Wow Bobi, thanks. The principal tried to talk me into sending my son to an alternative education program in the district where the classes are smaller and the teachers are more familiar with my son's kind of problems but then he would lose his services that come with his special education status. I was adamant about not doing that. Most of the kids in those programs have been expelled for something or other my son already did his bout with that particular class. I will be sure to start making the calls to see what can happen. I don't think we will have any problem getting statements from both his Pdoc and his therapist.

My son really wants to attend the Skills Center, this is the first thing he has looked forward to in years so I hope they don't make it so hard that we have to leave the district. I do know that there are free high school online classes. I have already found those. Another thing is, school starts in a little over 2 weeks, they better not drag their feet.

Thanks again.

Hi,
That's good that you did not agree to the principal sending your son to an alternative school.
You can pretty much count on anything the principal recommending being a bad idea.
Sorry -- I'm a cynic.

Keep strong. You are going to find the right place for him.

Mari

Mari is totally right. Do not agree to anything until you have spoken with an advocate and scheduled him/her to go into the meeting with you.
You are doing great from the sounds of it!

You sound so much more upbeat. And I"m so glad he has come up with something he wants. This is so good.

I am a advocate and this will work well what he is wanting.

So go for it.

Donna

Hi Christina!
How goes your Monday? Were you able to get ahold of his pdoc and/or MPAS?
I'm dying to know how it went. All the services he was talking about sounded outstanding!
Hope all is well!
Bobi

Hi Bobi, thanks for asking though by now it is Wednesday lol. I am riding the PMDD, Fibro flare, added to the stress of fighting with son's school and monitoring son's health, house falling apart and looking like a sty, rollercoaster. Not so good though I am hanging in. The BF had yesterday off so I pretty much spent it in bed with the TV and my books and my little snugglebunny (my 7 yr old) in and out.

Man bipolar teens are ssssoooooooo needy LOL. OMG, mom come watch this video, mom will you do this, mom can I do that, throwing his 200+ pounds on the bed to laugh or talk LOL. I wanted to lock the door.

He has an appt with his Pdoc on the 18th and they have strict instructions to not contact him unless my son has been hospitalized. Actually I think it is them more than the doc. They said the same about my pdoc and she was flaming and gave me her cell number.

I talked to the school about a personal curriculum, told them that he is almost incapable of learning in that atmosphere, sitting still for an hour and processing the information. He wants to stay in the system and attend the Skills Center, possibly take some online classes at home. She gave me my options 1) go to an accelerated learning program, kind of a work at your own pace, lose special education status; told her no. 2) add a 7th hour to the day to make up the missing credits and possibly make it an online class; ah duh what part of what I just said did you not understand! 3) Special education classes, smaller, more informed teacher; he is capable of learning just not in that setting, does not want the "special education" label.

So I told her to go ahead and call for an IEP meeting and we will see what we will come up with. He will have to go the first week or two as scheduled but hopefully we can get some things taken care of. She said it will probably be the first week of school.

I called and spoke with Dan at the MPAS number you gave me, he is probably who you spoke with, and explained what was going on and he is going to see who they have available to come help me, either through his org. or another.

I told him I had no clue what I was doing and he said he would have someone call me and explain what I could do. Then I started crying, I told him I am totally lost, I have all this info printed out and I read it and forget it, I am Bipolar and take meds and also have fibro and chronic pain sufferer and only on a good day can I remember my name without a pause. So he said he would try to find someone and call me by Friday. They go back to school on the 2nd of next month.

Thank you Bobi so much for your help . I probably would have gone to this meeting and had all this info and would have let them walk all over me because I have no clue what I am doing and because they are supposed to know what they are doing and I expect them to be fair and have my child's best interests at heart and it is all just politics.

How are you? Well I hope. You are so busy helping everyone else who helps you lol?

I forgot to mention that as I was talking to her she was going through my son's records and then she starts mentioning things like, now I don't know your son but some kids, and I start thinking "what is she reading", and she keeps coming up with these little scenarios, like trying to get out of school being the reason he wants to do online at home, which quite frankly was my idea, not his. So I asked Dan about getting his school records and he said I could but I probably wouldn't get the little notes that teachers had written and stuff. I thought I recalled reading somewhere about getting his record wiped clean but I don't know if that means everything or just expulsions or what.

Okay enough lol.

It sounds like everything is falling into place. If Dan does not call you back first thing on Friday - call him! I'm so glad you are getting help.

What you need to do is walk into the school without notice and request to look at both his IEP folder and his cume (pronounced que-m) folder. Then you can go to a quiet area of the office and look at everything (and have them make copies) of everything inside. By law if you ask to see all documentation and folders pertaining to your child they have to make them available.

And today I got plenty of help via the new computer chair back massager heating pad that I bought with a lotto ticket winning lol. It actually felt really good while I was sitting on my duff at work today! Thanks for asking.

Let me know how the call with Dan goes!
Bobi

PS: You can also request ANY copies of any documentation referencing your son that they are looking through during any meeting. Next time she does this ask to see the paper she is looking at and then ask for a copy.

What!!!!

LOL, congratulations!!! I am jealous!! My back probably wouldn't hurt as bad if I would get out of this stupid computer chair more often lol. Or if you sent me that there nice massager you won. I never win anything. Well I guess that's not true, I did win a $10 gift certificate for a mexican restaurant 1 town over, last fall.

Okay is that pronounced almost like kwe m or do you say like this looks q mmm, just like it is spelled with the long u? Dan said that they did have to show me his records but as for the little notes by the teachers and such they may not show me that stuff. It may very well be computerized then won't they just print out what they want me to see?

Either way they are going to have to give up some info and I look forward to talking to whoever is going to advocate for us. I have to remember to leave voice mail for the therapist tomorrow to see if he wants to be there.

Gee I wish I could have you lol. Feel like making a trip to Michigan? The weather has been beautiful.

I love Michigan! My sister and family were stationed at KI Sawyer for a few years and I went to visit in the fall. It was gorgeous!

It is pronounced "q mmm". Be sure to specifically ask for both his regular folder and his IEP related folder. And take your time going through it. You can ask the admin. assistant to make you any copies that you would like for your records; AND you are allowed to make notes reguarding any of the information you find in the teachers notes that will be kept in his folder forever. (I found one when my son was in 2nd grade that noted the teachers feelings on his classroom behavior...something like "his mother is overly involved and the child feels that he can get away with acting out because his mom will makes excuses." I put a note in there stating that without seeing her medical license as well as her chart of her medical research reguarding my son, her uneducated diagnosis of the situation was illegial. (Of course I made a copy) The district then made a notation stating that the teachers opinion was incorrect based on testing from my son's medical team. (Of course I had to specifically put this in writing and mail it to them that I wanted it done.)

You ABSOLUTELY want the therapist there; as well as ANYONE on his support team that is willing. (doctor, former teacher, counciler...) You also want a letter from anyone willing to write you one reguardless if they are in attendance at the IEP meeting. I would also go in asap and go through his folders. This way you can bring up any points that supports his needing alternative placement. (i.e. 5 teachers have said that he is unable/unwilling to function in my class; his mental state is such that he cannot complete the work...) ANYTHING that will help make your arguement; even if that is not the reason for the notes.

You'll be an old pro at this by the end of the year. (This is good because the yearly battle wont entirely end until he finishes school.) You are doing great!