Re: So Frustrated and Angry

[Guest guest]

Dear Jean:Your email really upset me, as I have been through similar experiences with my daughter. Obviously there is an overlap with the

Aspergers and Bipolar disorder. My daughter is not on the spectrum but my son is. So I just want to share some thoughts. Try to call Dr. Devra Mintz in Weston immmediately.17180 Royal Palm Blvd Suite 3Fort Lauderdale, FL 33326 (Office)She saved my daughter's life on two occaions, and is the best psychiatrist that I know. The onlyproblem with her is that she does not take insurance at all. But, if you get your daughter stabilizedDr. Mintz will recommend another doctor for your daughter. As far as school is concerned I wouldtry to put her in a school like the Koala School on Pines Blvd. She could go there in person and wehad very good results with our son. It costs about $8,500 per year, and I don't know if they take the McKayor not. She can also go to the school "virtually" on her computer. The school that she is attendingsounds awful. Good luck, we are here for you. Let us know what happens. You and your daughterare in my thoughts and prayers...Sandy

[Guest guest]

Dear Jean:Your email really upset me, as I have been through similar experiences with my daughter. Obviously there is an overlap with the

Aspergers and Bipolar disorder. My daughter is not on the spectrum but my son is. So I just want to share some thoughts. Try to call Dr. Devra Mintz in Weston immmediately.17180 Royal Palm Blvd Suite 3Fort Lauderdale, FL 33326 (Office)She saved my daughter's life on two occaions, and is the best psychiatrist that I know. The onlyproblem with her is that she does not take insurance at all. But, if you get your daughter stabilizedDr. Mintz will recommend another doctor for your daughter. As far as school is concerned I wouldtry to put her in a school like the Koala School on Pines Blvd. She could go there in person and wehad very good results with our son. It costs about $8,500 per year, and I don't know if they take the McKayor not. She can also go to the school "virtually" on her computer. The school that she is attendingsounds awful. Good luck, we are here for you. Let us know what happens. You and your daughterare in my thoughts and prayers...Sandy

[Guest guest]

I am so sorry to hear what happened. You may want to check out PACE school for girls in Fort Lauderdale or the AEF School in Davie. As a case manager I have had experience with Cross Creek and it is not a placement for ASD students!Good Luck & Stay Strong!Adriene Fern MSE

To: deniseslist Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 9:51 PM Subject: So Frustrated and Angry

Good Evening! I hope you don't mind, but I need to vent about a situation and ask for some advice. Here goes... I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, OCD and ADHD. She is incredibly bright but struggles mightily with any social situation. In addition, the OCD flares up and her main compulsion is perfectionism... she thinks everything she does has to be perfect and when it is not, she can often become very aggressive. She has a long history of hospitalization and, up until Monday, had been Baker Acted twice (once for suicidal ideations and once for aggression). She has most recently come back from 7 months of residential treatment and started middle school in August.

Many of you in Broward County will already know that the school system often-times operates in the dark ages. There are no cluster programs for someone like my daughter after elementary school. The only option is for her to be at Cross Creek. I forget the term they use for the school, but it is basically where they house all of the students with behavioral problems that cannot be mainstreamed. They will tell you that this is a wonderful school; they have psychologists on staff; wonderful teachers who are all trained appropriately, etc... I would tell you that one of the well-trained teachers is "shushing" my daughter when she talks by using a hand gesture as if she is shutting her mouth and making a grunting sound at the same time (may I say that this has not been very effective). She has eloped on several occassions and is struggling with the other children (they are mostly boys; only a few

girls)

I hired an education attorney back in late March to contact the school board so we could have a plan on how to continue her education when she came back from residential treatment in Texas. She actually came home in late May and I notified the school board the first week of June. I took a tour of the school after school was over (I would have gone immediately, however, they did not want me there the last week of school). While on the tour, I asked about the time-out room and was told that they expect students to stand against the wall for 15 minutes to calm down... I was actually floored and thought she was joking... my autistic child is not going to cooperate with that strategy at all! I requested an IEP meeting and the school board attorney (the most unpleasant woman I have had the displeasure to meet) refused... long story, short, after a threat to file charges, she agreed that we could meet to amend

the PBIP. The attorney, her psychologist and myself participated in every meeting and worked hard to explain her needs and create a plan geared towards what she requires and not what their discipline structure required. We all continued to maintain that they did not have the right structure to deal with her as their focus is almost entirely on discipline and that is not what she needs. However, because of the out-of-state transfer from being in residential treatment, the school board had a right to say where she would go based on the out-of-state IEP. Also, because she was out of the state in February, she cannot receive McKay Scholarship money and I do not have the funds to pay for a private school without that; not to mention I don't know what school would be appropriate.

I only work 15 minutes from the school. They know I am a very involved parent and have even thanked me for being so involved as that is not the usual level of commitment they have seen from a lot of the student's parents. I had set up a meeting for this Tuesday morning to talk about the two teachers that my daughter is struggling with in school (no surprise, one of them is the shushing teacher). So, I got a call from the new Assistant Principal (the same person who told me they expect kids to stand against the wall for 15 minutes) Monday afternoon telling me that they had Baker Acted my daughter and she was on the way to the hospital. She apparently had a major meltdown in one of the teachers classes that she has been struggling with... I only know that she was flipping over desks; the police officer on campus was involved because she was handcuffed and that she was put in the seclusion room for over 40

minutes. My first comment was "why didn't you call me?" I am so close and I would have gone over to help. I still don't know all of the details but I have requested copies of the reports and the video of the seclusion room through my attorney.

By the time I got to the hospital, she was calm. We were trapped at the hospital for 8.5 hours before she was able to get a bed at Miami Children's. There were no beds for children her age in Broward County. I begged the staff to contact the hospital psychiatrist to over-ride the Baker Act. She was absolutely fine to come home. They actually did contact the doctor and he refused to come back to the hospital that night. So, we were going to have to wait until the next day before I could request that the doctor over-ride the Baker Act. The transfer to Miami Childrens took place at 1:00 A.M. As soon as the psychiatrist saw her Tuesday morning, he discharged her to my care... she should never have been hospitalized in the first place.

So, I have contacted the school and told them she will not be going back until we meet and there is a better plan in place. I truly do not want her to go back at all. They have already started to circle the wagons and protect themselves. How do I possibly trust that they can take care of my daughter and keep her safe? How do I in good conscience send her back to that school? How does she possibly feel safe while there?

I guess I am wanting to hear if anyone else has had something similar happen and how it was handled... I am looking for suggestions; I cannot home-school her myself because I am a single mom and need my job. I would be very curious to know how many times this particular school has used the Baker Act on its students. Is that public information? Who should I request it from? I would appreciate any feedback you all may have... I feel like I do not know which way to turn right now

[Guest guest]

Jean,I have no advice to offer. I just want to send you a note of support and wishes for your continued strength. Your daughter deserves and is lucky to have the love and devotion you give. I hope you get answers that can help you. With wishes for your continued strength, Mahler

Good Evening! I hope you don't mind, but I need to vent about a situation and ask for some advice. Here goes... I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, OCD and ADHD. She is incredibly bright but struggles mightily with any social situation. In addition, the OCD flares up and her main compulsion is perfectionism... she thinks everything she does has to be perfect and when it is not, she can often become very aggressive. She has a long history of hospitalization and, up until Monday, had been Baker Acted twice (once for suicidal ideations and once for aggression). She has most recently come back from 7 months of residential treatment and started middle school in August.

