[FEAT BC Admin]

In this discussion area, please feel free to share your experience in implementing A.B.A. programs in the school system. We would particularly like to hear from those parents who converted their school teams to A.B.A. We’d like to hear the nightmares as well as the success stories.

Any insight that can be shared by school-based special education assistants to help parents would also be very meaningful.

Topic

[Joanna Ng]

ART OF SCHOOL EXCLUSION:
1. RESOURCE ROOM!
2. SENSORY ROOM!!
3. NO MORE ROOM!!!
4. NO MORE SCHOOL!!!!

[Janet Toye]

Hi Jane,

I think these questions should be directed at the school, and if you are not satisfied with their responses, go up the chain of command. I have been a teacher for almost twenty years and have never encountered students being excluded from school-wide events or extracurricular activities. Have they given you reasons for this?

There are times when students are taught in separate places, especially if they are receiving specific instruction in a group which consists of students from other classes, but it is not usually for most of the day. Also, if your child is on a separate program, the voice of the aid and the teacher may be compete with each other during lesson time. Teachers are all different and some think it is beneficial to have quiet classes and others believe in noisy classes. The latter would be particularly difficult for a child with attention problems and perhaps the aide or resource teacher finds that your child works best in a quieter environment. Have you ever had two coworkers who couldn't stand to be in the same room? How is the relationship between the classroom teacher and the aide? Once I had a "less than adequate aide" attempt to leave the classroom with the student on every available opportunity. I am only guessing but I would suggest frequent communication with your school if you have questions or concerns about their actions.

My son is in kindergarten and we have the opposite problem. We wanted the school to take him and some of his friends to the resource room to specifically work on his social skills but they had their own reasons for why they didn't want to do it. The classroom teacher did not want to force other children to work on skills that they were not ready for.

I usually have to take many deep breaths during meetings at my son's school.

[David Chan]

Dear Jane,

I hope your questions are really rherotical

i am wondering if someone can help me out with a few questions about
my child's school environment:
Is it normal for a child to be excluded from their classroom for most
of the day – to do most of their lessons in the resource room? My
child also has ADHD and apparently, this is too much to handle in
addition to ASD.

There is nothing NORMAL about having the kid out of the room. The key is that you have a behaviour support plan for the kid to be included inside the classroom.
Having a kid in the resource room is a way to keep the kid out. It creates social issues for the kid as well. In my kids case he was out of the room for test writing. Having in the room was more often the rule rather than the exception.

Also, is it normal for a child to be excluded from school-wide evening
events such as Open House and Christmas concerts (i.e. not welcome to
attend)?

If it's not Academic activity, that's really not cricket at all.

Finally, is it normal for a child to be excluded from extra-curricular
events such as sporting events that occur for all other same-age
students?

Does anyone have any suggestions how to fight this battle that seems
to be the absolute opposite of inclusion?! I find it astounding to be
dealing with these kinds of issues – it's 2011 after all!!

Our son is 19 kid's been on an ABA program since 5 1/2, still have regular consults to work out the nuance stuff. We've been there. After a year of having the kid out of school in grade 2 we left the public school system, and went independent school.

So as for strategies, it's all about the art of the deal. Decide what is a deal breaker. Ask yourself this question with every school issue, is this a deal breaker, if it's not, then let it go. if it is, then dig in your heels, and fight. Long story short, you don't like what they are doing, but have your consultant come up with strategies in it's place.

Pick your battles.

Remind them of Hewko case, and reasonable accommodation. Have strategies ready for them, instead of having them come up with strategies themselves.

I hope I've been a little helpful.

All the best, BTW which school district are you in ? Maybe some one on the board may have had some dealings with them.

Don't give up, fight the good fight,

Dave,

Mr. P's Dad

[Jane Parker]

I am wondering if someone can help me out with a few questions about my child's school environment:
Is it normal for a child to be excluded from their classroom for most of the day – to do most of their lessons in the resource room? My child also has ADHD and apparently, this is too much to handle in addition to ASD.

Also, is it normal for a child to be excluded from school-wide evening events such as Open House and Christmas concerts (i.e. not welcome to attend)?

Finally, is it normal for a child to be excluded from extra-curricular events such as sporting events that occur for all other same-age students?

Does anyone have any suggestions how to fight this battle that seems to be the absolute opposite of inclusion?! I find it astounding to be dealing with these kinds of issues – it's 2011 after all!!

Jane Parker
janeparker@live.ca

[Jane Parker]

I am wondering if someone can help me out with a few questions about my child's school environment:
Is it normal for a child to be excluded from their classroom for most of the day – to do most of their lessons in the resource room? My child also has ADHD and apparently, this is too much to handle in addition to ASD.

Also, is it normal for a child to be excluded from school-wide evening events such as Open House and Christmas concerts (i.e. not welcome to attend)?

Finally, is it normal for a child to be excluded from extra-curricular events such as sporting events that occur for all other same-age students?

Does anyone have any suggestions how to fight this battle that seems to be the absolute opposite of inclusion?! I find it astounding to be dealing with these kinds of issues – it's 2011 after all!!

