Re: Re: School district and funding

[Guest guest]

Amen to this. I sued. Twice. They hate me and are very vocal about it. But

hey, anything for my kid.

Anyone worthy of having their opinion considered will applaud your decisions and

assist in your journey.

Regards,

Bonnie McPherson

[ ] Re: School district and funding

Sue them for services. It worked for me. I got a full-time ABA trained aid

for Mason. A once-a-week structured playgroup. The usual OT/Speech.

Modified PE coach to work on motor skills related to running, skipping,

throwing a ball, etc... ABA saved my son. When we started ABA, he was

considered by the school district to be low-functioning and unable to learn.

They told me that I needed to lower my expectations. 4 years later he is

considered the highest-functioning Autistic child in the district because he

is the only child in the district with 4 years of ABA. He is now

fully-integrated into a 1st grade classroom and making all A's.

You cannot worry about alienating the school district. You bet I alienated

the school district with my lawsuite. It didn't matter whether they liked

me or not. They had to provide an appropriate education for Mason. I think

that most of the teachers at the school district secretly admire me for

standing up and helping my child. They have watched his progress in

amazement and it has helped other children to ask for the same services for

their child.

You just have to stand up to them and demand that they teach your child.

Bush just said last week that every child has the right to get an education.

So do your sons.

Sincerely,

Day

List moderators: ABAqueen1@...

Stephhulshof@...

Post message:

Subscribe: -subscribe

Unsubscribe: -unsubscribe

[Guest guest]

I am happy to see this. We are currently suing Duval County in ville,

Fla. (Gomerville) for FAPE. My

daughter is going to Jericho and is doing fabulous, learning to count, read and

write. I applaud any parent

who stands up for their child. It was only about 20 months ago that I was told

my child was going to leave

her public school in a police car because of bad behavior. I hate stupid people.

My biggest hope is that

enough people will see how great Liz is doing and realize their complete

stupidity and neglect to the other

Autistic children in the public school system. We go to federal court in April

and even though it as been a

never ending process, it is certainly worth the life of a child. I urge every

parent to stand up for their

kid and not lower their expectations. My child was considered on of the worst

kids in the district and I

suspect that after another year or so of ABA, no one will be to tell she used to

come home from public

school wearing the lunch room with urine in her shoes. While I realize that

their are many people who don't

like ABA, DTT, they need to realize that if measurable and functional progress

isn't part of whatever ever

program they claim to have, they have no program. Call it and do what ever you

want, but without measurable

progress and functional progress no one can or has to expect anything from the

child.

Best to you lyn Popp RN., BSN

Bonnie McPherson wrote:

> Amen to this. I sued. Twice. They hate me and are very vocal about it. But

hey, anything for my kid.

> Anyone worthy of having their opinion considered will applaud your decisions

and assist in your journey.

>

> Regards,

> Bonnie McPherson

>

> [ ] Re: School district and funding

>

> Sue them for services. It worked for me. I got a full-time ABA trained aid

> for Mason. A once-a-week structured playgroup. The usual OT/Speech.

> Modified PE coach to work on motor skills related to running, skipping,

> throwing a ball, etc... ABA saved my son. When we started ABA, he was

> considered by the school district to be low-functioning and unable to learn.

> They told me that I needed to lower my expectations. 4 years later he is

> considered the highest-functioning Autistic child in the district because he

> is the only child in the district with 4 years of ABA. He is now

> fully-integrated into a 1st grade classroom and making all A's.

>

> You cannot worry about alienating the school district. You bet I alienated

> the school district with my lawsuite. It didn't matter whether they liked

> me or not. They had to provide an appropriate education for Mason. I think

> that most of the teachers at the school district secretly admire me for

> standing up and helping my child. They have watched his progress in

> amazement and it has helped other children to ask for the same services for

> their child.

>

> You just have to stand up to them and demand that they teach your child.

> Bush just said last week that every child has the right to get an education.

> So do your sons.

>

> Sincerely,

> Day

>

> List moderators: ABAqueen1@...

> Stephhulshof@...

>

> Post message:

> Subscribe: -subscribe

> Unsubscribe: -unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Bonnie McPherson wrote:

> Amen to this. I sued. Twice. They hate me and are very vocal about it. But

hey, anything for my kid.

> Anyone worthy of having their opinion considered will applaud your decisions

and assist in your journey.

