can a school refuse meds

[jenny Olson]

Please understand that your son's diagnosis may change as he matures and in turn the effectiveness of the medications. It is also important to continually have him reassessed for the nature of learning or developmental disabilities which may exist even in bright children causing their behavioral problems to be misunderstood. You started out saying he had ADHD then added many other diagnosis, has he been evaluated for Asperger's disorder which may also have many of the same manifestations?

Asperger's is one of the things I requested to have him tested for, when I wrote to the school requesting test to be done last year. They failed to do so putting if off, knowing the end of the year was near.

From what I understand legally when you put the request in writting they have have 30 days to preform the test. After contacting ISD and a protection and advocacy service of Michigan, they asked about the testing to me today. I told them that I never stopped wanting it done. They reassured me that they will do the testing.

 

[jenny Olson]

My apologies. I recognize real learning disabilities (am raising two of three grandchildren with those challenges), but the ADD/ADHD diagnosis has been so exploited, and the drugs that are given have such long term effects, that I hate to see so many parents go down that road.

IMO our society has become so "over-counseled" and "over-prescribed" that we no longer know how to function without some "expert" manipulating our daily lives. Apparently, we have so much wealth and time on our hands we need to make up diseases and conditions so we can have labels and (often) excuses. That's not meant personally, but in general.

Anyway, don't expect the school to administer your child's medications. They have too many kids all doing the same drugs and on different schedules. Doesn't the medication last through the day if it is given just before school? Can you go at lunchtime if needed again?

Most schools are tough on the whole drug (even prescription) situation. But on the other hand, your 12 year old daughter can be taken to an abortion clinic to have a life ending and life threatening procedure that will be kept secret from you. What hypocrisy.

Your appology is accepted After listing that you are raising children with disabilities, I understand the frustration behind it.

I do expect the school to adimin. his meds because even though it lasts through out the day, I am not availiable in the morning to admin. to him myself, and he will not do it on his own. Besides the school is the one's who wrote the 504 and had his meds incorporated into his plan.( for them to give in the office every morning) If given to him at Lunch time the meds would probally start to wear of in the middle of the night, which would cause him to be wide awake and not sleep. And he would not have that extra help for the morning classes.

Also, I wanted to touch on the abortion thing...I remember reading an article about that...I was quick to check out what I could find here in Michigan and I thought I read that Michigan is not one of those states that allow's children to get abortions with out the parents knowlege.

 

[rmet4nzkx]

Asperger's is one of the things I requested to have him tested for, when I wrote to the school requesting test to be done last year. They failed to do so putting if off, knowing the end of the year was near.

From what I understand legally when you put the request in writting they have have 30 days to preform the test. After contacting ISD and a protection and advocacy service of Michigan, they asked about the testing to me today. I told them that I never stopped wanting it done. They reassured me that they will do the testing.

Defiantely check out Asperger's it is under diagnosed and often as ADHD early on and children are seen to grow out of it bit they don't in fact they just catch up. Change is difficult and they require structured and supportive environments. Learning is by rote and abstraction is very difficult, no wonder your child is having troubles. The resources available for developmental disabilities are different than for emotional disabilities and better to have a diagnosis before age 18.
http://www.faaas.org for many resources

 

[ellencee]

You need to do your children a huge favor and get them off the drugs and onto a good diet and excersize regimen. ADD/ADHD/BS is the biggest psychoSCAM since Dr. Spock's spare the rod crap. Haven't you ever wondered why none of this was needed until approx. 20 years ago? Because it's contrived to create another "need" class in our society. 90% of the so-called ADHD symptoms are created by parents who don't want to discipline their children and teach them how to accomplish tasks step by step. Turn off the damn TV and computer games. Teach your kids how to concentrate on tasks without distractions and always expecting rewards for normal behavior. Learning isn't about having fun (contrary to current education vogue). It's done by putting one foot in front of another and not flying on to the next level until the basics are mastered. Get rid of the sugar and the kid's behavior will change dramatically.

