Special Needs Kids and Education

Leslie - posted on 01/05/2010

I will speak from personal experience. I worked with a boy, now a man, who was severely limited with CP. He could not feed himself, toilet himself, bathe himself, stand, write, etc. but he was one of the smartest kids in the class, in the school. His mind was beyond brilliant, and he flourished. He is now in college on the dean's list and still masters every skill, of course, with the help of an aide.



Why, if you say your daughter is mentally great, would you not give her the same chance as any other child? While I appreciate that every parent should be an advocate of their child and knows their needs best, there may be a subject in school that she learns to have a passion for, some talent that she has, some expertise....

As a Special Needs Aide, I would say that she should be allowed to spread her wings, find her niche, after all, I would want her to be ALL she can be. With respect & admiration.

Cassandra - posted on 01/03/2010

I have a son that has bipolar/PTSD and a learning disabiltity. Although there is currently an ongoing argument as to whether he really has Aspergers. We shall see, I guess. My youngest has bipolar and ADHD. She was struck and run over by a bus in october of 09 and had a traumatic brain injury. So a lot going on, however, I have had to fight our home school district EVERY step of the way for the special help that my children have needed. My son is a freshman in high school, but thank god for his wonderful psychiatrists because he has been in a special education program since 2nd grade. He is not able to handle mainstream and it has been a blessing to have the programs that he has participated in. I've actually had the public school teacher of my daughter last year tell me that the IEP was too much of a hassle and she changed it to suit her. We've been through many battles and had the PA Board of Education involved several times. It just seems such a shame that it has to be the parents battle to get their children the education they need and deserve. I decided to charter school my daughter this past year and it has been a good thing for her, exactly what she needed. She wants to go back to public school next year and I'm willing to give it a try but we shall just see how it goes. I worry about her since she's very immature and doesn't interact with children her age very well. I feel your pain with the school and I hope and pray that your daughter does well. I'm sure as long as you are willing to continue to fight for her you will succeed.

Kerri - posted on 01/03/2010

I have fought the battle in PA. Search the web for Educational law in Maryland. There is a group in PA that helps/educates parents how to deal with the system. They are wonderful. I would imagine that there is a group in MD. You need to learn the Special Education laws in MD. That is how we were able to get what we needed for our mentally ill son. He was super smart, but loved to play the lazy key and had some severe issues that did not allow him to be able to understand getting a project and having things done in an order on a time frame unless it was broken down into specific parts, which we could not do because we were not in class. Teachers did not want to take the time. Understanding the laws, they had to do it. He met the deadlines and didn't flunk. Our second son is in Special Education for Life Skills. It is wonderful. He is high functioning and is in a program at our local Vocational School that is more then "school to work" where all they focus on is getting a job. He is learning the skills to have a job he will succeed in. The key is educating yourself and being a pest at the school level. The school administrators know I can be a friend or a foe. They much prefer working with my husband and I then being at odds with us - then we will not think twice about bringing in the hired guns when all else fails. We are reasonable people but when they are unreasonable or refuse to follow the Law (also check out Wrights Law website), then we need to go to the professionals.

Teresa - posted on 01/02/2010

In my experience it seems some schools are so focused on academia that the practical needs fall by the wayside....especially where it concerns children who do require "special" education. My daughter Britni is severely disabled--mentally and physically--and will never live independently. When she was in middle school her teacher spent hours a week trying to teach her street signs (actually her teacher had her aide do it for her). She "forced" her to do paperwork "just like the rest of the students" even though Britni cannot even hold a pencil in her hand and apply enough pressure on the paper to make a legible mark.



I fought and fought for them to simply comply with the law, actually DO what her IEP says, and utilize the computer touch screen and the programs designed for her learning, all to no avail.



I was very active in Britni's education. I served on our county's Special Education Advisory Committee for years, I organized picnics and fundraisers, I attended every IEP meeting and field trip Britni has ever had, I knew the SPED Admin on a first name basis, I've been to more trainings and seminars than I can remember. But I finally pulled her out of school entirely when I was informed she WOULD be attending the high school regardless of my concerns for her safety and well-being. I had no say so in it, even though they claimed there was federal law that stated she had to be there but could not find it in writing to give me a hard copy of it.



I was done. Everything Britni needed to learn, she learned in grade school. I am now maintaining and teaching her how to make and communicate her choices, keeping a steady diet of home occupational therapy, physical therapy, and integrating new signs for her to learn (she communicates with sign and modified sign language.) Britni needs to know practical living things that will help her live her life to the fullest while keeping her safe, mentally stimulated, and healthy. Street signs are insignificant.



Goodness....I'm sorry for my tangent. I dare say you will have a fight on your hands. Have you ever heard of Wrights Law? Google it (not sure if I can put a link on here to it.) It's Pete and Pam Wright. There's a plethora of information there. They're a great resource!



Hope this helped....



Teresa

Virginia