Many of you in Broward County will already know that the school system often-times operates in the dark ages. There are no cluster programs for someone like my daughter after elementary school. The only option is for her to be at Cross Creek. I forget the term they use for the school, but it is basically where they house all of the students with behavioral problems that cannot be mainstreamed. They will tell you that this is a wonderful school; they have psychologists on staff; wonderful teachers who are all trained appropriately, etc... I would tell you that one of the well-trained teachers is "shushing" my daughter when she talks by using a hand gesture as if she is shutting her mouth and making a grunting sound at the same time (may I say that this has not been very effective). She has eloped on several occassions and is struggling with the other children (they are mostly boys; only a few girls)

I hired an education attorney back in late March to contact the school board so we could have a plan on how to continue her education when she came back from residential treatment in Texas. She actually came home in late May and I notified the school board the first week of June. I took a tour of the school after school was over (I would have gone immediately, however, they did not want me there the last week of school). While on the tour, I asked about the time-out room and was told that they expect students to stand against the wall for 15 minutes to calm down... I was actually floored and thought she was joking... my autistic child is not going to cooperate with that strategy at all! I requested an IEP meeting and the school board attorney (the most unpleasant woman I have had the displeasure to meet) refused... long story, short, after a threat to file charges, she agreed that we could meet to amend the PBIP. The attorney, her psychologist and myself participated in every meeting and worked hard to explain her needs and create a plan geared towards what she requires and not what their discipline structure required. We all continued to maintain that they did not have the right structure to deal with her as their focus is almost entirely on discipline and that is not what she needs. However, because of the out-of-state transfer from being in residential treatment, the school board had a right to say where she would go based on the out-of-state IEP. Also, because she was out of the state in February, she cannot receive McKay Scholarship money and I do not have the funds to pay for a private school without that; not to mention I don't know what school would be appropriate.

I only work 15 minutes from the school. They know I am a very involved parent and have even thanked me for being so involved as that is not the usual level of commitment they have seen from a lot of the student's parents. I had set up a meeting for this Tuesday morning to talk about the two teachers that my daughter is struggling with in school (no surprise, one of them is the shushing teacher). So, I got a call from the new Assistant Principal (the same person who told me they expect kids to stand against the wall for 15 minutes) Monday afternoon telling me that they had Baker Acted my daughter and she was on the way to the hospital. She apparently had a major meltdown in one of the teachers classes that she has been struggling with... I only know that she was flipping over desks; the police officer on campus was involved because she was handcuffed and that she was put in the seclusion room for over 40 minutes. My first comment was "why didn't you call me?" I am so close and I would have gone over to help. I still don't know all of the details but I have requested copies of the reports and the video of the seclusion room through my attorney.

By the time I got to the hospital, she was calm. We were trapped at the hospital for 8.5 hours before she was able to get a bed at Miami Children's. There were no beds for children her age in Broward County. I begged the staff to contact the hospital psychiatrist to over-ride the Baker Act. She was absolutely fine to come home. They actually did contact the doctor and he refused to come back to the hospital that night. So, we were going to have to wait until the next day before I could request that the doctor over-ride the Baker Act. The transfer to Miami Childrens took place at 1:00 A.M. As soon as the psychiatrist saw her Tuesday morning, he discharged her to my care... she should never have been hospitalized in the first place.

So, I have contacted the school and told them she will not be going back until we meet and there is a better plan in place. I truly do not want her to go back at all. They have already started to circle the wagons and protect themselves. How do I possibly trust that they can take care of my daughter and keep her safe? How do I in good conscience send her back to that school? How does she possibly feel safe while there?

I guess I am wanting to hear if anyone else has had something similar happen and how it was handled... I am looking for suggestions; I cannot home-school her myself because I am a single mom and need my job. I would be very curious to know how many times this particular school has used the Baker Act on its students. Is that public information? Who should I request it from? I would appreciate any feedback you all may have... I feel like I do not know which way to turn right now

[Guest guest]

Hey Jean,I am so sorry you and your daughter share a common thread with many of us-and  I know firsthand  about many of the things that anger and frustrate you. I agree with the comments about finding a different school placement, a good person for her to talk to. I am in the process of figuring out how to get my daughter tested with a good psy/neuro eval- b/c in my case-she has never been formally diagnosed and we hope that perhaps testing might help pinpoint how we can best help her? I know that we are all wishing you the best and as someone once told me…stay strong sister, JB    From: sList [mailto:sList ] On Behalf Of Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2012 3:52 PMTo: sList Subject: Re: So Frustrated and Angry Jean,I have no advice to offer. I just want to send you a note of support and wishes for your continued strength. Your daughter deserves and is lucky to have the love and devotion you give. I hope you get answers that can help you. With wishes for your continued strength, Mahler Good Evening! I hope you don't mind, but I need to vent about a situation and ask for some advice. Here goes... I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, OCD and ADHD. She is incredibly bright but struggles mightily with any social situation. In addition, the OCD flares up and her main compulsion is perfectionism... she thinks everything she does has to be perfect and when it is not, she can often become very aggressive. She has a long history of hospitalization and, up until Monday, had been Baker Acted twice (once for suicidal ideations and once for aggression). She has most recently come back from 7 months of residential treatment and started middle school in August. Many of you in Broward County will already know that the school system often-times operates in the dark ages. There are no cluster programs for someone like my daughter after elementary school. The only option is for her to be at Cross Creek. I forget the term they use for the school, but it is basically where they house all of the students with behavioral problems that cannot be mainstreamed. They will tell you that this is a wonderful school; they have psychologists on staff; wonderful teachers who are all trained appropriately, etc... I would tell you that one of the well-trained teachers is " shushing " my daughter when she talks by using a hand gesture as if she is shutting her mouth and making a grunting sound at the same time (may I say that this has not been very effective). She has eloped on several occassions and is struggling with the other children (they are mostly boys; only a few girls) I hired an education attorney back in late March to contact the school board so we could have a plan on how to continue her education when she came back from residential treatment in Texas. She actually came home in late May and I notified the school board the first week of June. I took a tour of the school after school was over (I would have gone immediately, however, they did not want me there the last week of school). While on the tour, I asked about the time-out room and was told that they expect students to stand against the wall for 15 minutes to calm down... I was actually floored and thought she was joking... my autistic child is not going to cooperate with that strategy at all! I requested an IEP meeting and the school board attorney (the most unpleasant woman I have had the displeasure to meet) refused... long story, short, after a threat to file charges, she agreed that we could meet to amend the PBIP. The attorney, her psychologist and myself participated in every meeting and worked hard to explain her needs and create a plan geared towards what she requires and not what their discipline structure required. We all continued to maintain that they did not have the right structure to deal with her as their focus is almost entirely on discipline and that is not what she needs. However, because of the out-of-state transfer from being in residential treatment, the school board had a right to say where she would go based on the out-of-state IEP. Also, because she was out of the state in February, she cannot receive McKay Scholarship money and I do not have the funds to pay for a private school without that; not to mention I don't know what school would be appropriate. I only work 15 minutes from the school. They know I am a very involved parent and have even thanked me for being so involved as that is not the usual level of commitment they have seen from a lot of the student's parents. I had set up a meeting for this Tuesday morning to talk about the two teachers that my daughter is struggling with in school (no surprise, one of them is the shushing teacher). So, I got a call from the new Assistant Principal (the same person who told me they expect kids to stand against the wall for 15 minutes) Monday afternoon telling me that they had Baker Acted my daughter and she was on the way to the hospital. She apparently had a major meltdown in one of the teachers classes that she has been struggling with... I only know that she was flipping over desks; the police officer on campus was involved because she was handcuffed and that she was put in the seclusion room for over 40 minutes. My first comment was " why didn't you call me? " I am so close and I would have gone over to help. I still don't know all of the details but I have requested copies of the reports and the video of the seclusion room through my attorney. By the time I got to the hospital, she was calm. We were trapped at the hospital for 8.5 hours before she was able to get a bed at Miami Children's. There were no beds for children her age in Broward County. I begged the staff to contact the hospital psychiatrist to over-ride the Baker Act. She was absolutely fine to come home. They actually did contact the doctor and he refused to come back to the hospital that night. So, we were going to have to wait until the next day before I could request that the doctor over-ride the Baker Act. The transfer to Miami Childrens took place at 1:00 A.M. As soon as the psychiatrist saw her Tuesday morning, he discharged her to my care... she should never have been hospitalized in the first place. So, I have contacted the school and told them she will not be going back until we meet and there is a better plan in place. I truly do not want her to go back at all. They have already started to circle the wagons and protect themselves. How do I possibly trust that they can take care of my daughter and keep her safe? How do I in good conscience send her back to that school? How does she possibly feel safe while there? I guess I am wanting to hear if anyone else has had something similar happen and how it was handled... I am looking for suggestions; I cannot home-school her myself because I am a single mom and need my job. I would be very curious to know how many times this particular school has used the Baker Act on its students. Is that public information? Who should I request it from? I would appreciate any feedback you all may have... I feel like I do not know which way to turn right now. Thank you!! Jean

