What did you make today?

[Griff]

Often it is more difficult, but he really missed school and had a nice day over-all. His behaviors are usually not too intense, but he has no sense of time. Past, present, and future all run together so between the picture schedule and hopefully the social story, I hope to have him ready for an integrated kindergarten next Fall.

[monster]

Oh good grief! that's what Thor's like and he's 5th grade. And he's not alone. I read an article somewhere that postulated that the increase of IEPs/diagnoses in boys was due to society deciding that "girl" behaviour is a more acceptable norm, so we are trying to make boys behave more like girls in the classroom. I brought up all of my kids the same -they all had dolls and cars and were dressed in bright colors (same clothes handed down). I was sure the behavioural differences between the genders were all bullshit. I was so wrong! My daughter is strong, confident, and independent, and my sons are sympathetic and not sexist, but you can sure tell the difference by their behaviours which one is which gender.

[Griff]

You do not know this autistic child, bite me.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Griff

I hope to have him ready for an integrated kindergarten next Fall.

How does that work where you are? Would he simply join the class along with everyone else, or would there be some sort of special needs helper who would be in the classroom to work with him as needed? Or would he leave the classroom at times to have special sessions with someone?

I ask because my wife just started this year as a school based substitute teacher in my son's elementary school. So she's been having all these random experiences with special needs kids as she moves from class to class in the school, and she's got no training at all (and isn't required to) for working with them. So she's been winging it, and mostly doing pretty well, but it's been exhausting at times. I was surprised there are so many kids who are on the spectrum at this school. Some of them seem to have staff in place there specifically to help them, and others don't.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by glatt

How does that work where you are? Would he simply join the class along with everyone else, or would there be some sort of special needs helper who would be in the classroom to work with him as needed? Or would he leave the classroom at times to have special sessions with someone?

I'm interested to hear how this works in your are as well.

Some of them seem to have staff in place there specifically to help them, and others don't.

This is what we have here. They also have dedicated classes with specially trained Special-Ed teachers and "Paras" or assistants that work with specific children on an as needed basis.

[footfootfoot]

Glatt,

I did a color correction with the white paper as reference to get a better idea of what kind of wood that may be. If you are sure that the leaves of this tree resembled walnut then I would guess this is butternut, especially if the wood is somewhat woolly when you sand it. It also looks a little like cherry depending on how I balance it. It seems like it was shot under fluorescent light which is usually lacking in some of the wavelength of light so it is difficult to fully color correct it.

Cherry tends to have small, very black pitch pockets, there appears to be a pitch pocket on the back of the top spoon.

First guess would be butternut, tannish brown.
Cherry, reddish brown, spicy smell, pitch pockets.

[glatt]

Butternut, eh? Well, it was a long time ago, but I figured it was walnut at the time, based on the leaves.

Here's butternut on the top and walnut on the bottom. Or maybe vice verse.


Could very well be butternut then.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by glatt

How does that work where you are? Would he simply join the class along with everyone else, or would there be some sort of special needs helper who would be in the classroom to work with him as needed? Or would he leave the classroom at times to have special sessions with someone?

It will be based on his IEP. We will have a meeting with all stake-holders at the end of this year. Parents (child if parents desire), teachers, therapists, and district officials will all sit down and figure out what supports the child will need to be successful. We have to meet the legal requirement of least restrictive environment in his placement. There are a whole gamit of settings available based on the child's needs for success. Everything he needs goes on his IEP, so it will change dramatically from child to child. Hopefully Mrs. Glatt gets regular work across a few classrooms so she can get to know what the individual children require and what the school is legally required to provide. My buddy will hopefully go to an integrated classroom which is visited daily by a special ed teacher who can advise the gen ed teacher. What he needs mostly is social interactions with typically developing peers. I believe based on his development so far that he will not need an individual aide and is far too strong academically for a special needs classroom. He may need pull out for speech but we'll see. He hopefully will not return to the potentially self-injurious behaviors we've seen fade and will learn to attend with minimal supports. It is way too early to say what he will be capable of come next Fall.

[footfootfoot]

the latest tiny wafer, about the size of a nickel.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Griff

Parents (child if parents desire), teachers, therapists, and district officials will all sit down and figure out what supports the child will need to be successful. We have to meet the legal requirement of least restrictive environment in his placement.

Is this the way it really works in your school, in your honest opinion? I know you obviously have the best interests of the child at heart, as do most of the teachers in our district--except in our district, they are expected to keep their mouths shut during the meetings. It is an absolutely adversarial process with parents on one side and "the district" on the other, and all district members are expected to toe the line of 'offer the most minimal services we can possibly get away with.' I had heard stories, and I was so sure that it wouldn't be that way with us, that we were going to work positively and constructively with them... but it turns out, no.

In our district, it is a given that you bring a legal advocate with you to every IEP meeting, unless you are a brand new parent and don't know any better yet.

[Griff]

Cool!

[Clodfobble]

I'll assume that was directed at foot.

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

the latest tiny wafer, about the size of a nickel.

I don't quite understand what holds the arrow on the shaft. Do you have component pictures?

[footfootfoot]

Right now it is pinched in the slot of the arrow end, somewhat like an old fashioned clothes pin.

We (the inch and I) had to come up for supper before we could glue it in place with pitch. (Tree resin)

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Is this the way it really works in your school, in your honest opinion? I know you obviously have the best interests of the child at heart, as do most of the teachers in our district--except in our district, they are expected to keep their mouths shut during the meetings. It is an absolutely adversarial process with parents on one side and "the district" on the other, and all district members are expected to toe the line of 'offer the most minimal services we can possibly get away with.' I had heard stories, and I was so sure that it wouldn't be that way with us, that we were going to work positively and constructively with them... but it turns out, no.

In our district, it is a given that you bring a legal advocate with you to every IEP meeting, unless you are a brand new parent and don't know any better yet.

If parents know what they want and are assertive, they tend to get good results. In NYS parents have veto power over any placement. If the parents don't show up, which happens, the district has free rein. We are contractors for the district, so we don't have leverage outside of the detailed reports and testing. The teachers who get the children in the next placement, actually have substantial power at these meetings and work among themselves to try to divy up slots appropriately. One weakness I see is in one to one aide assignments. They are expensive and I think the district would rather a child be placed in a 12-1-1 than in an integrated room with an aide. Money is tight so any district feels pressure to give less. In that case, a teacher won't advocate to get a difficult child placed in their room if they fear that no aide will be available. If you have a good open meeting though, all the possibilities will be discussed. Our district tries to be flexible about 1/2 integration etc... if that is attractive to parents. By law there is a parent advocate at the meeting but some parents do as you mention and get legal counsel (none of mine yet). The new chair-person in our district has begun calling parents prior to the meeting to get a sense of what they feel the child needs. That way if her teachers feel the parents' wishes may not be reasonable/workable she can go into the meeting with an acceptable compromise. That happened with one of my kids last year. I've only been to one meeting that simply blew-up and everyone was caught off guard even yours truly. The parent later relented and accepted services.

This is only my experience and it is limited to CPSE transition. I don't know how it plays out later.