[Brandie Hadley]

Dear Tanja, Tina and Leah,

Our almost 5 year-old was diagnosed last March and he too suffers with food issues. He has an extremely limited diet, won't touch supplements and from the age of 12 months to about 3 years, he would gag up any food that was not pureed. His fussiness for taste hasn't really improved over the last couple of years but his tolerance for textures has for sure!! NO MORE GAGGING! With the foods he does eat, he likes it for two or three months but then he will eventually tire of and then refuse to touch it. He then replaces it with a new favourite. It's just been trial and error for us as we rotate foods in and out of the home.

We also have approached our physician about his limited diet and the potential of becoming malnourished but our concerns were dismissed.

Our little guy also has epilepsy and so far his seizures have not been controlled by medications. This means that the next option is the ketogenic diet. Not really sure how anyone can expect that to work on a child that will simply refuse to eat all together than to eat something he doesn't want. Does anyone have experience with this??

I'm only a year into this new world but if you want to chat, feel free to contact me.
bugandal@shaw.ca

Take care!

[T. Chiao]

Dear Piyo,
Thanks for writing. Us new FEATers have the utmost respect for parents like you who have fought so hard and patiently for your kids…and the 'new kids on the team', our kids.

Thank you very much.

[Ducky Piyo]

HI there,

Just wanted to chime in on the posts from new parents. Hats off to you for trying to set up ABA and also take care of a little baby. Not easy and both of them have needs for their own reasons.

I wanted to write to support you all on the concerns about eating issues. Although this board is based on ABA, I think this is important because if our kids are not eating or losing weight it can really be an obstacle for ABA to take full potential in your child. But don't give up.

Intervention and remediation is best the younger child is. After Grade 3 the cost of treatment will be so much higher. Our funding is drastically cut to measely $6000 annual and the school is suppposed to take over. When they finally do make it out of high school they are miraculously cured! (sarcasm)

Our own child was misdiagnosed so many times and wasted precious years. The early years were not treated so we'll never know….

Thank you for acknowledging that the funding is from previous ASD war veterans that are still kicking around today. They are living proof that we must remain strong, informed,consistent and ready to advocate (learn how to at April Advocacy Workshop), because the war is ongoing.

Anyways, it is a blessing that you have funding at an early stage. I will forever drool at that because we never got this money and the government certainly does not go back and "roll forward" any "unclamied money" after you get an actual ASD diagnosis.

We always struggle with money. I owe so much on equity and we are living dangerously but because we are doing catch up because we started in later. I had the same problems about eating but if it was the 4 foods, I fed him the four because it was better than empty tummy. It is not the best I know but I made that choice because I know a hungry child could not sit still for ABA either. Yeah, felt like crap because my kid cannot hold food in his stomach or worse, eat ony ONE food until he pukes. It was pure bliss all right :-(

Yes, try some supplements and we spiked the drinks with powdered form. The smoothies were the only decent thing he would have so we used them also as reinforcer for the various "special flavors" for ABA. But this did not happen in one day. Took about 6 months to a year for the smoothies and then ABA became more accessible for our child.

Don't give up and no matter how hard just like the other FEATer said, light at the end of the tunnel …it's true. From people like us that have been through stuff, it will get better with time.

Sorry not much help here either but hope this email brightens that path like the other ones on this board that we are not alone and we're walking the same journey just different time "zones" whereas some of you have just started.

Our child now eats fruit and veggies because they actually taste good?!?! Light at the end of the tunnel….

Now back to school advocacy.

Later,
Piyo

[Leah Palsson]

Tanja and Tina:

Wow, we are all in the same boat. I have just recently joined the message board. My daughter was just diagnosed with ASD on March 3rd, and one week later on her 2nd birthday I gave birth to our son. So right now we are in the process of getting her ABA therapy up and running, all while taking care of my almost 6 week old baby!!

Tanja my daughter has feeding issues as well, and many people I speak with have said the same thing. My daughter will eat until vomitting, and has texture issues. She is very orally fixated and EVERYTHING goes in her mouth, which is scary, but we have been lucky so far that she has not hurt herself or worse!!! I have no advise for you, except to hang in there, we are all here for you! And like David said, the parents before us have blazed a trail for us, however it is still a fight everyday, but please know that we are all here fighiting together…

If you ladies need to talk feel free to contact me, as we have so much in common and can lean on each other, and fight beside each other in the trenches!!! Take care and please know that you are not alone…

<mavis67@gmail.com>

[T. Chiao]

Dear Tanja,
My heart goes out to you. I'm new to this community as well.

I'm sorry that I don't have any helpful advice about your son's feeding issues. Your situation really opens my eyes to the real need of support for our children (and adults) with autism.

I hope you receive some helpful tips from other parents as I'm sure other families have had similar issues. This board has been an amazing resource for me. The compassion and support from other parents has been overwhelming.

Again, I'm sorry I can't be of any help. I just want to encourage you and tell you that you're an incredible Mother. I could feel your desperation when I read your post and you deserve to have things get better.

I have a 2.5 yr old son with autism and I also have a 6 mos old baby. If you ever just want to talk, please contact me.

tchiao@hotmail.com

[Author]

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