[Guest guest]

Thank Adriene.  If the AEF school in Davie is the old Kentwood than I will tell you that Sierra has already been there... It was just as bad as Cross Creek... they used to pull her hair and they called the police on her twice.  I will never send her back there.

 I will look into the PACE school. Much appreciated.

 

I am so sorry to hear what happened. You may want to check out PACE school for girls in Fort Lauderdale or the AEF School in Davie. As a case manager I have had experience with Cross Creek and it is not a placement for ASD students!

Good Luck & Stay Strong!Adriene Fern MSE

To: deniseslist Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 9:51 PM

Subject: So Frustrated and Angry

 

Good Evening! I hope you don't mind, but I need to vent about a situation and ask for some advice.  Here goes... I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, OCD and ADHD.  She is incredibly bright but struggles mightily with any social situation.  In addition, the OCD flares up and her main compulsion is perfectionism... she thinks everything she does has to be perfect and when it is not, she can often become very aggressive.  She has a long history of hospitalization and, up until Monday, had been Baker Acted twice (once for suicidal ideations and once for aggression).  She has most recently come back from 7 months of residential treatment and started middle school in August.

 Many of you in Broward County will already know that the school system often-times operates in the dark ages.  There are no cluster programs for someone like my daughter after elementary school.  The only option is for her to be at Cross Creek.  I forget the term they use for the school, but it is basically where they house all of the students with behavioral problems that cannot be mainstreamed.  They will tell you that this is a wonderful school; they have psychologists on staff; wonderful teachers who are all trained appropriately, etc...  I would tell you that one of the well-trained teachers is " shushing " my daughter when she talks by using a hand gesture as if she is shutting her mouth and making a grunting sound at the same time (may I say that this has not been very effective).  She has eloped on several occassions and is struggling with the other children (they are mostly boys; only a few

girls)

 I hired an education attorney back in late March to contact the school board so we could have a plan on how to continue her education when she came back from residential treatment in Texas.  She actually came home in late May and I notified the school board the first week of June.  I took a tour of the school after school was over (I would have gone immediately, however, they did not want me there the last week of school).  While on the tour, I asked about the time-out room and was told that they expect students to stand against the wall for 15 minutes to calm down... I was actually floored and thought she was joking... my autistic child is not going to cooperate with that strategy at all!  I requested an IEP meeting and the school board attorney (the most unpleasant woman I have had the displeasure to meet) refused... long story, short, after a threat to file charges, she agreed that we could meet to amend

the PBIP.  The attorney, her psychologist and myself participated in every meeting and worked hard to explain her needs and create a plan geared towards what she requires and not what their discipline structure required.  We all continued to maintain that they did not have the right structure to deal with her as their focus is almost entirely on discipline and that is not what she needs.  However, because of the out-of-state transfer from being in residential treatment, the school board had a right to say where she would go based on the out-of-state IEP.  Also, because she was out of the state in February, she cannot receive McKay Scholarship money and I do not have the funds to pay for a private school without that; not to mention I don't know what school would be appropriate.

 I only work 15 minutes from the school.  They know I am a very involved parent and have even thanked me for being so involved as that is not the usual level of commitment they have seen from a lot of the student's parents.  I had set up a meeting for this Tuesday morning to talk about the two teachers that my daughter is struggling with in school (no surprise, one of them is the shushing teacher).  So, I got a call from the new Assistant Principal (the same person who told me they expect kids to stand against the wall for 15 minutes) Monday afternoon telling me that they had Baker Acted my daughter and she was on the way to the hospital.  She apparently had a major meltdown in one of the teachers classes that she has been struggling with... I only know that she was flipping over desks; the police officer on campus was involved because she was handcuffed and that she was put in the seclusion room for over 40

minutes.  My first comment was " why didn't you call me? "   I am so close and I would have gone over to help.  I still don't know all of the details but I have requested copies of the reports and the video of the seclusion room through my attorney.

 By the time I got to the hospital, she was calm.  We were trapped at the hospital for 8.5 hours before she was able to get a bed at Miami Children's.  There were no beds for children her age in Broward County.  I begged the staff to contact the hospital psychiatrist to over-ride the Baker Act.  She was absolutely fine to come home.  They actually did contact the doctor and he refused to come back to the hospital that night.  So, we were going to have to wait until the next day before I could request that the doctor over-ride the Baker Act. The transfer to Miami Childrens took place at 1:00 A.M.  As soon as the psychiatrist saw her Tuesday morning, he discharged her to my care... she should never have been hospitalized in the first place.

 So, I have contacted the school and told them she will not be going back until we meet and there is a better plan in place.  I truly do not want her to go back at all.  They have already started to circle the wagons and protect themselves.  How do I possibly trust that they can take care of my daughter and keep her safe?  How do I in good conscience send her back to that school?  How does she possibly feel safe while there?

 I guess I am wanting to hear if anyone else has had something similar happen and how it was handled... I am looking for suggestions; I cannot home-school her myself because I am a single mom and need my job.  I would be very curious to know how many times this particular school has used the Baker Act on its students.  Is that public information?  Who should I request it from?  I would appreciate any feedback you all may have... I feel like I do not know which way to turn right now.

