Getting forced out of public school | ADHD Information
My son is 7 yrs old and currently on Adderall 10 mg and seroquel 25mg. He can be aggressive but has gotten a lot better since we started on the seropquel. Last friday he was in the special ed room with the teacher, it was just the two of them, he got mad because she wouldn't let him go on the computer so he knocked over a 4ft tall bookcase. I am worried because a few months ago before he was seeing a physciatrist his case manager made a comment that he might not be able to stay in a public school becase they are not equiped to handle kids with social and emotional problems. I don't think taking him out of the public school would help because he tends to imitate other kids, I feel he would only get worse. Can they force him to go to another school and remove him from public school system ? I live in NJ and am very worried.
Karen R
What have they been doing in terms of behavior management and an IEP? Even if you don't have an IEP for him, if you can prove that the school was aware of his problems and were refusing to help, I don't think they can push him out. If they have done everything they can to help him, they may be able to.
They are required by law to deal with kids with social and emotional problems. IF they don't have a program in place, they have to set one up. Once they have, if the child is still considered violent and disruptive and not responding, they can remove him at some point.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/code_regs/discipline.html This is about how and when a school can expell a child and when they can't.
Hello everyone I pretty new and im so glad i found this board
Karenr I know exactly what your going thru its all very scary and frustrating but the best thing i can tell you is to educate yourself on all the "rules" your school system has. I have a 9 yr old boy that has been dx since he was in 2nd grade he started on adderall xr and his hyperactivity was pretty much in control. for some reason the end of 3rd grade his teacher left on maternty leave 3 week b4 school ended and my nightmare started again. since then and then starting of 4th grade he was a totally different kid, aggressive, angry spiteful im not saying he was an angel b4 but he was alway a nice kid i dont know him anymore. I took him to get evaluated he has no ld, he was dx with depression and anxiety so he is taking risperdal and zoloft. I started and IEP called an advacate and found out what my rights were. the board found a program that they thought would benifit him we had to change schools and enter a CTT classroom plus he has a para so far its been ok its been only 2 months. the main issues is the the hitting other kids for no reason usually in less supervised situations. and the bus ride to school is crazy, they keep telling me he doesnt listen. I just got a call from the school telling me that he bite a kid and they are going to put him in 3rd grade for the day ( i dont know really what thats going to do but i dont know what to say anymore) I knew this was going to continue so i spoke to the school and requested a change for the busing hopefully a smaller bus will be better. we go to weekly therapist appts and the breakthru so far is that he feels he was done an injust when his teacher left him and cant get over it, he is still very mad about it and cant get over it. any thoughts?
Thanks for all the support. Jeffrey's meeting was another warning. They want to start to look for other placement for him. I wouldn't sign it but now I am having second thoughts. He had 2 meltdowns at school and for the 1st one they had 4 teachers come in and all hold him down!!!!!! He is 4 ft tall and weights 52lbs. The 2nd time (which was yesterday) they called the police. It is crazy. I am still waiting for the principal to call me back. I was told by his psychatrist that all this attention only encourages this bad behavior. Both times it was at 3:45 probably when his meds were wearing off. I amnot sure what to do.
Karen
Hopefully, others will respond soon.
You should probaby find a highly respected child psychiatrist and get an evaluation/assessment of the meds.
I would also get neuro-psyche testing to make sure you have the dx or dxs right.
This seems very serious to me. They are probably going to move him to an alternate setting, right? From what I've heard once you go there it's hard to get back in the mainstream. So if it is as simple as the meds, this seems like a big mistake. What is his eligibility category? OHI or ED? Do you know what the alternate setting is? I'm pretty sure they only have to offer one.
You should call your local CHADD chapter and ask for the name of an advocate. If you cannot afford one, ask if there a parent advocate groups--they are usually free. There must also be a Mediation service? It seems like they should wait until you have determined whether this is just the meds or not.
How did the meeting go yesterday?It may be the Adderall-good point. He has been very bothered by noise since he started it, and he kicked the principal-but nothing to any teachers and recently knocked down a small bookcase. I don't understand what the bookcase was doing in the middle of the room, a kid could trip and knock it down also. How long does it usually take to find the right meds for a kid ?
