Teacher wanting my son in BD | ADHD Information

I ageree that you may need to get the meds tweaked but I would throw a fit before I let them put the kid in BD classes. They are just trying not to deal and according to the law and your child's right to a free public school education they have to attempt all avenues in a regular class room first. Fight it tooth and nail. I would be afraid once they managed to get him in those classes that he would never get out and that can be a problem in the future for you. If you get him stable and he is in there then what happens?

Check out the wrights law website. They must provide the least restrictive environment by law. If he does not have an IEP or 504, I would call the school psychologist and tell her that you want to begin the process to obtain one NEXT WEEK. Tell them in the meeting that they are required to provide least restrictive environment, and that means mainstream for your son. Request a one-on-one assistant present in the classroom for your son. Depending on how the school psychologist responds, I would contact an advocate.

Anyone---doesn't an ADHD child have to be considered "emotionally disturbed" to be placed in a BD class? Also, can anyone verify that all they have to do next year is bring in their own psychologist to watch him and say he should be in a separate classroom? I have never heard of this. I thought that the parent had to consent.

From what I understand they would have to do the whole IEP eval before I could do that. Also honestly you could fight it with your own psychologist as well. I also believe that they have to get parental consent before they could do any of this. Also an ADHD child would have to have serious behavioral problems to end up there and your son does not sound like he has that. And seriously what 7 year old boy sits still all the time? My son at 7 in 2nd grade has the same problems with sitting still but his teachers say that is pretty normal for a boy of that age.

Ok, what kristyolk says is exactly my understanding also. It sounds like you are hearing teacher gossip from teachers who think they are somehow empowered to do this. Or maybe they think you will unwittingly sign the paperwork for a BD class, who knows. www.wrightslaw.com. Still a 504 or IEP gives you legal rights so if you don't have one, in this particular school environment it sounds like you need one. I am pretty sure that if your child qualifies for SPED, they still need your persmission to give SPED services, and I don't see why it would be any different for BD unless the child is physically aggressive.

Valerie, Not sure who is treating your son medically but we go to a neurologist who seems to know quite a bit about various med combos ...she said my son metabolises the medication quickly ...he ADHD with lots of H

Good luck...I think we have the same kid

I agree to work on the med until you find something that works..sometimes the doctors prescribe a strattersa / stim combo..you may want to investigate this option or even the dosage of the adderall may be off...my son is on Adderall and while it helps him focus a great deal he is stil impulsive and talkative...our doctor said that this is basically something that will get better with age and we don't want to medicate him into compliance but rather deal with the talking and impulsive with a behavior mod plan

the teacher cannot just say to put him into a behavior disorder class...it is not that simple ...a complete eval would need to be done and strategies would have to be tried in the regular call before this type of placement is even considered...this is just my opinion but I would fight like heck for my son not to be placed in a class for Behavior disorders...that is not an appropriate placement for a non violent kid with ADHD

Just curious, if the Adderall is not working well, why not either change meds or look for other alternatives? I agree that it sounds like the teachers just want him out of their way, but if his behavior has not improved much, what other things have you thought of to help him some with that?I'm wondering if he has ADHD if the meds don't work, but, assuming you think he does have ADHD, I'd call the Dept. of Public Education in your state. It is usually located in the state capital. You can then ask to talk to the advocate for kids with special needs and tell her your concerns. I'd be livid if they tried to put my child in a BD class, and it just would not happen. I wouldn't let it. There are free advocates that all parents are entitled to hire who can deal with the school district for you, and you can fight to have accomodations in a regular classroom...or an LD, if you think that's helpful to your son. I've never liked BD classes. Seems like a copout to me and the kids there are always considered "bad." Ok, vent over. I wish you luck in getting an advocate. I would demand an IEP NOW, not yesterday.

Regarding OHI, it's not hard to get everywhere. The school itself labeled my son OHI and put him in LD. It wasn't entirely appropriate for the long term,b ut it helped him a lot for a few years. I would fight a BD label and go for OHI. That way you can manuveer a lot--the kid isn't placed in a slot. On a last note, I never sign an IEP while I'm at the meeting. I take it home, read it, show it to hub, show it to others who are "in the know", and only sign it after that. You don't have to sign anything THAT DAY. And parents do have to sign for alternative placement. That having been said, without an advocate the school can get nasty if you disagree with what they want to do. Bring some warriers to help you do battle. Find some good advocates. My son is treated like a prince. They know he has protectors.

I'm not sure if things are run differently here in Canada but ultimately, the parents have the final word. If you choose to not enroll your child in BD then the school has to respect your wishes. It's illegal for them to go against your wishes. This is YOUR child. I would just tell them that BD class is not an option. Then again, I'm not sure the logistics are in your country.

