What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wisconsin
I have a 6 year old child who is currently enrolled in mainstream Kindergarten at our local public school. He has an IEP, and has had an IEP since the age of 3.
This year, there have been many difficulties with the elementary school where my son is now attending. Things started to get progressively worse, and my son was beginning to come home with self-inflicted injuries. Since September, I had been making recommendations of what could be done to prevent these behaviors, based on previous years in school and what had been shown to work there (which are documented very well in his educational records). The self-inflicting behaviors continued over a few months' time and I continued to communicate my concerns to the school, but the recommendations were never implemented. They actually disciplined and secluded him for these behaviors that he has no control over.
My son came home with three separate injuries recently, the worst day he's had at school by far, and I informed the school that due to the unsafe environment, my son would not be attending until further notice. I requested an interim IEP meeting to discuss strategies being used, and my concern with their ineffectiveness. Now, after pulling him from school and essentially demanding these changes be implemented, the school is willing to use these recommendations. We're now just waiting for the tools the school has ordered to come in, and for staff to be trained in their use, and also be trained in the changes accepted by the school at the IEP meeting. I plan on sending my son back to school as soon as most of this equipment is available for his use (much of it has to be shipped to the school).
My problem right now is in dealing with the district and the compulsory attendance laws. The district is engaging in truancy proceedings unless we can provide an excuse from his doctor or psychiatrist that states my son is "temporarily not in proper physical or mental condition to attend school but can be expected to return to school upon termination or abatement of the illness or condition." (Page 6, FAQ#14 - http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/pdf/schlattendqa.pdf)
Autism isn't a mental condition that can be terminated, and its abatement was completely in the school's hands. What happens when the reason for him being out of school is due to his safety at school, and during this time period we're waiting for the changes to be implemented? I'm trying not to place the "blame" on the school, but I've done everything I could think of in trying to get them to understand their approach was not effective in maintaining a safe environment for him.
I have a 6 year old child who is currently enrolled in mainstream Kindergarten at our local public school. He has an IEP, and has had an IEP since the age of 3.
This year, there have been many difficulties with the elementary school where my son is now attending. Things started to get progressively worse, and my son was beginning to come home with self-inflicted injuries. Since September, I had been making recommendations of what could be done to prevent these behaviors, based on previous years in school and what had been shown to work there (which are documented very well in his educational records). The self-inflicting behaviors continued over a few months' time and I continued to communicate my concerns to the school, but the recommendations were never implemented. They actually disciplined and secluded him for these behaviors that he has no control over.
My son came home with three separate injuries recently, the worst day he's had at school by far, and I informed the school that due to the unsafe environment, my son would not be attending until further notice. I requested an interim IEP meeting to discuss strategies being used, and my concern with their ineffectiveness. Now, after pulling him from school and essentially demanding these changes be implemented, the school is willing to use these recommendations. We're now just waiting for the tools the school has ordered to come in, and for staff to be trained in their use, and also be trained in the changes accepted by the school at the IEP meeting. I plan on sending my son back to school as soon as most of this equipment is available for his use (much of it has to be shipped to the school).
My problem right now is in dealing with the district and the compulsory attendance laws. The district is engaging in truancy proceedings unless we can provide an excuse from his doctor or psychiatrist that states my son is "temporarily not in proper physical or mental condition to attend school but can be expected to return to school upon termination or abatement of the illness or condition." (Page 6, FAQ#14 - http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/pdf/schlattendqa.pdf)
Autism isn't a mental condition that can be terminated, and its abatement was completely in the school's hands. What happens when the reason for him being out of school is due to his safety at school, and during this time period we're waiting for the changes to be implemented? I'm trying not to place the "blame" on the school, but I've done everything I could think of in trying to get them to understand their approach was not effective in maintaining a safe environment for him.