Pre K and kindergarden versus special ed

[Guest guest]

Hi

I am mom to Maddison Tolbert. We live in Georgia. Maddison has a

mild case of RSS in regards to physical features, I think so. But

she practically will not feed herself. She is 3 and has been on

periactin since 15 months. Just a month ago our gastro dr said feed

her six time a day, time her 20 minutes and if she doesn't eat that

time she will eat next time. Well we tried it. She did better than

I thought at first. But she pretty much is back to the same old

thing, constantly telling her to take and bite and so on. So I

practically should be doing it myself. My huge concer in school.

They say when the get older the appetite is better but I can't even

imagine her in kindergarden having to feed herself at lunch and

snacks. I have just about decided she will have to be in special

ed. classes to get the feeding attention she needs. Is this is

anyone elses experience. Congnative things are not an issue, and OT

she still needs a little help. Do RSS kids go to speical ed

classes????

Help, I am worried. I know we have a while to go but I don't see her

eating by herself changing.

Maddison 3 1/2 almost, 21 lbs and 35 inches tall

[Guest guest]

,

While it may, in the longrun, be necessary to have Maddison in

special ed to address the feeding issues, don't give up hope. You

have several options to consider and special ed may not be one of

them.

First of all, you may be surprised at how much Maddison will change

in the next two years. It seems like she will not eat now, but she

could develop an interest in time. Always keep that hope.

Second, there is a girl in my school who does not eat. She is in

regular classes, but when it comes time for snacks or lunch, she has

to go to the nurse. She does have a feeding tube and, if necessary,

the nurse will feed her through that, but it is written in her IEP

that she eat by mouth and be supervised by the nurse. She goes at

her appointed times and then sits with a bottle of water at lunch

with her friends. I'm so glad to see this working for this little

girl and I have purposely noted it for those of you who may be in

this position with your children.

As far as the IEP goes, you can have one but not have Maddison in a

special ed class. The IEP just means that she has special medical

concerns that must be met by the school. So put that in the back of

your mind and get back to me when the time comes. I will give you

more details.

By the way, Max was in regular classes in first thru third grades

and had an IEP. Part of his IEP was that his eating had to be

monitored by the school. How they handled it was to have him eat in

the nurse's office so she could watch him. It was not ideal, but

Max did not mind. In fact, he preferred it because it was cooler in

there and not as hectic as the lunchroom. He went outside to play

with the other kids when he was done.

Jodi Z.

[Guest guest]

First off, please let me apologize for not posting to this issue

earlier. It's been... well, we'll just say crazy and leave it at

that.

Secondly, reading your post, it was like reading Alyssa through and

through! She's doing great with her physical therapies (OT, PT..)

but speech and the eating, they're DRIVING US CRAZY! She will do SO

well one day and be such a big girl, and the next, you're having to

bribe, cajole, beg and even try " eat or going to the corner " to get

her to eat! She's gaining weight, but... still...

Luckily, like you, in her Special Ed Preschool through the county

here in VA, they take the time she needs to eat. If she's not done

with breakfast, they let her stay until she IS done. They help feed

her, when she won't eat her yougurt or oatmeal herself... And like

you, I'm worried about what's going to happen in two years. All I

can say is, PRAY. And hopefully these little angels will take off

and make us catch our breath! :-)

But I wanted to let you know you're not alone in the thought or the

deed!

~

[Guest guest]

Ditto what Jodi wrote. I wouldn't use a special ed classroom for

appetite/feeding issues. Especially because with a 504

Accomodations plan, you can probably accomplish similar things. Now

that being said, Jodi is very right. The difference between 3 and 5

1/2 is lightning years away.

> Hi

> I am mom to Maddison Tolbert. We live in Georgia. Maddison has a

> mild case of RSS in regards to physical features, I think so.

But

> she practically will not feed herself. She is 3 and has been on

> periactin since 15 months. Just a month ago our gastro dr said

feed

> her six time a day, time her 20 minutes and if she doesn't eat

that

> time she will eat next time. Well we tried it. She did better

than

> I thought at first. But she pretty much is back to the same old

> thing, constantly telling her to take and bite and so on. So I

> practically should be doing it myself. My huge concer in school.

> They say when the get older the appetite is better but I can't

even

> imagine her in kindergarden having to feed herself at lunch and

> snacks. I have just about decided she will have to be in special

> ed. classes to get the feeding attention she needs. Is this is

> anyone elses experience. Congnative things are not an issue, and

OT

> she still needs a little help. Do RSS kids go to speical ed

> classes????

> Help, I am worried. I know we have a while to go but I don't see

her

> eating by herself changing.

>

>

> Maddison 3 1/2 almost, 21 lbs and 35 inches tall

[Guest guest]

,

Sorry my response is so much later than your post, but I only get to read my

email about once a week. I will just agree with everyone else. There is no

need for special ed classes for your daughter for feeding issues. Even if

there are still other issues (speech, OT, or learning disabilities), a special

ed

classroom still may not be necessary - many schools have inclusion settings

where the special ed children are included in the regular classroom with a

special ed teacher. My son is in this type of program. It's much better than a

separate classroom.

In response to your second post, I know of nobody who has a child in a

special ed classroom just for feeding alone.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My son Jordan use to be like that too. But now if I put food in front of him

(food that he likes of course) he will eat it if he's hungry. I also find

that since Jordan is in school he will eat because the other kids are eating. I

also alerted the teachers to his feeding issues and I told them he must eat

and if he refuses to send him to the nurse to be hooked up to the pump. Does

Maddison have a G-tube, is she currently in school, and does she have any

favorite foods? When I explained to the school district that my son had a

feeding

issue they told me that is a medical issue and not school issue and that the

feeding issue was addressed in Early Intervention. Since Jordan is 3 1/2 and

no longer in Early Intervention we are pretty much on our own. Try to hang in

there. I believe it does get better as the child gets older. Will you be

attending the convention this year? I do remember you, your mom and Maddison

from

the 2002 and 2003 convention.

mom to Jordan 3 1/2 years 35in 31 lbs

[Guest guest]

iep links http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IEP_guide/links

special ed is a service, not a place

I have just about decided she will have to be in special

> ed. classes to get the feeding attention she needs. Is this is

> anyone elses experience. Congnative things are not an issue, and

OT

> she still needs a little help. Do RSS kids go to speical ed

> classes????

> Help, I am worried. I know we have a while to go but I don't see

her

> eating by herself changing.

>

>

> Maddison 3 1/2 almost, 21 lbs and 35 inches tall