No Help from School Officials | ADHD Information

Yes, bierce Jerkwater TN  aka Huntingdon is about 150 miles South west of Nashville. Thank you for all of your help.  I have called Nashville for a child advocate this morning and am awaiting their reply.  Also have called the counseling center here in the town where I live.  They have a psychologist who does group to help the ADHD children with thier social skills.  In addition to ADHD my child has a "non active" thyroid.  He is severely overweight despite our efforts to help him with this.  He is not only ridiculed due to his lack of social skills but also because of his weight. Huntingdon Middle School has a zero tolerance policy for "bullying and verbal abuse" it seems though it does not apply to my son.  Yesterday at the meeting with his teachers she balled up her little fists and when I asked her why she had a problem with my son she said "HE IS THE PROBLEM". So much for diplomacy and understanding.  I am familiar with the Shire that you mentioned.  My son is on Adderall as well as Straterra.  Unfortunately he seems to be one of the patients least responsive to this medicine.  Keep your fingers crossed for me and thank you so very much.  Raven

 

Ravenmyst38413.482974537

Hi Raven, Good for you!  Some schools in the US need their butts kicked!  First of all, there are two federal education laws that gives ADHD children certain rights and protection.  Go to www.adhdsupportcompany.com this is Shire manufacturer of Adderall website, they are NOT going to push you to buy adderall but there are many many useful things there.  Go to the library and you can download Section 504/IDEA brochure.  It is the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT as amended in 1997.  I hate the fact that they refer to ADHD as a disability but I guess it is.  Also look at the article that is Accomodating Children with ADHD in the Classroom.  THAT should be very helpful to you.  After getting the information, if it was me, I would print it and take it to the school and let them know that they are REQUIRED to help your son, and if changes are NOT made you will be taking this up with the school board, AND your attorney.  At this site you can also request a brochure sent snail mail to you that has lots of tips and ideas in it, its called ADHD and the Family, A Blueprint for Success.  Good Luck, keep us posted, anything else I can help you with feel free to email me! bierce9800@aol.com

April 

PS: Jerkwater, Tn?  Is that near Nashville?   Just kidding!

bierce980038413.4532407407

HELP>>>I am getting precisely no where with trying to get help from my sons school concerning his ADHD. I live in jerkwater usa TN and the teachers and staff have no formal training to deal with children with ADHD>  I have asked for help and they refuse to do the slightest things to help; for instance, help him write down his homework assignments (my son is 10) All they want is for him to medicate and vegitate,  I need the help of an advocate in my area. I am willing to push this thing to the max.  I don't care if I become the most hated woman in town.  This is my son, he needs help desperately and I intend to see that he gets it.  I know some of you out there understand my frustration.  Plz, Plz, Plz someone help me.  Thanks Guys

Thank you Simi.  We are a small community and all they care about here is football. They are not real interested in academics unless you are the bankers son or some big-wigs kid.  We are just plain people so we don't seem to stand a chance other than the fact that we are just fed up with they system.  My son is 10 and he is not the only one here who has started to fall through the cracks thanks to thier apathy.  Yesterday when we went to meet with the teachers they all but said a flat out "No we aren't going to do it." Their answers are evasive.  They called my son a liar, accused me of not helping him at home (we study an additional 3 hrs. total when he comes home to help him keep up.)  It was all I could do to keep from baling over that principals desk and flogging her. I am waiting on a return call from the Child Protection and Advocacy Inc. in Nashville.  They have proven quite effective for another child I know of in a nearby town.  That school also refused to comply to start with but changed their mind when faced with loosing some of it's federal funding.   I have the number of another advocacy forum in Jackson TN.  If this one doesn't prove effective.  I have made my son an appointment to be re-evaluated and set him up with a counselor who does group therapy for the ADHD kids to strengthen their social skills.  He was evaluated by LeBoneur Hospital in Memphis TN when he was 4 and has taken medication ever since.  We have fought the school every single year and get less and less cooperation.  I am one mad mother right now.  If this advocacy works out I intend to put a letter to the editor in the local paper and publish the address and how to contact the agency for all the other people who won't or don't know how to speak up.  I don't know everything right now but I intend to learn.  If more people complained they would have to do more.  Thanks for your help.  Talk to ya later---ravenRavenmyst,

There are several schools that specialize in ADD and learning differences.  My son attends one and it is nothing short of a miracle. 

I am not sure what the population is within your school district.  If you are fairly large, you should be able to find an advocate and the special services that your son needs.

The first thing you will need is an IEP.   You will also need to have a psychoeducational evaluation done.  This will be extremely telling to everybody in terms of your sons strengths and weaknesses.  Once you have this, you will be able to demand the special services that your school district offers.

How far are you from Nashville?  Do they have any special schools for learning differences?  If your school doesn't offer services, you might want to investigate the schools on the east coast or perhaps the mid-Atlantic area that offer the services he needs.
You definately need to be vocal about this issue.  For now, YOU are your son's advocate and you will find others that specialize in this area.  They will have many resources available to you.

Simi
< =""> I to thank you bierce for the website.  I live with two my 5 year old and my husband (who is still in denial).  I am still working on him and from my research and observations he is in need of help. 

Jill, Good Luck!  Along with my 6 yo son, I am also ADHD.  It probably won't make any difference to your husband, but try relaying my experience to him, tell him going to the doc and finding out can make a difference! After I was dx and I did decide to go the meds route, I feel like a brand new person!  I could focus, I could SLEEP!, I could get things done!  It was really exciting to me!  I just wish I had been dx as a child it would have made quite the difference.  Ask him what it could hurt going to the doc and asking for an evaluation?  If it makes you happy, and it could make him happy, tell him he can even tell you "I told you so" if the doc says he doesn't have it!  AND I was only dx after my son, my sons pediatrician actually figured it out and told me to get to my doc.  He said usually one parent is also ADHD even if we haven't been dx or know it.

I also know at this point that I am rambling, and jumping around, BUT my meds were supposed to be adjusted a little higher this week but I got sick (nothing to do with meds though) and I have to wait until next week now!