Let's see if I can make this short and sweet...but it won't be easy.

A little background...Noah is 8 years old and FULLY included in the second grade with a full time parapro. He uses a power wheelchair and a reverse walker.

The second graders in our school district do a short water safety/swimming course at our local high school -- I think it's maybe 7 -10 days during the year. They are bused to the highschool for a couple of hours on these days.

Today I get a message from our Special Education Director on my answering machine. She wants to know what I want Noah to do during this time since "OBVIOUSLY he can't go swimming with his class for safety reasons". She said he could go "watch" or stay at school with his parapro and do something else.

What the hell??? Why can't he go swimming? The pool is completely accesible including a lift. I think the school PT and OT should be able to figure this out right???

I haven't done anything yet...but here's what I'm thinking....I'm going to play dumb...I am going to call her back and state that "I must have misunderstood her message since OBVIOUSLY she did not say that Noah can't go swimming with his class since that would be discrimination." I'm going to ask her to call me and explain what she did mean by her message. Hopefully she'll understand that she's made a huge mistake ... otherwise I guess I'll have to fight yet another battle.

Any other suggestions for me?

Sounds good to me.

Also, get a note ready from the doctor to say there are no restrictions. That way you are prepared, but hopefully you won't need it.

Is this part of PE? Of course you are right. He goes and they need to accomodate him.

I agree with Deborah on this one...

I also would have a doctor's note stating what he can and cannot do,that way you,the doc,and the school are on the same page.

Hi. Make a recording of the message before you erase your answering machine. That way you have it for evidence in 5 years when you want to show that he has been continually discriminated against. Then I agree play dumb. You can tell them that you know a boy with CP who went on the school skating trip in second grade. They got my son out on the ice - and he did pretty well!!

There was also a boy in his grade who spent most of his day in a wheel chair - they even got him out on the ice a little bit!!! When the PT started getting too tired from holding him up, they brought thwe whole darn chair out on the ice.

So, if my school can do all that..............

BTW, I don't know if Noah swims, but swimming has been the best extracurricular for my son.

Good luck with the school.

- momster

I am floored! That is awful! I just had a similar conversation with my daughter's teacher. They're planning a field trip for the class, and she wanted to make sure it was ok with me before they confirmed the field trip. They're going to the zoo, which is fully accessible for Alyssa's wheelchair. Of course Alyssa's aide will go along, too. They had originally planned to go to a museum that has a small area not wheelchair accessible, and the teacher herself decided it wasn't fair for Alyssa. I was very pleased.

I think you should go to the principal with this instead of trying to deal with her. I fear something like this happening in the future...I think we all do. We must fight for our children and their rights!

I too agree with Deborah, a doctor orders would be great. I can see why this is so upsetting for you!!! Its a "never ending battle" hang in there!

Your kids, they are getting so big, I can't believe it!

Hi, it also states in the federal law that they have to fully include
the kids in everything that the regular kids do. So this is included.

If it should turn out that his parapro doesn't want to get in the water
with him, or can't for some reason. THis isn't your problem, its theirs.

They have to find a solution to this, not you. I would make them completely
responsible for this part. There maybe something else that they are thinking,
if its not written in his IEP that he isn't going to participate in the swimming
part of this class then they have to let him

When my son was in 5th and 6th grade, his class went to swimming at
the high school, but at the time his neurologist had restricted him from
swimming and it was written in his IEP, so he didn't participate in the
swimming part. It wasn't because of the school not wanting him to,
but they came up with a alternative activity. Then in 7th through now,
he has been in a adaptive PE classroom, with special conditions for his
swimming and permission from his neuro and pediatrician, new neuro.

Donna