When your child is aggressive or violent with other students or the teacher, or your child threatens other students or the teacher with physical violence, your child can be placed in a behavior adjustment class or an alternative school, whether or not you want the child placed there. You can fight the placement, but the child stays placed until the result of the argument (due process if necessary) is concluded between you and the school district. This doesn't sound like the situation you are in, at all, but I could be wrong.

Has the Academic Intervention Committee met to discuss behavior interventions for your child? Has a behavior plan been put in place? What are your son's grades?

behavior disorder class? never heard of this. sounds like discrimination against your child. 5yrs old and on adderall?? I'd take him off. Adderall is an amphetamine... unless he's bouncing off the walls if this stuff is not working , take him off. Where's the IEP?? Where's the classification? Is it IDEA or 504? You need to demand the psychological evaluation- in or out of the school... from the sounds of it.. I'd suggest out- and then take those results with a letter from your doc that dxed him, to the Committee on Special Ed and demand an IEP. They are supposed to be there to help your child- not hurt him. A diagnosis of ADHD warrants your son a classification as learning disabled; therefore an Iep is in order. good luck.

You all are helping me feel SOOOO much better! The teacher I talked with this past week made it sound like hey, next year the second grade teachers are going to have him evaluated and put him in BD classes. I had no idea that I had any say, that I can say "no he is NOT going to BD". She made it sound like it is up to the teachers and by what it sounds like to me, all of the second grade teachers are already watching him and putting a label on him. My son has NEVER been aggressive with another student, teacher, etc. Their problem with him is that he will slump over in his chair, get out of his seat occasionally and every now and then make a noise during class. And he would never qualify for special education because he is a A and B student.

I am so glad I found this website. I woke up this morning after worrying about this all night long. Thank you all for helping!

Valerie,

Have you gone to observe your son in the classroom and lunchroom, and on the playground? This can really help clarify things.

You have the right to refuse whatever "services" you don't feel your son needs. Discuss an IEP with the inclusion teachers. [QUOTE=valerie318]

I am so glad I found this website. I woke up this morning after worrying about this all night long. Thank you all for helping!

[/QUOTE]

As notelling has mentioned, get yourself fully charged on all the info you need. Then I would report these teachers to the administrators and the board. This almost sounds like a threat to me and an uneccessary one at that. What you just wrote makes me so angry. Best of luck and keep in touch.

jrepscher a diagnosis of ADHD does not always warrant a classification as learning disabled....A child can have a learning disability and also have adhd or if the child does not have a LD he or she may get into special ed under the category ..OHI ( other health impaired) however this is very had to get...valerie says her son is an A-B student so he probably won't qualify for SPED.....he does have a better chance of getting a 504 plan which outlines accomodation that the child will recieve

this child may not need special ed services...my son has ADHD and is not in special educatio..

BTW a behavior disordered class is also Special Ed

Valerie, before I turned to page 2 of this thread, I was thinking that this is right up lillian's alley. She won't let you down so take her advice.

My own advice: Go to war. Don't let this happen to your son. My son was in the BEH (behaviorally and emotionally handicapped) class last year in Language Arts because he uses assistive technology. It was 4 days before school let out that we found out that his Lang arts class was specifically for the BEH kids. If your son is a good kid and doesn't have any anger or agression issues, don't let them do it!!!

Inabox is right, this sounds like a threat. If you have to, go to the principal and if he/she's no help, go to their supervisor. Try to get it all resolved before the end of this schoolyear because nothing gets done during the summer. Threaten to call the newspapers/tv if you have to. Threaten to go to the superintendant of schools and sit in his front office telling everyone in there what kind of low stuff is happening at this school. Make yourself a royal pain in the a$$ until someone decides that it's going to be a whole lot easier to put your ADD kid in the right class then have to deal with you on the warpath all year.

I didn't mean to preach, I just feel strongly about this. Welcome valerie!
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His behavior sounds fine to me....are they looking for a robot?? Anyway, I'd just research your legal rights, and chuckle next time the teacher brings up their "plans" for your son. The knowledge will make you feel less threatened, and more in charge.

I find it interesting that they're picking on him for stuff that normal 7 year olds do. I think it's discrimination because he's ADHD. If they picked on a child for doing those things, and he was black, their'd be hell to pay.

I'd do everythign everyone else has suggested, and if necessary contact a lawyer. And then next year I'd watch the teachers like a hawk. Their are ways to make children feel uncomfortable and unliked that teachers will use if they think that the parents aren't paying attention or gonna do anything. If you can start spending time in his classroom, to 'help'. It's a good way to keep an eye on the teacher that isn't confrontative.