 Thank you!! 

 

Jean

-- Have a lovely day!

 

Jean

[Guest guest]

Jean, wow I have had an almost identical experience. My son was Baker Acted from Kentwood/AEF. He was stating "I want to kill myself' and trying to choke himself. The poor kid clould not take it anymore. That school is a very very bad place for children with autism. I have pulled him out and he is a new person. So much less anxiety. The psych hospital was a horoor story, nightmare for me. It has been over a month now. I absolutely understand and feel for you Is she in a better place now??

I am so sorry to hear what happened. You may want to check out PACE school for girls in Fort Lauderdale or the AEF School in Davie. As a case manager I have had experience with Cross Creek and it is not a placement for ASD students!

Good Luck & Stay Strong!

Adriene Fern MSE

To: deniseslist Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 9:51 PMSubject: So Frustrated and Angry

Good Evening!

I hope you don't mind, but I need to vent about a situation and ask for some advice. Here goes...

I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, OCD and ADHD. She is incredibly bright but struggles mightily with any social situation. In addition, the OCD flares up and her main compulsion is perfectionism... she thinks everything she does has to be perfect and when it is not, she can often become very aggressive. She has a long history of hospitalization and, up until Monday, had been Baker Acted twice (once for suicidal ideations and once for aggression). She has most recently come back from 7 months of residential treatment and started middle school in August.

Many of you in Broward County will already know that the school system often-times operates in the dark ages. There are no cluster programs for someone like my daughter after elementary school. The only option is for her to be at Cross Creek. I forget the term they use for the school, but it is basically where they house all of the students with behavioral problems that cannot be mainstreamed. They will tell you that this is a wonderful school; they have psychologists on staff; wonderful teachers who are all trained appropriately, etc... I would tell you that one of the well-trained teachers is "shushing" my daughter when she talks by using a hand gesture as if she is shutting her mouth and making a grunting sound at the same time (may I say that this has not been very effective). She has eloped on several occassions and is struggling with the other children (they are mostly boys; only a few girls)

I hired an education attorney back in late March to contact the school board so we could have a plan on how to continue her education when she came back from residential treatment in Texas. She actually came home in late May and I notified the school board the first week of June. I took a tour of the school after school was over (I would have gone immediately, however, they did not want me there the last week of school). While on the tour, I asked about the time-out room and was told that they expect students to stand against the wall for 15 minutes to calm down... I was actually floored and thought she was joking... my autistic child is not going to cooperate with that strategy at all! I requested an IEP meeting and the school board attorney (the most unpleasant woman I have had the displeasure to meet) refused... long story, short, after a threat to file charges, she agreed that we could meet to amend the PBIP.

The attorney, her psychologist and myself participated in every meeting and worked hard to explain her needs and create a plan geared towards what she requires and not what their discipline structure required. We all continued to maintain that they did not have the right structure to deal with her as their focus is almost entirely on discipline and that is not what she needs. However, because of the out-of-state transfer from being in residential treatment, the school board had a right to say where she would go based on the out-of-state IEP. Also, because she was out of the state in February, she cannot receive McKay Scholarship money and I do not have the funds to pay for a private school without that; not to mention I don't know what school would be appropriate.

I only work 15 minutes from the school. They know I am a very involved parent and have even thanked me for being so involved as that is not the usual level of commitment they have seen from a lot of the student's parents. I had set up a meeting for this Tuesday morning to talk about the two teachers that my daughter is struggling with in school (no surprise, one of them is the shushing teacher). So, I got a call from the new Assistant Principal (the same person who told me they expect kids to stand against the wall for 15 minutes) Monday afternoon telling me that they had Baker Acted my daughter and she was on the way to the hospital. She apparently had a major meltdown in one of the teachers classes that she has been struggling with... I only know that she was flipping over desks; the police officer on campus was involved because she was handcuffed and that she was put in the seclusion room for over 40 minutes. My

first comment was "why didn't you call me?" I am so close and I would have gone over to help. I still don't know all of the details but I have requested copies of the reports and the video of the seclusion room through my attorney.

By the time I got to the hospital, she was calm. We were trapped at the hospital for 8.5 hours before she was able to get a bed at Miami Children's. There were no beds for children her age in Broward County. I begged the staff to contact the hospital psychiatrist to over-ride the Baker Act. She was absolutely fine to come home. They actually did contact the doctor and he refused to come back to the hospital that night. So, we were going to have to wait until the next day before I could request that the doctor over-ride the Baker Act. The transfer to Miami Childrens took place at 1:00 A.M. As soon as the psychiatrist saw her Tuesday morning, he discharged her to my care... she should never have been hospitalized in the first place.

So, I have contacted the school and told them she will not be going back until we meet and there is a better plan in place. I truly do not want her to go back at all. They have already started to circle the wagons and protect themselves. How do I possibly trust that they can take care of my daughter and keep her safe? How do I in good conscience send her back to that school? How does she possibly feel safe while there?

I guess I am wanting to hear if anyone else has had something similar happen and how it was handled... I am looking for suggestions; I cannot home-school her myself because I am a single mom and need my job. I would be very curious to know how many times this particular school has used the Baker Act on its students. Is that public information? Who should I request it from? I would appreciate any feedback you all may have... I feel like I do not know which way to turn right now.

Thank you!!

Jean

--

Have a lovely day!

Jean

[Guest guest]

Jean, wow I have had an almost identical experience. My son was Baker Acted from Kentwood/AEF. He was stating "I want to kill myself' and trying to choke himself. The poor kid clould not take it anymore. That school is a very very bad place for children with autism. I have pulled him out and he is a new person. So much less anxiety. The psych hospital was a horoor story, nightmare for me. It has been over a month now. I absolutely understand and feel for you Is she in a better place now??

I am so sorry to hear what happened. You may want to check out PACE school for girls in Fort Lauderdale or the AEF School in Davie. As a case manager I have had experience with Cross Creek and it is not a placement for ASD students!

Good Luck & Stay Strong!

Adriene Fern MSE

To: deniseslist Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 9:51 PMSubject: So Frustrated and Angry

Good Evening!

I hope you don't mind, but I need to vent about a situation and ask for some advice. Here goes...

I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, OCD and ADHD. She is incredibly bright but struggles mightily with any social situation. In addition, the OCD flares up and her main compulsion is perfectionism... she thinks everything she does has to be perfect and when it is not, she can often become very aggressive. She has a long history of hospitalization and, up until Monday, had been Baker Acted twice (once for suicidal ideations and once for aggression). She has most recently come back from 7 months of residential treatment and started middle school in August.

