our accomodations

[Guest guest]

I thought I'd posted this but I can't seem to find the message now. This is kind of a long and rambling message. I copied and pasted it from a message in my sent folder so I did actually send it but since it's missing I'm posting it again.

Miriam

"My son has a lot of accomodations. He can have a teacher work with him 1:1 to do tests and keep him on task. He has a 1:1 "paraprofessional" with him all day. He eats lunch in the resource room most days though they'd like to get him into the cafeteria occasionally. They choose battles carefully. uses a computer in the classroom. We bought him a netbook for this purpose. He is going to get scheduled breaks with the hope of reducing the number of requested breaks. He is going to get OT for sensory issues and ST and the ST wants to work with the OT on oral motor and oral sensory issues. is not taking foreign language because it was too stressful. gets speech with another child so they work on pragmatics together. They chose a child who knows and has been a friend for a couple of years. I don't think the ST

realized they were already friends but she said they make amazing progress together.

They assume that 's behavior has a purpose and a cause and they don't punish. The guidance counselor works with every week and if he has a meltdown she knows just what to do. has modified classwork and homework. takes a special ed bus to school rather than ride the regular bus. The para helps pack his backpack and takes notes for him sometimes. The para writes down all the homework for us because right now that's just too much for to tackle given all the new challenges presented by middle school. spends part of his day in "the resource room" if he's having trouble concentrating in class or he is disruptive or upsetd and during the time he'd be in foreign language he can go

in there and work on missed work. has a chair cushion called a move-n-sit which is an OT thing that gives some movement without the child looking like they are moving. It helps them focus.

The school has a video from www.coultervideo.com called Intricate Minds. There are several of these, one is for teaching elementary kids about their classmates with AS. Some don't specify AS and say "different thinkers". We used the AS one in TX and the different thinkers in his first school here. The school has the AS one for older kids (7th - high school). They will also be educating the kids in other ways thanks to the guidance counselor who agrees with me it's the best way to prevent bullying.

Chewing gum helps kids who need to chew. Kids who need to chew often have sensory issues with proprioceptive sensory system and vestibular sensory system.

The school has an indoor therapy swing. They will begin using that with soon. They will also be starting a sensory diet with fidgets and other coping items in the classroom.

The guidance counselor has one of her degrees in autism spectrum disorders and she adores asperger kids. I can see it in her eyes. I can tell she really gets it. So when someone at the meeting suggested needs to get more independent with writing down assignments (possibly me, actually) she suggested using technology to help with it. He could be the one to make a print out of the assignments. OR he could type them in his computer. I'm not sure how that looks, but I could tell she just has a feel. It was a "we're fighting so many battles already, which ones are most important" kind of thing. So the only thing we're working on is keeping IN the classroom. We're not bothering to make him keep his head off the desk at all times, we're not bothering with

note-taking.

Anyway, I've written as much as I can remember. I don't have the draft in front of me. The IEP has goals for behavior and goals for academics and goals for OT and ST. The goals are geared for what really CAN do. Like keeping track of how much he pays attention and rewarding him for it. They were tracking at 15 minute intervals but have decided to use 5 minute intervals with the hope of catching him doing the right things. The guidance counselor was very adamant that they pay attention to positive and ignore negative. She really wants 100% positive with him. He responds so well to that it's worth the trouble but until they see it in action it's hard for some folks to comprehend. The guidance counselor is trusted as the expert so what she says goes!

Feel free to ask anything."

[Guest guest]

Your school sounds very supportive. That is great. There

is such a different culture in many schools of refusing to

provide services and only doing so in the most minimal

fashion.

I always thought I was not communicating effectively enough but once she was

transferred to a private special ed school they understood

her so well. And I realized it was the culture of our school.

My daughter appeared typical in many ways. This was our problem.

She seemed capable. Our school was so blind to anxiety issues. They would not

accept anxiety as a condition. As far as they were concerned it was a behavior

problem to be punished harshly.