I think of it like dealing with insurance companies. Nobody working for the

company is going to like you

for aggressively pursuing an appeal of denied coverage, but hey, you can live

w/o their love if it gets you

the coverage. I haven't sued (yet--but give me time. My kid's only in

kindergarten), but I've had as nasty

an IEP meeting as can be imagined: just loaded with hostility. I'm already

married, so I don't need them

for bridesmaids anyway.

And a big " ditto " to whoever said that SD's can be anti-ABA, but the bottom line

is that at least there's

data. That's what drove me crazy last year--my daughter was doing so well, all

I heard were positives, and

then at the end of the year, " We think she should be in the self-contained

class. " Hello????

Oops, sorry, this was someone else's rant.

[Guest guest]

This a very good question. What do you do when you can't get what you need for

your child? My daughters aggression was so bad, I couldn't do it without help.

The school system made it even worse, because they had me drug my kid to the sun

and she just got worse even more. I told them I thought she was frustrated at

not being able to communicate and they blew me off even more. Our situation

evolved too over a time when ABA was just becoming a viable treatment. I can say

this situation makes me probably hate public school people, legislators and all

those other people who think nothing meaningful can

be done to make a developmentally disabled child just not an autistic child a

productive United States citizen all the more. I know in my daughters old public

school that many children are just being put in a room not being taught anything

because the teachers are not simply not trained. So maybe parents can push the

accountability card around. If money (for lawyers and private education) is a

problem families can move, look for jobs in areas of the country where school

districts can help a child. Many parents, I have noticed in our area have been

for the most part, isolated over the years away

from other parents that are concerned, and have been made to feel since day one

that nothing can be done as/is happened here in ville. We actually have a

group of parents who also are quick to ridicule/jump those parents who want to

change things. These parents tend to be public school teachers of their own

Autistic children or local legislative people who want every one to think they

got lucky their autistic kid just happened to do well or maybe they are just

trying to suppress their own quilt/ignorance because they felt they had done

what needed to happen or they to listened and where

scared about the cost of doing something that would help. I know as a parent I

have had to do some phenomenal things to make my child's life worth something. I

have to say my ANGER drives me to do something everyday to facilitate an

improvement. At first I was so mad I had to step away from having to deal with

stupid people on a daily basis (public school people) who would say stupid crap

and I would just boil inside. I then would make comments to them about what

should be happening for my daughter and they always had some stupid vague money

oriented or resource issue answer. My husband and I went

through a time trying make a decision about moving and we were kinda in the

process, but the lawyer and his wife were we found was awesome and once we saw

the resources that we had here (Jericho) I figured out a way to make this all

happen. I realize I have a few more money resources than some people but I made

the decision to liquidate and utilize everything for my child. Some people may

not be willing to put everything they have or have access to out for their

child. It is a very personal and hard decision, one that every parent ends up

making to some degree. I tell parents like I tell patients

who have to make decisions about death and dying is that " Any decision you make

is the right one " . I know this isn't much to offer for an answer. Home schooling

may work for some kids, I know it was not an option for me at the time, because

of my child's behavior and my own lack of training. I am becoming a CABA as my

next career. I have another 45 hours to complete along with consulting time to

finish before I can test. I did all I could think to do. Liz is doing absolutely

fabulous. I know I am doing the right thing. Respectfully lyn Popp RN., BSN

Bauer wrote:

> To take the matter to court is sometimes needed. I am sure most of us would

love to be able to do this, however, it is very costly.

>

> I for one, watch my son make tremendous progress at home using ABA. He goes to

school with his Aide to a regular education 1st grade and is lost in his world

in his head. Though the people I work with at school are pleasant and adore my

son, they are not getting the results I know he can produce. I have tried a

number or things to get them to cozy up to ABA with no luck at all. They look at

me as though I am some kind of nut case whenever it is mentioned. Not half way

through the year and I am seriously considering half day home schooling. I will

not let them steal this precious time of my sons.

>

> Would I sue for ABA? Most definitely. Is the money there to go through a

possibly lengthy court battle? No. So what is a parent to do if they are not

able to fund the much needed fight for our kids?

>

> KB

> " There are intangible realities which float near us, formless and without

words; realities which no one has thought out, and which are excluded for lack

of interpreters. "

>

>