I've watched this crap evolve for the past 40 years and it never ceases to amaze me what parents fall for just because some school counselor or Dr. can't give an easy answer to why Johnny can't sit still. Have you ever sat through your children's classes? You wouldn't last an hour either, much less 6 hours, day after day with no meaningful physical activity; no time between classes for activity or socialization; lunch time so short kids can't even get through the line much less sit down to eat; no real play time, sterilized playgrounds with no time for kids to organize their own games....etc.

We are reaping the results of decades of experimentation on our children, and now we're down to drugging them into compliance. Great progress, isn't it.

I was struck by the absence of any recognition of the child's fears and insecurities about being moved away from his home and sent alone into the much larger school. Poor kid.
EC

 

[marbol]

My apologies. I recognize real learning disabilities (am raising two of three grandchildren with those challenges), but the ADD/ADHD diagnosis has been so exploited, and the drugs that are given have such long term effects, that I hate to see so many parents go down that road.

IMO our society has become so "over-counseled" and "over-prescribed" that we no longer know how to function without some "expert" manipulating our daily lives. Apparently, we have so much wealth and time on our hands we need to make up diseases and conditions so we can have labels and (often) excuses. That's not meant personally, but in general.

Anyway, don't expect the school to administer your child's medications. They have too many kids all doing the same drugs and on different schedules. Doesn't the medication last through the day if it is given just before school? Can you go at lunchtime if needed again?

Most schools are tough on the whole drug (even prescription) situation. But on the other hand, your 12 year old daughter can be taken to an abortion clinic to have a life ending and life threatening procedure that will be kept secret from you. What hypocrisy.

Oh come on... Complaining to this person about your pet peeve with society is not a good outlet.

In this world of corporations firing people that are not stellar, it's hardly surprising that a person cannot take off at any time to go back to school and give medicines.

If a doctor says a drug needs to be given out at 9am and not 7am and not "lunchtime" as you put it, then that's when it needs to be.

Most people cannot afford private schools and home schooling is out since they work. So public schools are FORCED on these people who might have no choice but to be in work from 8am to 6pm without exception. For someone to repeatedly leave work every day to do this might get them fired.

Life is tough and we don't need schools refusing to do what they need to do (since school is FORCED). If it weren't forced there would be less a chance they could skate out of this.

For what it's worth I agree that society is overmdecating kids. That's why most people and doctors I know are only using meds as a last resort after diet, etc. are tried. But once a decision is made to do meds, it's not yours or Tom Cruise's place to belittle them for it.

 

[dallas702]

marbol;

Maybe you can volunteer to be "school nurse" so you can give a few hundred kids their medications throughout the day..."as prescribed"...

Or, maybe the schools can quit being one-size-fits-all, zero tolerance paranoid moral police long enough to trust the kids with legitimate prescriptions to take their own medicine when it is required.

 

[panzertanker]

Or, maybe the schools can quit being one-size-fits-all, zero tolerance paranoid moral police long enough to trust the kids with legitimate prescriptions to take their own medicine when it is required.

dallas:
Would you allow your "special needs" grandchildren to take their prescribed medications on their own??????

 

[dallas702]

Well, they don't take meds but your point is well taken. i was thinking of older students. I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I'm not sure how schools are supposed to deal with the volume of medicated students these days, though. Consider an elementary or middle school of 800, or a high school of 3500. How can they possibly monitor or administer all those meds? And, if they can't how can they meet legal challenges on both sides of the fence?

 

[xylene]

marbol;
zero tolerance paranoid moral police

That's YOU.

Consider an elementary or middle school of 800, or a high school of 3500.

Who brought you that? You want it both ways- and you can't have it.

Economies of scale don't work for educating and caring for kids- and thats going to cost you.

Vote for a huge tax increase and then we'll talk. And cut the over-regulating line, it lost on me once you bring up abortion.

The fact of the matter is that 'regulation' that gets you yours is good for everyone, but if it gets in your way, its the moral police.

 

[panzertanker]

Well, they don't take meds but your point is well taken. i was thinking of older students. I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I'm not sure how schools are supposed to deal with the volume of medicated students these days, though. Consider an elementary or middle school of 800, or a high school of 3500. How can they possibly monitor or administer all those meds? And, if they can't how can they meet legal challenges on both sides of the fence?