Karen
.IMac38944.9097916667well basically federal law states that your child is entitled to a Free and Appropriate Education...they cannot deny your child but they could state that the current setting may not be the least restrictive environment...what is his current placement? is this a LD class? or a EH/BDclass? your child might need a one on one assistant ...there is a cascade of services that need to be tried before your child is placed in a different system
most likley they will not move your child out of the county system because if they do it will cost LOTS of money.
joemom38809.756400463Most people find they need to try many types of stims before they find the proper one for their child. I would talk to your doctor about trying ritalin (or ritalin based meds). Just b/c your son doesn't do well on Adderall doesn't mean he won't do well on Ritalin - they can affect kids very differently.I live in Canada. Here if the students have extreme behavioural concerns then they are moved into a special ed class: social dev; behaviour rem.. They are still part of the public school system. These classes consists of a teacher, youth worker and an alternate worker plus 14 kids total. What kind of special ed class is he in now?In my son the aggression was a result of the stimulant. My son was always very physical prior to meds, but he wasn't as explosive as he was when he was on stims. Once I stopped the stims, the severe aggression and anger issues went away. Was there an increase in this explosive behavior when you started adderall?
He has an IEP but the only thing they have done is send us to ONE psychatrist appointment to get him medicated. I had to get another psychatrist to continue treating him. He receives OT but that is it as far as behavior management. He spends most of his time in a special ed class but is having a difficult year. I get the feeling that the special ed teacher would like to wash her hands of him and the school would just like to get rid of the difficult ones. I have to meet with them on Monday and I am VERY worried. They haven't done much for him even though they like to claim that they have.
Karen
Is there any way you can get an educational advocate? I think you need one.
Who all works in his special ed class? Is it only the teacher?
My son's special ed class has a teacher and a few aides. If he needs OT or speech, he goes to another room for that. The meeting I am having with them is on Monday so I don't have time to get an advocate. I did get the phone # so I can get one if I need to appeal such a decision. I just hope things don't get that far. I hope it is just another warning I am such scared.
Karen
DON'T LISTEN TO THESE IDIOT'S KAREN, THEY'LL HELP KILL YOUR KID....RITALIN CAUSES GENETIC DAMAGE TO THE CHROMOSOMES, THAT IS THE BONE MARROW, STEM CELLS, CANCER...! CHECK OUT THE TEXAS STUDY, ALL 12 KIDS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT CHROMO. CHANGES IN A SHORT TIME. http://www.ritalindeath.com/New-Federal-Law.htm Schools Can't Require ADHD Drugs National Alliance against Mandated Drugging of Children is thrilled Congress Passes Bill That Says Schools Can't Make Drug Treatment Mandatory.U.S. House overwhelmingly passed a bill 407-12 barring schools from requiring hyperactive children to use drug treatments as a condition for attending classes.
This bill was designed to curb reports of school officials telling parents that disruptive kids must begin drug treatment for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in order to attend school.
National Alliance against Mandated Mental Health Screening & Psychiatric Drugging of Children is a caring organization dedicated to informing the public about ADHD and other psychiatric conditions often misdiagnosed because of underlying health conditions and learning differences which are often overlooked.
Many times if a child is having difficulties, the school will be quick to do a psychological evaluation which can lead to a mental diagnosis and psychotropic medications.
This has caused many children to be misdiagnosed with a psychiatric diagnosis which requires lethal psychotropic medications.
Doctors often rely on teachers to identify disruptive behaviors in class they feel can be signs of ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
We feel it is only fair that a child suffering from underlying health conditions and learning differences are checked out by a professional and that the issues at hand be addressed.
What many teachers don’t realize is there are many underlying health conditions and learning differences often misdiagnosed as an subjective disorder like ADHD.
A few common underlying health conditions and learning differences often misdiagnosed as ADHD are food allergies, hidden food sensitivities, preservatives & food dyes.
Some spinal problems can cause ADHD like symptoms because if the spine is not connected to the brain properly nerves from the spinal cord can give the brain all of signals at once making a child rambunctious and always on the go.