Many of you in Broward County will already know that the school system often-times operates in the dark ages. There are no cluster programs for someone like my daughter after elementary school. The only option is for her to be at Cross Creek. I forget the term they use for the school, but it is basically where they house all of the students with behavioral problems that cannot be mainstreamed. They will tell you that this is a wonderful school; they have psychologists on staff; wonderful teachers who are all trained appropriately, etc... I would tell you that one of the well-trained teachers is "shushing" my daughter when she talks by using a hand gesture as if she is shutting her mouth and making a grunting sound at the same time (may I say that this has not been very effective). She has eloped on several occassions and is struggling with the other children (they are mostly boys; only a few girls)

I hired an education attorney back in late March to contact the school board so we could have a plan on how to continue her education when she came back from residential treatment in Texas. She actually came home in late May and I notified the school board the first week of June. I took a tour of the school after school was over (I would have gone immediately, however, they did not want me there the last week of school). While on the tour, I asked about the time-out room and was told that they expect students to stand against the wall for 15 minutes to calm down... I was actually floored and thought she was joking... my autistic child is not going to cooperate with that strategy at all! I requested an IEP meeting and the school board attorney (the most unpleasant woman I have had the displeasure to meet) refused... long story, short, after a threat to file charges, she agreed that we could meet to amend the PBIP.

The attorney, her psychologist and myself participated in every meeting and worked hard to explain her needs and create a plan geared towards what she requires and not what their discipline structure required. We all continued to maintain that they did not have the right structure to deal with her as their focus is almost entirely on discipline and that is not what she needs. However, because of the out-of-state transfer from being in residential treatment, the school board had a right to say where she would go based on the out-of-state IEP. Also, because she was out of the state in February, she cannot receive McKay Scholarship money and I do not have the funds to pay for a private school without that; not to mention I don't know what school would be appropriate.

I only work 15 minutes from the school. They know I am a very involved parent and have even thanked me for being so involved as that is not the usual level of commitment they have seen from a lot of the student's parents. I had set up a meeting for this Tuesday morning to talk about the two teachers that my daughter is struggling with in school (no surprise, one of them is the shushing teacher). So, I got a call from the new Assistant Principal (the same person who told me they expect kids to stand against the wall for 15 minutes) Monday afternoon telling me that they had Baker Acted my daughter and she was on the way to the hospital. She apparently had a major meltdown in one of the teachers classes that she has been struggling with... I only know that she was flipping over desks; the police officer on campus was involved because she was handcuffed and that she was put in the seclusion room for over 40 minutes. My

first comment was "why didn't you call me?" I am so close and I would have gone over to help. I still don't know all of the details but I have requested copies of the reports and the video of the seclusion room through my attorney.

By the time I got to the hospital, she was calm. We were trapped at the hospital for 8.5 hours before she was able to get a bed at Miami Children's. There were no beds for children her age in Broward County. I begged the staff to contact the hospital psychiatrist to over-ride the Baker Act. She was absolutely fine to come home. They actually did contact the doctor and he refused to come back to the hospital that night. So, we were going to have to wait until the next day before I could request that the doctor over-ride the Baker Act. The transfer to Miami Childrens took place at 1:00 A.M. As soon as the psychiatrist saw her Tuesday morning, he discharged her to my care... she should never have been hospitalized in the first place.

So, I have contacted the school and told them she will not be going back until we meet and there is a better plan in place. I truly do not want her to go back at all. They have already started to circle the wagons and protect themselves. How do I possibly trust that they can take care of my daughter and keep her safe? How do I in good conscience send her back to that school? How does she possibly feel safe while there?

I guess I am wanting to hear if anyone else has had something similar happen and how it was handled... I am looking for suggestions; I cannot home-school her myself because I am a single mom and need my job. I would be very curious to know how many times this particular school has used the Baker Act on its students. Is that public information? Who should I request it from? I would appreciate any feedback you all may have... I feel like I do not know which way to turn right now.

Thank you!!

Jean

--

Have a lovely day!

Jean

[Guest guest]

Would not recommend AEF (Kentwood). Know three families that were not happy with

disciplinary methods (hot sauce in the child's mouth for cursing, hosing

students, and threat of corporal punishment among others)...

>

>

>

> I am so sorry to hear what happened. You may want to check out PACE school for

girls in Fort Lauderdale or the AEF School in Davie. As a case manager I have

had experience with Cross Creek and it is not a placement for ASD students!

> Good Luck & Stay Strong!

> Adriene Fern MSE

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: Jean Eccleston

> To: deniseslist

> Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 9:51 PM

> Subject: So Frustrated and Angry

>

>

>  

>

> Good Evening!

>

> I hope you don't mind, but I need to vent about a situation and ask for some

advice.  Here goes...

>

> I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, OCD and ADHD. 

She is incredibly bright but struggles mightily with any social situation.  In

addition, the OCD flares up and her main compulsion is perfectionism... she

thinks everything she does has to be perfect and when it is not, she can often

become very aggressive.  She has a long history of hospitalization and, up

until Monday, had been Baker Acted twice (once for suicidal ideations and once

for aggression).  She has most recently come back from 7 months of residential

treatment and started middle school in August.

>

> Many of you in Broward County will already know that the school system

often-times operates in the dark ages.  There are no cluster programs for

someone like my daughter after elementary school.  The only option is for her

to be at Cross Creek.  I forget the term they use for the school, but it is

basically where they house all of the students with behavioral problems that

cannot be mainstreamed.  They will tell you that this is a wonderful school;

they have psychologists on staff; wonderful teachers who are all trained

appropriately, etc...  I would tell you that one of the well-trained teachers

is " shushing " my daughter when she talks by using a hand gesture as if she is

shutting her mouth and making a grunting sound at the same time (may I say that

this has not been very effective).  She has eloped on several occassions and is

struggling with the other children (they are mostly boys; only a few girls)

>

> I hired an education attorney back in late March to contact the school board

so we could have a plan on how to continue her education when she came back from

residential treatment in Texas.  She actually came home in late May and I

notified the school board the first week of June.  I took a tour of the school

after school was over (I would have gone immediately, however, they did not want

me there the last week of school).  While on the tour, I asked about the

time-out room and was told that they expect students to stand against the wall

for 15 minutes to calm down... I was actually floored and thought she was

joking... my autistic child is not going to cooperate with that strategy at

all!  I requested an IEP meeting and the school board attorney (the most

unpleasant woman I have had the displeasure to meet) refused... long story,

short, after a threat to file charges, she agreed that we could meet to amend

the PBIP.  The attorney, her psychologist

> and myself participated in every meeting and worked hard to explain her needs

and create a plan geared towards what she requires and not what their discipline

structure required.  We all continued to maintain that they did not have the

right structure to deal with her as their focus is almost entirely on discipline

and that is not what she needs.  However, because of the out-of-state transfer

from being in residential treatment, the school board had a right to say where

she would go based on the out-of-state IEP.  Also, because she was out of the

state in February, she cannot receive McKay Scholarship money and I do not have

the funds to pay for a private school without that; not to mention I don't know

what school would be appropriate.

>

> I only work 15 minutes from the school.  They know I am a very involved

parent and have even thanked me for being so involved as that is not the usual

level of commitment they have seen from a lot of the student's parents.  I had

set up a meeting for this Tuesday morning to talk about the two teachers that my

daughter is struggling with in school (no surprise, one of them is the shushing

teacher).  So, I got a call from the new Assistant Principal (the same person

who told me they expect kids to stand against the wall for 15 minutes) Monday

afternoon telling me that they had Baker Acted my daughter and she was on the

way to the hospital.  She apparently had a major meltdown in one of the

teachers classes that she has been struggling with... I only know that she was

flipping over desks; the police officer on campus was involved because she was

handcuffed and that she was put in the seclusion room for over 40 minutes.  My

first comment was " why didn't

> you call me? "   I am so close and I would have gone over to help.  I still

don't know all of the details but I have requested copies of the reports and

the video of the seclusion room through my attorney.

