Public Education and ADHD/Bipolar | ADHD Information

Yes!! And YES!! My son is currently going through something similar except without the felony charges. He was suspended from his primary school due to his behavior; then routed to another public school that had a special ed program that could assist him. So while there he is still behaving horribly. Recently, he was suspended for ONE day but get this-

He got into trouble on Wednesday of this week but because state tests were being conducted today they would NOT suspend him, instead his suspension is for Friday!
Accountability is number one--not the child.

Tammy RingoBingo39583.6046064815I also saw that news segment last night. I couldn’t even get to sleep because of it. I am not sure if you guys remember that I told you that my son jd is on homebound or not. I am not sure if you guys are familiar with aspergers and sid or not, but my child has them both. Well this teacher (and I use the term very loosely) would grab his face and force him to look at her. He doesn’t have good eye contact because of aspergers and he can not tolerate being touched, especially if he doesn’t like you, nor can he tolerate loud noises. And this teacher would yell at him all day. My son would come home crying, he was starting to show signs of regression (wetting pants at night, nightmares, fits of crying and more). This teacher was assistant to a specialist, my son loves the specialist by the way. One day my son was a little under the weather and the specialist was out. I mention this because I had already requested on numerous occasions that this teacher not be around my son because she was stressing him out. I did not why because my son would just cry when I asked him. Well on this day his homeroom teacher stated that the mean teacher came and pulled him out of class for no reason. The teacher took him to her room and was making him miss recess and lunch. She kept swatting him on his head and grabbing his wrist trying to force him to look at her. He got mad and called her a b**ch. She was on her knees trying to make him look at her and she grabbed his legs by the ankle, flipping him on his backside. This left a huge bump on the back of his head. He kicked her, he stated that he was trying to get away from her. I was called to come a get my son the school wanted to suspend him. They should have known that this was not going to fly with me. I take being a mom very serious. His first Pedi told be that I would always have to be my sons advocate, I have taken that statement to heart and I never forget it. Well anyways when I got to the school my son was in the corner crying like a kicked dog. The principal was there trying to talk to him. His wrist where very red. I took him to the car with my sister and i came back to the building where they where. I told the principal that they were not going to suspend my son that they were going to place him on homebound because I had ALREADY REQUESTED that this teacher not come in contact with my son and that they had not protected him. And that if they did not put him on homebound that I was going to press charges on both the school and the teacher. You better believe that they put my son on homebound. I took my son home an video taped his statement and his bruises. This is the day that he says his teacher beat him up . The teacher was not reprimanded in anyway until my son told his therapist who in return told her supervisor who called CPS, the teacher was fired and an official notice was put in her file stating that she could no longer teacher Special children again. They said that if this ever happens concerning her again she will face jail time, and that if it ever happens at his school again his school will be investigated. YEAH, I wish she would have gotten jail time. lol. You would be surprised to find out went to bat for my son during the hearings. His homeroom teacher who is bipolar and has three bipolar children. She stated that the teacher targeted my son and that she was always belittling him in front of other students. She had even told the principal twice before. Now the school thinks that they can force his cardiologist and me to put him back on meds for school next year. That’s funny, they should of learned by now not to fool with my son. I am my children’s advocate.lethy proud mom39583.7078819444

First of all, the link brought up an error page...SO I went to the homepage and clicked "education" and the story came up.

I am so angry....I've been sitting here shaking with fury because I know this can happen to ANY of our kids! Just because the districts (and many teachers) are too lazy to find (and IMPLEMENT) ways to reach them!

My son is 10 now and I noticed that this school year is the year that most of his troubles in school got worse.... It makes me wonder if they weren't trying to push him to the point that he'd be charged criminally!

Folks we need to get organized and DO something!