Children are misdiagnosed because of hearing problems like middle ear infections or auditory processing disorder.
Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Specialist and/or Audiologist: Because ear, nose and throat infections can affect a child's ability to learn - and because signs of hearing loss often impact listening and attention behaviors - an ENT Specialist or Audiologist may be called upon to rule out non-ADHD problems.
Children who have had a history of ear infections or chronic middle ear fluid are at a higher risk for having difficulties in auditory perception and processing.
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), previously known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) is often misunderstood because it can be confused with certain learning disabilities and ADHD.
It has been found in past research that psychostimulants cause brain atrophy - (Shrinkage) they have tried to prove the difference between a normal brain and an ADHD brain based on This theory.
The research failed to reveal the truth because those with brain atrophy had used psychostimulants prier to the research and the damage was already done.
If your child has never been exposed to psychostimulants like Ritalin, there would be no atrophy and chances are your child would be considered to have a normal brain by a neurologist which would rule out ADHD.
Some Osteopathic Physicians are dedicated to finding the underlying health conditions and learning differences often misdiagnosed as ADD and ADHD.
Nutritional deficiencies or excessive amounts of vitamins can be toxic to the body.
Iron deficiency: Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying pigment in the blood. Iron is normally obtained through the food in the diet and by the recycling of iron from old red blood cells. The causes of iron deficiency are too little iron in the diet, poor absorption of iron by the body, and loss of blood. It is also caused by lead poisoning in children.
B vitamin deficiencies: Many experts believe that one of the main causes for inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, temper tantrums, sleep disorders, forgetfulness, and aggression are caused by faulty neurotransmissions a problem with the neurotransmitters in the brain. Vitamin B-6 is a necessary vitamin used in the making of neurotransmitters that affect behavior. A lack of this vitamin or really any other vitamin can cause a child to act inappropriately.
Excessive amounts of Vitamins: Excessive amounts of vitamins can be toxic to the body and may cause the same ADHD like symptoms. It is possible to overdose when taking vitamins so make sure you contact a physician and check for vitamin deficiencies before taking extra vitamins.
If your child is struggling or just not being challenged enough, Find a learning center that can identifying your child's specific needs and create a personalized program just for your child, with highly trained and certified teachers that work with your child individually, so your child receives the specific help he or she needs.
We have a law called the HIPAA law; Medical issues should be privet family matter.
I feel schools should stick to academics, and if a parent or guardian is duped into believing in a subjective diagnoses like ADHD it's personal.
If an educated parent or guardian prefers to find the real cause of their child’s difficulty rather than masking it with lethal, addictive psychotropic drugs, that’s their choice.
We like many other parents and guardians have been coerced into starting our children on these mind Altering drugs.
Our son’s school social worker told my wife and I if we refused to compile with their evaluation of ADHD and take our seven year old son to the doctor for Ritalin, that we could be charged by child protective services for neglecting his educational and emotional needs.
Some school officials even attempt to force parents into choosing between medicating their children as a prerequisite to attending class, this is criminal.
Nearly 4 million U.S. children under age 17 had been diagnosed with ADHD by 2004, according to the CDC.
Doctors wrote more than 5.6 million prescriptions for Adderall a drug used to treat ADHD during the first six months of 2005. That's a 15% increase over the same period a year before, according to IMS Health, a pharmaceutical information and consulting company.
That’s just Adderall alone, I don’t know the stats on all the other similar drugs like Ritalin and concerta.
Many parents and guardians have made complaints to legislators in Washington.
I personally went from room too room telling our story about how we were coerced into drugging our son with Ritalin.
And the fact that our 14-year-old son's death death certificate stats his death was caused from the use of Ritalin prescribed for ADHD.
It is unknown how often schools have tried to make medication a condition of attending class.
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) says the House Education and Workforce Committee, which he leads, have received a number of complaints" from parents.
I would like to say to Rep. John Boehner, Thank you with all my heart for keeping your promise to me of perusing this very important issue of the forced drugging of so many American children.
