Friday, May 14, 2010

Don't give me that line of crap....

So David came last night with a note from his guidance counselor saying that he was not following the rules in class on Wednesday. The note said that he was not sitting still, tapping on the desk during a song and talking. David has been doing a lot of self-stim since it is getting close to Dave deploying. So I am wondering if this lady is serious so I decide to go to the school and have a chat with her.

She was available during her planning period which was at 10am. So I show up and ask her what the problems is about David's behavior and why he is getting in trouble for something that is normal in his world when he has anxiety. She starts out by saying that what he is doing is "not autistic behavior" (excuse me!), then says "would you suggest that I let him run the class!" Well, that made me hot under the collar and I just wanted to rip her a new one, but we are standing in the middle of the school entrance. I ask her if she tried redirecting David or giving him something alternative to do like just tapping his finger on the desk. Of course she said no....Holy crap! You are a guidance counselor and don't work on redirection with your kids?!?! I knew I was getting no where fast with this loony so I went home and typed a nice email to the teachers and included the principle and vice-principle on the email.....here it is:

Good Afternoon,
I wanted to let you know that David's Dad is Deploying for 7-9 months in the next week. David understands that his Daddy is going to help people like he did in Haiti. He does not like to talk much about it so we wait for cues from him if he wants to talk about it. We have noticed at home that David has been showing some excessive self-stimulation (shaking his head side to side), talking/singing/humming to himself and moving/fidgitting around alot and he constantly want to talk to me. This is how he is expressing his anxiety about his Dad leaving. Just telling him to "stop" will not rectify the situation. He will need to be redirected to do something else. Please be patient with him because what he is doing is not wrong in his world and this is how he knows how to cope.
David will continue with his psychiatry appointments on Wednesday mornings and will be late to school. I will continue to pick him up on Wednesdays afternoons for his OT appointments.
If David is having a severe meltdown prior to school I will keep him home that day. If you feel that he is being excessively distruptive and can not get him redirected please call me. Again I ask for you patients during this trying time for David.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please let me know. I am always available on my cell.
Thank you for your help with this matter,
Erica
 
******
I get a response email from the guidance counselor backpeddling to save her rear! She was all apologies and kissing my rear for bring this to her attention and that if there is anything she can do for us to let her know. Well, whatever lady....I saw your true side this morning and I don't play games!

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