I am so happy that some schools are open to providing the servcies

necessary.

Pam

>

> I thought I'd posted this but I can't seem to find the message now.  This is

kind of a long and rambling message.  I copied and pasted it from a message in

my sent folder so I did actually send it but since it's missing I'm posting it

again.

>  

> Miriam

>  

> " My son has a lot of accomodations.  He can have a teacher work with him 1:1

to do tests and keep him on task.  He has a 1:1 " paraprofessional " with him all

day.  He eats lunch in the resource room most days though they'd like to get him

into the cafeteria occasionally.  They choose battles carefully.  uses a

computer in the classroom.  We bought him a netbook for this purpose.  He is

going to get scheduled breaks with the hope of reducing the number of requested

breaks.  He is going to get OT for sensory issues and ST and the ST wants to

work with the OT on oral motor and oral sensory issues.  is not taking

foreign language because it was too stressful.  gets speech with another

child so they work on pragmatics together.  They chose a child who knows

and has been a friend for a couple of years.  I don't think the ST realized they

were already friends but she said they make amazing progress together. 

>  

> They assume that 's behavior has a purpose and a cause and they don't

punish.  The guidance counselor works with every week and if he has a

meltdown she knows just what to do.  has modified classwork and homework. 

takes a special ed bus to school rather than ride the regular bus.  The

para helps pack his backpack and takes notes for him sometimes.  The para

writes down all the homework for us because right now that's just too much for

to tackle given all the new challenges presented by middle school. 

spends part of his day in " the resource room " if he's having trouble

concentrating in class or he is disruptive or upsetd and during the time he'd be

in foreign language he can go in there and work on missed work.  has a

chair cushion called a move-n-sit which is an OT thing that gives some movement

without the child looking like they are moving.  It helps them focus.

>  

> The school has a video from www.coultervideo.com called Intricate Minds. 

There are several of these, one is for teaching elementary kids about their

classmates with AS.  Some don't specify AS and say " different thinkers " .  We

used the AS one in TX and the different thinkers in his first school here.  The

school has the AS one for older kids (7th - high school).  They will also be

educating the kids in other ways thanks to the guidance counselor who agrees

with me it's the best way to prevent bullying.

>  

> Chewing gum helps kids who need to chew.  Kids who need to chew often have

sensory issues with proprioceptive sensory system and vestibular sensory system.

>  

> The school has an indoor therapy swing.  They will begin using that with

soon.  They will also be starting a sensory diet with fidgets and other coping

items in the classroom.

>  

> The guidance counselor has one of her degrees in autism spectrum disorders and

she adores asperger kids.  I can see it in her eyes.  I can tell she really gets

it.  So when someone at the meeting suggested needs to get more independent

with writing down assignments (possibly me, actually) she suggested using

technology to help with it.  He could be the one to make a print out of the

assignments.  OR he could type them in his computer.  I'm not sure how that

looks, but I could tell she just has a feel.  It was a " we're fighting so many

battles already, which ones are most important " kind of thing.  So the only

thing we're working on is keeping IN the classroom.  We're not bothering to

make him keep his head off the desk at all times, we're not bothering with

note-taking.

>  

> Anyway, I've written as much as I can remember.  I don't have the draft in

front of me.  The IEP has goals for behavior and goals for academics and goals

for OT and ST.  The goals are geared for what really CAN do.  Like keeping

track of how much he pays attention and rewarding him for it.  They were

tracking at 15 minute intervals but have decided to use 5 minute intervals with

the hope of catching him doing the right things.  The guidance counselor was

very adamant that they pay attention to positive and ignore negative.  She

really wants 100% positive with him.  He responds so well to that it's worth the

trouble but until they see it in action it's hard for some folks to comprehend. 

The guidance counselor is trusted as the expert so what she says goes!

>  

> Feel free to ask anything. "

>  

>  

>