This will not bring my son Matthew Smith back or all the other normal children that have died, but this new law will save the lives of many children and cut back on future drug addicts.
Written by Lawrence Smith
12/09/2005
meet our resident ignorant cult brainwashed troll with probably no kids nor knowledge of ADHD or ADD.
do like us ignore and laugh
Yes ignore the lying little boy. He skimmed this little gem off of ritalindeath - a webpage of lies from the church of scientology. Then he added further lies about bone marrow, etc. What this child knows about basic biology you could right on a matchstick.Karen,
I'm lost. What does the doctor have to do with your son returning to school? Legally, the school cannot do what it has done. If your child has been sent home for ten days TOTAL, in the entire school year, the school must have a manifesto determintation hearing to change placement, and an FBA must be done and a BIP must be written addressing the behavior. What does the doctor have to do with it?
Karen, you know what? I *like* the idea of at least going to see where they'd like to send your child? Maybe it would be better for him. You can't know if you don't see. Once you've seen it, if you still feel it's inappropriate, then fight it. I also don't see why a Psychiatrist is needed for permission to go back to school. Have you considered an aide to go to class with your son? We have a child at my daughter's school (I don't know what is wrong with him, but he has serious tantrums) and he also has a 1-1 aide. My daughter says he is much less apt to have outbursts now that somebody is almost always with him and he's doing much better. This can happen without taking him out of his regular school, but you have to be ready to fight like a warrior mom and get an advocate. The SD's, unfortunately, are rarely very understanding of our kids and tend to want to get rid of them or blame the parents for their behaviors. I think all teachers should have intensive classes in ADHD, Bipolar, autism, CAPD, all the disorders we deal with. Then they should have to spend time in special ed classrooms since every single teacher will have at least one undiagnosed/puzzling/"different" child per year. OlderMom38866.3877083333I agree with Oldermom. All teachers should receive some type of intensive training for children with special issues such as ad/hd etc... According to my attorney, the school can. She claims that the school has to go along with the psychatrist. The school is also making like it is a medical leave of abscence. We went to the school's # 1 choice of school for my son, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The kids were hitting each other and the teachers didn't say anything. My son would only get worse there. The school's 2nd choice for a special ed school for my son is 1 hr drive away !!!!!!! This is too far. We looked at a special ed school near by and would like this one if we have to go that route. I would also gladly give Jeffrey Ritalin if it would help him, also.should your child not be protected by a dicrimination against disability law?
i am not too sure how it works in america but here in the uk they would not have been able to do that,something to do with his right to education.
Medical leave??? OMG!!! That's sneaky. What did they say? Did they say, "Oh, we'll just call it medical leave, so you won't have to make a decision right now, and we'll give you a homebound teacher"??? Did they do that?The school's attorney contacted my attorney and made that statementI KNEW IT!!! LOL!!! I read that and said to myself, "That's waaay too sneaky for a school to come up with on their own." Do you like your lawyer, and do you think your lawyer is a good one? You're not in Maryland, by any chance, are you?I've never heard of anything such as medical leave either. I've been an educator for over 20 years. I would consider looking for a child advocate lawyer. Someone that will work with you and your child. I sure hope that you can find just the right situation for your son. It is just so unfair that he has to be missing out on an appropriate education.I am in NJ. My attorney is suppose to be and educational attorney. I did like her but now I am thinking she just isn't doing enough. If I can get a letter from the psychatrist then I will not have to bother with her otherwise I am going to turn to her to do something. I have Jeffrey's IEP on June 7 and I am very nervous about it.KarenR...it sounds like you have your head on your shoulders. Keep strong and know that you have many people that are watching over you. It will be okay. 
Quite honestly, the people handling the ARD/IEP are just people like you and I. I should know because I work closely with committee's such as this and have been the teacher/administrator on the other side. Everyone really just wants what they feel is best. And truely this is what the ARD/IEP committee is suppose to do. Work as a team with the parent for the best interest of the child.
A suggestion for you might be to take a tape recorder. I know many parents that I have worked with before do this because they are afraid they will miss something important.
Take care...