Question? Have the teachers 'tried' to help your son? What I mean is have they given you any 'ideas' or have you given them any ideas on how to work on his behavior? You see...my son is in 2nd grade and does well academically but behaviorally he lacks due to inattention, changing from one task to another, listening, talking when not supposed to and so on; but we don't medicate our son either. Perhaps meds aren't the answer for you...I've often heard that meds 'do' have a reverse effect and make 'some' children worse if infact it's not ADHD. They have a tendency to be angry or mean on meds. I've 'never' heard of a behavior class that you speak of and if all else fails can you possibly change schools and work on his meds if you chose to try more over the summer? Have YOU seen a difference in him while on meds? Just my thoughts.

I agree with OlderMom, Your son does not sound at all like a child who should be in a Behavior Disorders class. I am a former special ed teacher and he does not sound like BD material at all...I think your little guy is just like my son..a first grader with ADHD...our doc says that lots of the hyperactivity you see will lessen as the kids get older...

Good luck and if you think this is at all a possibility get an advocate.

I've seen EBD classes in different districts and in different schools within the same district, and I can say that these classes vary greatly from distict-to-district and from school-to-school. This is the major reason I think parents ought to fight the placement, unless it is absolutely, without a doubt what the child must have, and it is for some children. In a good EBD class with a good teacher (probably the finest teacher I have ever seen was an EBD teacher, winning teacher of the year at his school and being the Special Education teacher of the year in his district), the changes this placement can make in a child are unbelievable, and the child often can be mainstreamed back into the regular education class pretty quickly.

Before a child who is not violent is placed in an EBD class, though, I believe the school needs to try every other placement first--general ed with basic behavior interventions, general ed with a 504 Plan for behavior issues, Special Education with small-group placement part of the day or all of the day, etc., etc. By the time these different placements have been tried and worked through, MOST children being considered for EBD class no longer need the placement. You don't take a child from the least restrictive environment (general ed) and put the child in one of the most restrictive environments (EBD class) without trying everything else first. JMHO.

The principal and , school psychologist, and learning specialist may not be in agreement with these teachers. This may just be ignorant teacher gossip. If I was not seeking services, I would take a wait and see approach...but I have not been on the offensive with a school, and many of these member have...Oh, they have BD classes. My friend is an aide in one. She feels for the kids and believes that many of these "bad" kids are just misdiagnosed and/or wrongly medicated, but they are labeled "bad" by the schools for being in the class. Although my friend is a higly empathetic person, having raised a now 29 year old with Aspergers, she says her fellow teachers are less sympathetic, often cutting up the parents and even the kids in the teacher's lounge. I'd rather keep my own kid out of that class. Your child doesn't even sound like a behavior problem.I really only skimmed the replies to your post, but I have one suggestion that I dont know if anyone's thought of or not...

I would suggest NOT making this a big deal to the kid. If he/she thinks that this is a punishment for being a bad kid, then they are likely to behave badly - if thats what they expect of me anyway - might as well right?

make it a point to complain about the whole issue when the child is NOT around.
present the special class as an option instead of being in the regular class getting into trouble all day, you might be able to go to 'this' class where the teachers are more prepared to deal with your fidgityness, distractedness, disruptive behavior etc...

I've found that with my son - its all about presentation.

I dont approve of the SCHOOL making this decision without your approval or permission. In our school district, I've had to sign consent form after consent form for just the smallest things...I cant imagine the school taking over like that without having your permission. I further can not imagine them bringing in someone to observe your child without your permission.
My school's guidance councelor, even after 2 concent forms, still calls me prior to seeing my child for a verbal permission to see my child.

good luck and keep us all posted!!!!!!
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I am in need of some words of advice from someone out there. My son is 7 years old and in 1st grade. He was first diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 3 but not started on medication until he was in kindergarden. He started with Straterra but in first grade his teacher told me it was not working and asked that we change it. He started on Adderall in December. Although it helped a little bit it has not made a huge improvement. His teacher informed me recently that the second grade teachers already have planned for him to be put in behavioral disorder class next year because they don't want to put up with him. Everyone I have spoken with such as his psychiatrist, counselor and pediatrician have told me that ADHD is NOT a valid reason to put a child in a BD class. He is not mean. He is the most loving kid that I know. He just has a hard time sitting still. But all they have to do next year is bring in their own psychologist to watch him and say he should be in a separate classroom. I am a Registered Nurse and am currently in the Physician Assistant Program at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. I will be finished in August and will be seeing patients just like my son. I did my psychiatric rotation recently and didn't see any ADHD children who were in BD classes. I say all of this to say, how can these people try and ruin our lives like this? My son in NO way deserves to be put in this classroom full of students who truly are out of control. His psychiatrist has told me that he will do whatever possible to keep this from happening but I am getting worried. I don't know if I should seek legal advice or let it go for now. Any one with suggestions would help!Who gives that staff the right to decide what best for your child needs. They can't do anything you don't authorize them to. School staff seem to careless these days and want what they want. I would never allow this to happen with our son. The schools should try anything else possible first. To me its schools job to provide what a child needs medicated or not.