>

> By the time I got to the hospital, she was calm.  We were trapped at the

hospital for 8.5 hours before she was able to get a bed at Miami Children's. 

There were no beds for children her age in Broward County.  I begged the staff

to contact the hospital psychiatrist to over-ride the Baker Act.  She was

absolutely fine to come home.  They actually did contact the doctor and he

refused to come back to the hospital that night.  So, we were going to have to

wait until the next day before I could request that the doctor over-ride the

Baker Act. The transfer to Miami Childrens took place at 1:00 A.M.  As soon as

the psychiatrist saw her Tuesday morning, he discharged her to my care... she

should never have been hospitalized in the first place.

>

> So, I have contacted the school and told them she will not be going back until

we meet and there is a better plan in place.  I truly do not want her to go

back at all.  They have already started to circle the wagons and protect

themselves.  How do I possibly trust that they can take care of my daughter and

keep her safe?  How do I in good conscience send her back to that school?  How

does she possibly feel safe while there?

>

> I guess I am wanting to hear if anyone else has had something similar happen

and how it was handled... I am looking for suggestions; I cannot home-school her

myself because I am a single mom and need my job.  I would be very curious to

know how many times this particular school has used the Baker Act on its

students.  Is that public information?  Who should I request it from?  I

would appreciate any feedback you all may have... I feel like I do not know

which way to turn right now.

>

> Thank you!!

>

>

> Jean

>

[Guest guest]

Would not recommend AEF (Kentwood). Know three families that were not happy with

disciplinary methods (hot sauce in the child's mouth for cursing, hosing

students, and threat of corporal punishment among others)...

>

>

>

> I am so sorry to hear what happened. You may want to check out PACE school for

girls in Fort Lauderdale or the AEF School in Davie. As a case manager I have

had experience with Cross Creek and it is not a placement for ASD students!

> Good Luck & Stay Strong!

> Adriene Fern MSE

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: Jean Eccleston

> To: deniseslist

> Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 9:51 PM

> Subject: So Frustrated and Angry

>

>

>  

>

> Good Evening!

>

> I hope you don't mind, but I need to vent about a situation and ask for some

advice.  Here goes...

>

> I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, OCD and ADHD. 

She is incredibly bright but struggles mightily with any social situation.  In

addition, the OCD flares up and her main compulsion is perfectionism... she

thinks everything she does has to be perfect and when it is not, she can often

become very aggressive.  She has a long history of hospitalization and, up

until Monday, had been Baker Acted twice (once for suicidal ideations and once

for aggression).  She has most recently come back from 7 months of residential

treatment and started middle school in August.

>

> Many of you in Broward County will already know that the school system

often-times operates in the dark ages.  There are no cluster programs for

someone like my daughter after elementary school.  The only option is for her

to be at Cross Creek.  I forget the term they use for the school, but it is

basically where they house all of the students with behavioral problems that

cannot be mainstreamed.  They will tell you that this is a wonderful school;

they have psychologists on staff; wonderful teachers who are all trained

appropriately, etc...  I would tell you that one of the well-trained teachers

is " shushing " my daughter when she talks by using a hand gesture as if she is

shutting her mouth and making a grunting sound at the same time (may I say that

this has not been very effective).  She has eloped on several occassions and is

struggling with the other children (they are mostly boys; only a few girls)

>

> I hired an education attorney back in late March to contact the school board

so we could have a plan on how to continue her education when she came back from

residential treatment in Texas.  She actually came home in late May and I

notified the school board the first week of June.  I took a tour of the school

after school was over (I would have gone immediately, however, they did not want

me there the last week of school).  While on the tour, I asked about the

time-out room and was told that they expect students to stand against the wall

for 15 minutes to calm down... I was actually floored and thought she was

joking... my autistic child is not going to cooperate with that strategy at

all!  I requested an IEP meeting and the school board attorney (the most

unpleasant woman I have had the displeasure to meet) refused... long story,

short, after a threat to file charges, she agreed that we could meet to amend

the PBIP.  The attorney, her psychologist

> and myself participated in every meeting and worked hard to explain her needs

and create a plan geared towards what she requires and not what their discipline

structure required.  We all continued to maintain that they did not have the

right structure to deal with her as their focus is almost entirely on discipline

and that is not what she needs.  However, because of the out-of-state transfer

from being in residential treatment, the school board had a right to say where

she would go based on the out-of-state IEP.  Also, because she was out of the

state in February, she cannot receive McKay Scholarship money and I do not have

the funds to pay for a private school without that; not to mention I don't know

what school would be appropriate.

>

> I only work 15 minutes from the school.  They know I am a very involved

parent and have even thanked me for being so involved as that is not the usual

level of commitment they have seen from a lot of the student's parents.  I had

set up a meeting for this Tuesday morning to talk about the two teachers that my

daughter is struggling with in school (no surprise, one of them is the shushing

teacher).  So, I got a call from the new Assistant Principal (the same person

who told me they expect kids to stand against the wall for 15 minutes) Monday

afternoon telling me that they had Baker Acted my daughter and she was on the

way to the hospital.  She apparently had a major meltdown in one of the

teachers classes that she has been struggling with... I only know that she was

flipping over desks; the police officer on campus was involved because she was

handcuffed and that she was put in the seclusion room for over 40 minutes.  My

first comment was " why didn't

> you call me? "   I am so close and I would have gone over to help.  I still

don't know all of the details but I have requested copies of the reports and

the video of the seclusion room through my attorney.

>

> By the time I got to the hospital, she was calm.  We were trapped at the

hospital for 8.5 hours before she was able to get a bed at Miami Children's. 

There were no beds for children her age in Broward County.  I begged the staff

to contact the hospital psychiatrist to over-ride the Baker Act.  She was

absolutely fine to come home.  They actually did contact the doctor and he

refused to come back to the hospital that night.  So, we were going to have to

wait until the next day before I could request that the doctor over-ride the

Baker Act. The transfer to Miami Childrens took place at 1:00 A.M.  As soon as

the psychiatrist saw her Tuesday morning, he discharged her to my care... she

should never have been hospitalized in the first place.

>

> So, I have contacted the school and told them she will not be going back until

we meet and there is a better plan in place.  I truly do not want her to go

back at all.  They have already started to circle the wagons and protect

themselves.  How do I possibly trust that they can take care of my daughter and

keep her safe?  How do I in good conscience send her back to that school?  How

does she possibly feel safe while there?

>

> I guess I am wanting to hear if anyone else has had something similar happen

and how it was handled... I am looking for suggestions; I cannot home-school her

myself because I am a single mom and need my job.  I would be very curious to

know how many times this particular school has used the Baker Act on its

students.  Is that public information?  Who should I request it from?  I

would appreciate any feedback you all may have... I feel like I do not know

which way to turn right now.

>

> Thank you!!