I'm going to quote the exact law:
A child with a disability who is removed the child's current placement under subparagraph (G) (irrespective of whether the behavior is determined to be a manifestation of the child's disability) or subparagraph (C) shall:
(i) continue to receive educationsal services, as provided in section 1412(a)(1) of this title, so as to enable the child to continue to particiapte in the general education curriculum, although in another setting, and to progress toward meeting the goals set out in the child's IEP; and
(ii) receive, as appropriate, a functional behavioral assessment, behavioral intervention services and modifications, that are designed to address the behavior violation so that it does not occur again.
If the local educational agency, the parent, and relevant members of the IEP team make the determination that the conduct was a manifestation of the child's disability, the IEP teams shall:
(i) conduct a functional behavioral assessment, and implement a behavioral intervention plan for such child, provided that the local educational agency had not conducted such assessment prior to such determination before the behavior that resulted in a change of placement described in subparagraph (C) or (G);
(ii) in the situation where a behavioral intervention plan has been developed, review the behavioral intervention plan if the child already has such a behavioral intervention plan, and modify it, as necessary, the address the behavior, and;
(iii) except as provided in subparagraph (G), return the child to the placement from whch the child was removed, unless the parent and the local agency agree to a change of placement a part of the modification of the behavioral intervention plan.
Subparagraph G referred to in the above paragraph states: School personnel may remove a student to an interim alternative educational setting for not more that 45 school days without regard to whether the behavior is determined to be a manifestation of the child's disability in cases where a child:
(iii) has inflicted serious bodily injury upon another person while at school, on school premises, or at a school function under the jurisdiction of a State or local educational agency (I've only included this one because it the one that applies to your son).
Hi All,
Thankyou for all your support. Jeffrey's school doesn't have a quiet room, that is one of the reasons the principal wants Jeffrey to go to another school. I think it is kind of a lame reason and a waste of my tax dollars. I hope he will be able to go back the last 2 weeks of school. My son's psychatrist told me he would write a letter saying he can go back to school, but he is stalling. He will be back on Tuesday and I can't wait. If this man lied to me and doesn't write this letter I will strangle him. Jeffrey is going crazy being home and making me crazy too.
KarenR,
Not that I think another school is the thing to do necessarily...but have you visited the other campus? I would be curious to see if their program is any good . In my opinion it can't hurt to visit. It might help you see what else is available for your son. And if you don't like it then you know that you visited the program and can say that it is indeed not the program or appropriate place for Jeffrey.
I feel for you because I know that this isn't easy. Take care and hang in there. Hopefully your doctor will come around and do what is right.
If a school can't provide what the child needs they must send them on a bus to and from to another school. Parents can request this to your SE director. I voiced all my concerns which is how ours is being moved next school year. I am doing it cause the other school has more and better se department. It is ranked number 1 in our Countey. I only got what I want when demanding it. Parents to me should have the final say its their child. Staff don't know the kids like you do. All kids are different based on who and where they are at. They follow the adults lead. Some don't get not doing work for SE kids is a type of melt down. If your comprehension is low the words will not make sense to you.
Karen how about Homeschool coop classes.
I'm an instructional specialist and in our schools we have behavior specialist that deals with children that have behavior issues such as anger and aggression. You may want to see if your school district has such. From my experience children don't have to leave the regular classroom environment unless they are a threat to themself and others. The behavior specialist comes into the classroom and works with the students or pulls them out in cases of danger or potential danger. It usually takes an act of law to "kick" a child out of school. Don't give up and keep plugging for your son's rights.
Another option we offer in our schools is a special class that the students work in small classrooms with others that demonstrate some of the same behaviors but each child receives the individual attention they deserve. The schools around here work on programs that help the child to mainstream into the "regular" classrooms and special area classes. The teachers in this room are often certified behavior specialists in the special educ program. Good luck and know that there are positive options to help children with special needs.
One other thing... my son has some anger issues too, and we just started using folacin xr. This is working wonders with a nutritional diet plan that includes eating the right combinations of foods. His psyc. recommended a glucose tolerance test. We found out our son has hypoglycemia which also can be linked to anger etc... If you haven't you may want to look into this.