I completely understand your frustrations....I have them too. I have to write notes to schools daily for med administration. There are meds that people need, and they must be given while at school. That is why we have school nurses.
The same can be said for SRO's. Why are we policing our schools/children??? To make sure they are safe.
That is our responsibility as a society.

 

[usaohol]

I completely understand your frustrations....I have them too. I have to write notes to schools daily for med administration. There are meds that people need, and they must be given while at school. That is why we have school nurses.
The same can be said for SRO's. Why are we policing our schools/children??? To make sure they are safe.
That is our responsibility as a society.

Ah..... but not all schools have nurses, some only have a nurse at the schools a certain number of hours a week. The people who are in the clinic all day do not necessarily have any training on any type of emergency care or first aid, let alone any knowlede regarding medications. Which is quite frightening. This may be the reason the school does not want to administer medications. If that was the case I wouldn't want them administering my childs medications either.

 

[panzertanker]

Ah..... but not all schools have nurses, some only have a nurse at the schools a certain number of hours a week. The people who are in the clinic all day do not necessarily have any training on any type of emergency care or first aid, let alone any knowlede regarding medications. Which is quite frightening. This may be the reason the school does not want to administer medications. If that was the case I wouldn't want them administering my childs medications either.

true. I have come to realize that I can only help one patient at a time...

The imperfections of society are just that; imperfections.
There is no easy way to fix this problem, and all I can say is that if the medication is needed enough (read: DIRE) then the parent has a responsibility to ensure it is administered.
Even if they must go to the school at lunch break...

 

[usaohol]

true. I have come to realize that I can only help one patient at a time...

The imperfections of society are just that; imperfections.
There is no easy way to fix this problem, and all I can say is that if the medication is needed enough (read: DIRE) then the parent has a responsibility to ensure it is administered.
Even if they must go to the school at lunch break...

I completely agree!

 

[dallas702]

zylene;

The only zero tolerance I have is for people who willingly commit crimes. Kids who get tossed out of school for bringing a plastic picnic knife to cut their baloney, or yelling "I'll kill you" when playing cops & robbers on the playground, or taking an aspirin for a headache, are victims of managerial stupidity and laziness. Those who allow a 12 or 14 year old girl to leave campus without her parent's permission to get an abortion are guilty of both interference with the family's parental duties and rights, and murder.

The extreme permissiveness of the last 3 decades has made raising children much more difficult even though the technology and history is in place to make it easier. I find it very revealing that when I went through K-8, and then high school, we never had one incident of drug abuse or intoxication at school. Almost all families had guns in their homes, yet we never had one incident of violence or threat of violence with a gun. If anyone cursed at a teacher they were immediately suspended. Immediately. No lawyer would stand up for them, and no court would put them back in school. The dress codes were strict and if they were violated the student was removed from the classroom immediately. A fight or a display of too much affection in school resulted in a quick trip to the office and home for the day. I could add to the list, but no one seems to want to look back at what worked for hundreds of years. If you look back at the generations who were kids before the 1970's you have to be impressed by the fact that they not only fought through several major wars; created some of the most incredible inventions/technologies imagineable; built a successful, adaptive social, cultural, and education structure; and changed the economic face of the world forever, but they did most of it without any of the hi tech tools we take for granted today.

The tool that they did have that worked over and over was discipline and self control. That didn't come from government programs or drugs. Most of it came from parents/families who took responsibility for their children and saw them as "job #1".

 

[xylene]

Those who allow a 12 or 14 year old girl to leave campus without her parent's permission to get an abortion are guilty of both interference with the family's parental duties and rights, and murder.

Well that is your opinion. And all those wars were fought for you to have the right to express your opinion via the political process. And the result of that is that reproductive rights are not controlled by the parent, and abortion is a medical procedure not murder.

Most of it came from parents/families who took responsibility for their children and saw them as "job #1".

I could blow by the rest of your points, but that just wastes the OPs time. I hope that is what the OP does is take responsiblity and not let the school skirt theirs. You are arguing out of both side of your mouth.