>

>

> Jean

>

[Guest guest]

Hi there! I saw that someone actually said you should look into AEF/ Kentwood in Davie. I suggest you google Aef schools and abuse. I would suggest you stay far far away from them. I wish you the best of luck. Finding the right school is never easy for parents of children on the spectrum. Good Luck-Sent from my iPhone

Good Evening! I hope you don't mind, but I need to vent about a situation and ask for some advice. Here goes... I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, OCD and ADHD. She is incredibly bright but struggles mightily with any social situation. In addition, the OCD flares up and her main compulsion is perfectionism... she thinks everything she does has to be perfect and when it is not, she can often become very aggressive. She has a long history of hospitalization and, up until Monday, had been Baker Acted twice (once for suicidal ideations and once for aggression). She has most recently come back from 7 months of residential treatment and started middle school in August.

Many of you in Broward County will already know that the school system often-times operates in the dark ages. There are no cluster programs for someone like my daughter after elementary school. The only option is for her to be at Cross Creek. I forget the term they use for the school, but it is basically where they house all of the students with behavioral problems that cannot be mainstreamed. They will tell you that this is a wonderful school; they have psychologists on staff; wonderful teachers who are all trained appropriately, etc... I would tell you that one of the well-trained teachers is "shushing" my daughter when she talks by using a hand gesture as if she is shutting her mouth and making a grunting sound at the same time (may I say that this has not been very effective). She has eloped on several occassions and is struggling with the other children (they are mostly boys; only a few girls)

I hired an education attorney back in late March to contact the school board so we could have a plan on how to continue her education when she came back from residential treatment in Texas. She actually came home in late May and I notified the school board the first week of June. I took a tour of the school after school was over (I would have gone immediately, however, they did not want me there the last week of school). While on the tour, I asked about the time-out room and was told that they expect students to stand against the wall for 15 minutes to calm down... I was actually floored and thought she was joking... my autistic child is not going to cooperate with that strategy at all! I requested an IEP meeting and the school board attorney (the most unpleasant woman I have had the displeasure to meet) refused... long story, short, after a threat to file charges, she agreed that we could meet to amend the PBIP. The attorney, her psychologist and myself participated in every meeting and worked hard to explain her needs and create a plan geared towards what she requires and not what their discipline structure required. We all continued to maintain that they did not have the right structure to deal with her as their focus is almost entirely on discipline and that is not what she needs. However, because of the out-of-state transfer from being in residential treatment, the school board had a right to say where she would go based on the out-of-state IEP. Also, because she was out of the state in February, she cannot receive McKay Scholarship money and I do not have the funds to pay for a private school without that; not to mention I don't know what school would be appropriate.

I only work 15 minutes from the school. They know I am a very involved parent and have even thanked me for being so involved as that is not the usual level of commitment they have seen from a lot of the student's parents. I had set up a meeting for this Tuesday morning to talk about the two teachers that my daughter is struggling with in school (no surprise, one of them is the shushing teacher). So, I got a call from the new Assistant Principal (the same person who told me they expect kids to stand against the wall for 15 minutes) Monday afternoon telling me that they had Baker Acted my daughter and she was on the way to the hospital. She apparently had a major meltdown in one of the teachers classes that she has been struggling with... I only know that she was flipping over desks; the police officer on campus was involved because she was handcuffed and that she was put in the seclusion room for over 40 minutes. My first comment was "why didn't you call me?" I am so close and I would have gone over to help. I still don't know all of the details but I have requested copies of the reports and the video of the seclusion room through my attorney.

By the time I got to the hospital, she was calm. We were trapped at the hospital for 8.5 hours before she was able to get a bed at Miami Children's. There were no beds for children her age in Broward County. I begged the staff to contact the hospital psychiatrist to over-ride the Baker Act. She was absolutely fine to come home. They actually did contact the doctor and he refused to come back to the hospital that night. So, we were going to have to wait until the next day before I could request that the doctor over-ride the Baker Act. The transfer to Miami Childrens took place at 1:00 A.M. As soon as the psychiatrist saw her Tuesday morning, he discharged her to my care... she should never have been hospitalized in the first place.

So, I have contacted the school and told them she will not be going back until we meet and there is a better plan in place. I truly do not want her to go back at all. They have already started to circle the wagons and protect themselves. How do I possibly trust that they can take care of my daughter and keep her safe? How do I in good conscience send her back to that school? How does she possibly feel safe while there?

I guess I am wanting to hear if anyone else has had something similar happen and how it was handled... I am looking for suggestions; I cannot home-school her myself because I am a single mom and need my job. I would be very curious to know how many times this particular school has used the Baker Act on its students. Is that public information? Who should I request it from? I would appreciate any feedback you all may have... I feel like I do not know which way to turn right now

[Guest guest]

Hi there! I saw that someone actually said you should look into AEF/ Kentwood in Davie. I suggest you google Aef schools and abuse. I would suggest you stay far far away from them. I wish you the best of luck. Finding the right school is never easy for parents of children on the spectrum. Good Luck-Sent from my iPhone

Good Evening! I hope you don't mind, but I need to vent about a situation and ask for some advice. Here goes... I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, OCD and ADHD. She is incredibly bright but struggles mightily with any social situation. In addition, the OCD flares up and her main compulsion is perfectionism... she thinks everything she does has to be perfect and when it is not, she can often become very aggressive. She has a long history of hospitalization and, up until Monday, had been Baker Acted twice (once for suicidal ideations and once for aggression). She has most recently come back from 7 months of residential treatment and started middle school in August.

Many of you in Broward County will already know that the school system often-times operates in the dark ages. There are no cluster programs for someone like my daughter after elementary school. The only option is for her to be at Cross Creek. I forget the term they use for the school, but it is basically where they house all of the students with behavioral problems that cannot be mainstreamed. They will tell you that this is a wonderful school; they have psychologists on staff; wonderful teachers who are all trained appropriately, etc... I would tell you that one of the well-trained teachers is "shushing" my daughter when she talks by using a hand gesture as if she is shutting her mouth and making a grunting sound at the same time (may I say that this has not been very effective). She has eloped on several occassions and is struggling with the other children (they are mostly boys; only a few girls)

I hired an education attorney back in late March to contact the school board so we could have a plan on how to continue her education when she came back from residential treatment in Texas. She actually came home in late May and I notified the school board the first week of June. I took a tour of the school after school was over (I would have gone immediately, however, they did not want me there the last week of school). While on the tour, I asked about the time-out room and was told that they expect students to stand against the wall for 15 minutes to calm down... I was actually floored and thought she was joking... my autistic child is not going to cooperate with that strategy at all! I requested an IEP meeting and the school board attorney (the most unpleasant woman I have had the displeasure to meet) refused... long story, short, after a threat to file charges, she agreed that we could meet to amend the PBIP. The attorney, her psychologist and myself participated in every meeting and worked hard to explain her needs and create a plan geared towards what she requires and not what their discipline structure required. We all continued to maintain that they did not have the right structure to deal with her as their focus is almost entirely on discipline and that is not what she needs. However, because of the out-of-state transfer from being in residential treatment, the school board had a right to say where she would go based on the out-of-state IEP. Also, because she was out of the state in February, she cannot receive McKay Scholarship money and I do not have the funds to pay for a private school without that; not to mention I don't know what school would be appropriate.

