm a new member & just started posting today. I actually agree with the IEP, but they're not following it. They aren't doing anything differently. I don't even see the point of it if they're not going to use it. That's where the frustration lies. I told my husband he should go in there. The principle is male, maybe he thinks mom is some crazy pms woman!LOL Seriously, I think he would take my husbands threats of law suits etc...more to heart.
There is another long time member here named Ohio Mom. I thought it was her post until I saw you were new. Then I looked her up and noticed her name has a space and yours does not.
I had done exactly the same thing, except I saw a post from Ohio Mom on my new posts right under the new one from OhioMom. :lol:
oh sorry, maybe I should add a number to my user name or something It's been one of those mornings....for a second I thought maybe I did have kid name Elijah! LOL Rough day. It's a blizzard out there. HORRIBLE blizzard. I'd snowblow the driveway if I could even FIND my driveway! hahaha. My brother in law is a single dad and he lives about 6 houses down and called to ask me to run to the store for his kids. I responded by laughing. There's no way I'm getting out of this development. Funny thing....all those association dues & they can't use the money to hire a plow???? Go figure!
Hello, OhioMom, I'm Ohio Mom. I was looking at your post and thought, I didn't write that. lol. I do have a child named Elijah. This is so funny. What part of Ohio do you live in?
Lol, sorry!!! Yes, I had you two mixed up! Ohio Mom and I have met up on occassion, and that was why I was surprised to hear that Elijah had epilepsy. I'm in central Ohio, btw, in the Columbus area.
That is ridiculous, that is the whole point of IEPs I have had 2 children go through testing and have IEPs, so I know they are not an easy process. It takes months and alot of people involved to get things going smoothly. I don't understand why your school would go through all of that and not make modifications to his education. Due to his health issues I would feel more comfortable having him home, alot of the complications sound scary. Plus, the school doesn't seem easy to work with. Not to rub it in :wink: but it is 60 degrees here today !! I love the south :love:
My first thought is that homeschooling is a very viable option for you! It could definitely be an answer to prayer! I am on epilepsy meds in a very light dose for migraines and I can attest that they DO affect short term memory. You also can't respond as quickly as normal. For example, I forget words that I know very well. Or names of places. Yes, I'm getting old , but the meds magnify it something awful. It's very discomfiting. I want to encourage you in that when you homeschool, you can do it in whatever way works best with your child. You stick to whatever schedule works for your child, as many hours a day as works for your child, with the curriculum that works for your child. I would have two suggestions for you. First, visit a homeschooler that has been homeschooling at LEAST 3 years. They can be a wealth of information! Secondly, try to get to a homeschool convention or even a book sale. You will get some sort of scope of the curriculum available and be able to actually look at the books before purchasing. You are off to a great start by being on here! These people are great! A wealth of information and support! Wishing you all the best in your future decision!
I can't believe what that school is doing, ok I can believe it but it is crazy. I agree with countrygal that homeschooling might be a good option for you. Homeschooling would allow your son to do his learning at the optimum times of day for him. It would also eliminate any stress he may have about the fact that he keeps getting these detentions for something that is very difficult for him to controll if not imposible for him to control. There are plenty of good/great curriculums out there for high school. I suggest looking at Saxon for Math, especially if he likes Math. For Science if you want a book that favors creationism I would look at Apologia, it is a very solid science program and the advanced courses are really good. For English/Reading I would suggest getting Novel Units (Secular)or Progeny Press (these ones are from a Christian Perspective) and having him go through 3-4 books a year. Easy Grammar is an excellent Grammar program. THe Critical Thinking Company also offers an excellent line of workbooks to practice reading comprehension, test prep, logic.... Wordly Wise or Jensen's Vocabulary both are great vocabulary programs. History would depend on wether or not you want a purely secular or Christian approach. I know good series in both areas. I also second trying to get to a convention or used book sale. Alos try and find a local homeschool group. They can provied you lots of local information, and they can be a resource to check out the various curriculums before buying them. Feel free to ask any question in this forum. There are some great and knowledgable people on here.
