A Tucson teacher resigned after Duct-taping a
student to her chair because she kept getting out of her seat (hmmm -
ADHD? autism? sensory processing disorder?) prompting this retired
teacher to write a letter to the editor of my hometown newspaper sympathizing WITH
THE TEACHER and proclaiming that such troublemakers should get the hell
out of the classroom. No acknowledgment that this could be anything
other than a disciplinary issue. I live in absolute terror that Quinn
will end up with a teacher like this.
Read the letter here.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
The full alphabet soup
ASD. ADHD. SPD. PDD.
He's got them all.
We knew from Day 1 that Quinn had some characteristics of autism. But his therapists felt like the behaviors were brought on by a lack of stimulation in his early months and that they likely would pass with time. Plus, we were doing all the therapies he would receive if he had autism, so an actual diagnosis didn't seem necessary.
Then our insurance company decided it didn't want to keep paying for therapy for a kid who wasn't on the autism spectrum. So, diagnosis here we come.
Getting the testing was no easy feat. It costs about $1,000 and is not covered by insurance. And the only developmental pediatrician in our city of 1 million people who does it has a wait of 19 months. So we headed up to Phoenix - only a six-month wait - for two days of testing.
The process was actually pretty interesting. We filled out reams of questionnaires and literally discussed or disagreed over every answer. Does Quinn initiate play with other kids? I'd start to mark "rarely, if ever" and Tom would say, "That's not true. He does it at the park all the time." Argue, argue, argue. Then we'd compromise on an answer.
While we were doing that, the developmental psychologist gave Quinn and IQ test and then about six different tests. In some he solved puzzles, in some she watched him play with toys, in some she asked him questions.
Then the next day, I went back for two hours of answering questions, mostly about the paperwork we had filled out the previous day.
A week later we went back for the results. High-normal to high IQ, ADHD (another test will determine the severity) and autism. Not really surprising, nothing really changes except now his therapy will be covered. But I was surprised that hearing the diagnosis set me to thinking, and worry, about Quinn's future. Will he be able to make it in school? Will he be able to go to college? Will he be able to live on his own?
Now we begin the long and difficult road of trying to point all those answers to yes.
He's got them all.
We knew from Day 1 that Quinn had some characteristics of autism. But his therapists felt like the behaviors were brought on by a lack of stimulation in his early months and that they likely would pass with time. Plus, we were doing all the therapies he would receive if he had autism, so an actual diagnosis didn't seem necessary.
Then our insurance company decided it didn't want to keep paying for therapy for a kid who wasn't on the autism spectrum. So, diagnosis here we come.
Getting the testing was no easy feat. It costs about $1,000 and is not covered by insurance. And the only developmental pediatrician in our city of 1 million people who does it has a wait of 19 months. So we headed up to Phoenix - only a six-month wait - for two days of testing.
The process was actually pretty interesting. We filled out reams of questionnaires and literally discussed or disagreed over every answer. Does Quinn initiate play with other kids? I'd start to mark "rarely, if ever" and Tom would say, "That's not true. He does it at the park all the time." Argue, argue, argue. Then we'd compromise on an answer.
While we were doing that, the developmental psychologist gave Quinn and IQ test and then about six different tests. In some he solved puzzles, in some she watched him play with toys, in some she asked him questions.
Then the next day, I went back for two hours of answering questions, mostly about the paperwork we had filled out the previous day.
A week later we went back for the results. High-normal to high IQ, ADHD (another test will determine the severity) and autism. Not really surprising, nothing really changes except now his therapy will be covered. But I was surprised that hearing the diagnosis set me to thinking, and worry, about Quinn's future. Will he be able to make it in school? Will he be able to go to college? Will he be able to live on his own?
Now we begin the long and difficult road of trying to point all those answers to yes.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
No, this didn't happen in 1950. It was today. In my home school district.
Special-needs kids were left outside an elementary school in the heat for two hours after their bus broke down. Why weren't they allowed inside? School officials feared the SN kids would disturb the NSN kids enjoying an air-conditioned after-school program inside.
Read it here. Unbelievable.
Read it here. Unbelievable.
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