I only work 15 minutes from the school. They know I am a very involved parent and have even thanked me for being so involved as that is not the usual level of commitment they have seen from a lot of the student's parents. I had set up a meeting for this Tuesday morning to talk about the two teachers that my daughter is struggling with in school (no surprise, one of them is the shushing teacher). So, I got a call from the new Assistant Principal (the same person who told me they expect kids to stand against the wall for 15 minutes) Monday afternoon telling me that they had Baker Acted my daughter and she was on the way to the hospital. She apparently had a major meltdown in one of the teachers classes that she has been struggling with... I only know that she was flipping over desks; the police officer on campus was involved because she was handcuffed and that she was put in the seclusion room for over 40 minutes. My first comment was "why didn't you call me?" I am so close and I would have gone over to help. I still don't know all of the details but I have requested copies of the reports and the video of the seclusion room through my attorney.

By the time I got to the hospital, she was calm. We were trapped at the hospital for 8.5 hours before she was able to get a bed at Miami Children's. There were no beds for children her age in Broward County. I begged the staff to contact the hospital psychiatrist to over-ride the Baker Act. She was absolutely fine to come home. They actually did contact the doctor and he refused to come back to the hospital that night. So, we were going to have to wait until the next day before I could request that the doctor over-ride the Baker Act. The transfer to Miami Childrens took place at 1:00 A.M. As soon as the psychiatrist saw her Tuesday morning, he discharged her to my care... she should never have been hospitalized in the first place.

So, I have contacted the school and told them she will not be going back until we meet and there is a better plan in place. I truly do not want her to go back at all. They have already started to circle the wagons and protect themselves. How do I possibly trust that they can take care of my daughter and keep her safe? How do I in good conscience send her back to that school? How does she possibly feel safe while there?

I guess I am wanting to hear if anyone else has had something similar happen and how it was handled... I am looking for suggestions; I cannot home-school her myself because I am a single mom and need my job. I would be very curious to know how many times this particular school has used the Baker Act on its students. Is that public information? Who should I request it from? I would appreciate any feedback you all may have... I feel like I do not know which way to turn right now

[Guest guest]

It is true what Ida is saying and some families expressed their frustration because 2-3 years there and no improvement at all in education and other areas. They will say yes we take your child but they are not properly train to manage behaviors and educate your child. Sent from my iPadOmayra Matamoros, MHSA, JD

Would not recommend AEF (Kentwood). Know three families that were not happy with disciplinary methods (hot sauce in the child's mouth for cursing, hosing students, and threat of corporal punishment among others)...

>

>

>

> I am so sorry to hear what happened. You may want to check out PACE school for girls in Fort Lauderdale or the AEF School in Davie. As a case manager I have had experience with Cross Creek and it is not a placement for ASD students!

> Good Luck & Stay Strong!

> Adriene Fern MSE

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> To: deniseslist

> Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 9:51 PM

> Subject: So Frustrated and Angry

>

>

> Â

>

> Good Evening!

>

> I hope you don't mind, but I need to vent about a situation and ask for some advice. Here goes...

>

> I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, OCD and ADHD. She is incredibly bright but struggles mightily with any social situation. In addition, the OCD flares up and her main compulsion is perfectionism... she thinks everything she does has to be perfect and when it is not, she can often become very aggressive. She has a long history of hospitalization and, up until Monday, had been Baker Acted twice (once for suicidal ideations and once for aggression). She has most recently come back from 7 months of residential treatment and started middle school in August.

>

> Many of you in Broward County will already know that the school system often-times operates in the dark ages. There are no cluster programs for someone like my daughter after elementary school. The only option is for her to be at Cross Creek. I forget the term they use for the school, but it is basically where they house all of the students with behavioral problems that cannot be mainstreamed. They will tell you that this is a wonderful school; they have psychologists on staff; wonderful teachers who are all trained appropriately, etc... I would tell you that one of the well-trained teachers is "shushing" my daughter when she talks by using a hand gesture as if she is shutting her mouth and making a grunting sound at the same time (may I say that this has not been very effective). She has eloped on several occassions and is struggling with the other children (they are mostly boys; only a few girls)

>

> I hired an education attorney back in late March to contact the school board so we could have a plan on how to continue her education when she came back from residential treatment in Texas. She actually came home in late May and I notified the school board the first week of June. I took a tour of the school after school was over (I would have gone immediately, however, they did not want me there the last week of school). While on the tour, I asked about the time-out room and was told that they expect students to stand against the wall for 15 minutes to calm down... I was actually floored and thought she was joking... my autistic child is not going to cooperate with that strategy at all! I requested an IEP meeting and the school board attorney (the most unpleasant woman I have had the displeasure to meet) refused... long story, short, after a threat to file charges, she agreed that we could meet to amend the PBIP. The attorney, her psychologist

> and myself participated in every meeting and worked hard to explain her needs and create a plan geared towards what she requires and not what their discipline structure required.  We all continued to maintain that they did not have the right structure to deal with her as their focus is almost entirely on discipline and that is not what she needs. However, because of the out-of-state transfer from being in residential treatment, the school board had a right to say where she would go based on the out-of-state IEP. Also, because she was out of the state in February, she cannot receive McKay Scholarship money and I do not have the funds to pay for a private school without that; not to mention I don't know what school would be appropriate.

>

> I only work 15 minutes from the school. They know I am a very involved parent and have even thanked me for being so involved as that is not the usual level of commitment they have seen from a lot of the student's parents. I had set up a meeting for this Tuesday morning to talk about the two teachers that my daughter is struggling with in school (no surprise, one of them is the shushing teacher). So, I got a call from the new Assistant Principal (the same person who told me they expect kids to stand against the wall for 15 minutes) Monday afternoon telling me that they had Baker Acted my daughter and she was on the way to the hospital. She apparently had a major meltdown in one of the teachers classes that she has been struggling with... I only know that she was flipping over desks; the police officer on campus was involved because she was handcuffed and that she was put in the seclusion room for over 40 minutes. My first comment was "why didn't

> you call me?" I am so close and I would have gone over to help. I still don't know all of the details but I have requested copies of the reports and the video of the seclusion room through my attorney.

>

> By the time I got to the hospital, she was calm. We were trapped at the hospital for 8.5 hours before she was able to get a bed at Miami Children's. There were no beds for children her age in Broward County. I begged the staff to contact the hospital psychiatrist to over-ride the Baker Act. She was absolutely fine to come home. They actually did contact the doctor and he refused to come back to the hospital that night. So, we were going to have to wait until the next day before I could request that the doctor over-ride the Baker Act. The transfer to Miami Childrens took place at 1:00 A.M. As soon as the psychiatrist saw her Tuesday morning, he discharged her to my care... she should never have been hospitalized in the first place.

>

> So, I have contacted the school and told them she will not be going back until we meet and there is a better plan in place. I truly do not want her to go back at all. They have already started to circle the wagons and protect themselves. How do I possibly trust that they can take care of my daughter and keep her safe? How do I in good conscience send her back to that school? How does she possibly feel safe while there?

>

> I guess I am wanting to hear if anyone else has had something similar happen and how it was handled... I am looking for suggestions; I cannot home-school her myself because I am a single mom and need my job. I would be very curious to know how many times this particular school has used the Baker Act on its students. Is that public information? Who should I request it from? I would appreciate any feedback you all may have... I feel like I do not know which way to turn right now.

>

> Thank you!!

>

>

> Jean

>