I fortuanately haven't seen a major breakdown at home and the teachers are seeing wonders. He is so happy now. Still the loving child we've always had but now able to control his emotions better.
After Jeffrey's last meltdown is school. (These are always at 2:45-probably when medication is waring off) We need a note from his psychatrist that he is not a danger to anyone in school. The psychatrist would not write this letter and the school gave me the choice of either go to a special ed school or home study for 4-6 weeks. I chose the home study because I figured that he could eventually go back to school. His psychatrist now says he is OK to go back at the end of the month, but will not write a letter, he says just tell the school to call me. I have hired an attorney who will come with us to his IEP meeting which is June 7. We will see.My...this just is unbelievable what you are having to go through. I pray things move in the right direction for you and your son. Do they not have the money to have programs that help children in your public schools? In Texas it takes an act of congress to deny a special educ. child the right to an education. I guess I should be thankful I work for a district and state that protects children of all needs. Keep us informed. I'm really interested to see how they handle this one. I'm glad you are taking an attorney with you. Your child's school is just not trying hard enough to help you or your child. Good luck. Tell them you want a Bip added to all his future iep's beware though they can transfer him to a alternative school for behavior issues.BIP was the acronym I was looking for a little bit ago and I couldnt' think of it. Last day of the school year was today.
Thanks Oldtimer for suggesting this to Karen. Hopefully they will find a way to help Karen's son work on handling his meltdowns so that he doesn't have to go to alternative school. And if he ever did then hopefully they have a strong program to help him get back to his homeschool sooner.
Hi All,
Thanks for the support. My son is on home study which stinks. The teacher only comes to our house 8 hrs per week. I am trying to make sure he keeps up with all the work but it is hard. I have hired an attorney because the school was doing nothing to put a functional behavioral assessment in place. I can't help but think this would have helped a lot. The school wants to place him elsewhere because of behavioral issues, but I am not ready to go that route. I can't help but think if they had done a fba things would have gone a lot better. Having him home ALL the time is making me crazy. He is bored and lonely. I wish I had a crystal ball to tell me what to do.
It really doesn't seem like the school has done everything it can do. The home study sounds like discrimination to me...which is a violation of IDEA and Section 504. Please visit www.wrightslaw.com they have some great suggestions and useful information.
Hang in there, your child has more rights than you know.
Here's a really good website for behavioral plans:
http://www.dmdoptions.com/parents_1169.html
First of all, I'd fight to keep him in public school and defintely wouldn't want him in an ED or BD class. He has a disorder, he isn't "bad." You probably need to get an advocate or the school can really do a number on you. They tried with us until we got one. Secondly, I'd have him go to a Neuro-Psych (the best kind of professional for testing for ADHD and beyond). Sounds like more is going on to me than ADHD. Adderrall can reak havoc if the child doesn't really have ADHD (and sometimes even if he does). He could have high functioning autism and a Psychiatrist would likely miss that--they don't do the performance testing that NeuroPsych's do, plus it's a Neurological problem not a psychiatric one. Behavioral plans don't work the best until kids are stable and have good treatment plans, but can't hurt to try.
OlderMom38862.5773032407My son's latest dx was ADHD, probably early onset bipolar and a mild case(or borderline) aspergers syndrome. I am fighting to get him back in school because I feel that is where he belongs. I am taking a parenting class, and also going to a therapist for advice on how I should handle him. I hope there will be a turnaround this summer. In the past 2 months I have seen a big change in him because of the meds. He is taking t-ball, and last year he was getting into fights at every game. This year he only got into one fight and it was a day that I asked my husband to give him his meds and he forgot. I have heard that a lot of times once they get into a special ed school it is very hard to get them out. If he goes back to school and is unhappy and is having major problems then I will go the special ed school route. I have been visiting these schools and have already chose the one I would have him go to IF we have to go that route.
So sorry Karen,
Did you ever get the advocate? If not, it might be a good idea to look for one now and so you can get things lined up for next year.
I can't believe that they selected to go homebound with your son