Hi diane, we had his 3rd Ard meeting this year on Tuesday. Hs assistant principal did mention placing him in a special program at a different campus. She said the there would be two or three teachers to four kids. And that his work would be tailored made to fit him. The school stated that homebound is only temporary, and that his Pedi must fill out the form to have him placed on hb next. His pedi of course said that he would fill out any forms to help jd. So we are going to consider intergrating him back into the school system next year in this special school, but who knows maybe things will get better over the summer. Thanks as always for the post.

lethy proud mom, I am heartbroken reading that post, your poor litle boy!

Have you thought about him being placed in a special ed school? I am moving my daughter, hopefully next year. She has multiple LD's along with her ADHD and at her age we've come to realize she is not learning in the general school environment. She is not a behavior problem nor is she having anywhere near these kinds of issues, but she needs to larn to be independant without the stress of school being "too hard". I have an advocate and we are getting school to pay tuition and transportation. All the kids in the program are special Ed. Her class will be a large popluation of high functioning autism and Aspergers non verbal learning kids. These kids are generally not behavioral concerns, but their LD's/anxiety...etc., etc., are just too much. I looked at many programs and she has chosen a very large one in a large public high school, but others were more "protected", in separate schools with WONDERFUL teachers that are working with special needs kids becasue the want to. She loves all the "hub bub" involved with the bustling community of this large school, most of these kids dont like that, but she is not shy and loves all that (one of her BEST qualities IMO), wont hold her back from fear. I was amazed at the choices and different opportunites and programs out there, most people dont know about. Schools dont share this, they certainly dont want to pay, but we proved this was what she needed and I am waiting (impatiently) for our final apporval.

I believe this type of non-action goes on in a lot of school districts. There was an article last week about an 8 y/o boy in a special public school for the emotionally handicapped in SW Florida who attacked his teacher and he has also been charged with a felony. These are teachers that supposedly have been trained to help and defuse these special needs students!You know, I am shocked to hear about the mistreatment of some of these children. I know the reality of it is probably higher. But you know what? General education teachers are not trained in their studies about Autism, ADHD or even bipolar not unless they get the training elsewhere. But many teachers that are certified in special ed, do have some creditinals.
My point though is this: general teachers are told to teach this way or that way---its the government who sets the standards and the accountabilty.
Regardless......NO CHILD should ever have to go through what any of the before mentioned child has gone through. It disgusts me to hear how schools don't seem to want to bother sometimes with the "problem" children and they just wnat you to get your kid diagnosed with some disorder so they can have more fuel to try and get of them so they don't have to be responsible. Luckily I can say that both my daughter's and my step-daugher's schools have been very involved with my husband and I on helping our children do better academically and behavior better in school and at home. I have seen many cases where schools haven't even bothered trying to help a child, though and it angers me because many of these children who end up with criminal records probably would have never been in the bad situations they are now if someone had just bothered to try and help at their school and didn't just treat them like they were the "bad kid."You are lucky to have such wonderful teachers who throughly enjoy doing what they do.

In this world---there are bad and good teachers.

In Public Schools--I think its just the process they are required to go through for specially diagnosed children--and again that is mandated by the government.

WE--are the ones who need to push for change.

I majored in secondary ed and did not learn much of anything about special needs. I don't recall learning about ADHD at all. of course, I graduated in '90, so maybe that was before we knew much??

 

But I still don't think many teachers know much about it even now. THe counselor I've been seeing for my own depression over my son's and dh's problems says the schools barely know anything about any of it. He sees a lot of very troubled and angry teens and even younger kids.

 

I think advocacy is the key. I have emailed articles before...a good source is http://www.additudemag.com. But then, I'm always paranoid that they are saying I am one of those "helicopter" moms trying to make excuses for my lazy and bad son.

Last night as I watched the nightly news, an educational report came on about a child diagnosed at age 6 with bipolar and by age ten had two felonies under his belt. Click the link below to learn more. You will be shocked and you will advocate!!

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentI d=6543290&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.8. 1

Please give me and whoever else is reading these posts feedback!
Tammy