Part of the evaluation was a psychiatric evaluation.  The
> psychiatrist we saw today was sure that my son was not violent.
> However, he is unsure if the act was impulsivity due to ADHD or
> otherwise.  He suggested we give my son ADHD meds to see if the
> impulsivity stops.

I second the second opinion option because I thought the school doctor
and district is not permitted to require you to have your child
medicated especially if your child is not DX for a condition by that
doctor.  I would try to have someone document these so
called 'impulsive behaviors' so you can get a better idea of what is
going on.  Are the other kids teasing him or bully him by egging him to
do things or are they laughing at tantrums or frustration?  Make sure
you cover all bases so a full picture is looked at not just one
person's view.  April

That is interesting and good for her - her kid doesn't have special
needs but mine does.  I am sure glad we did not add vaccines to our mix
and that we breastfed for as long as we did.  I cannot imagine how much
worse our son would have been if he had not developed his jaw muscles
or if I had to live with the fear that we had caused harm by injecting
him with vaccines his body was not willing to tolerate.  I find that we
have lost the ability to trust in our bodies design if we fool
ourselves into thinking that one way of parenting is the the only way
or if we cannot come to terms that we can live through most disesase
such as chicken pox, measles, mumps, the flu - etc.  We do so for a
reason - to bulid our immunity, naturally as intended.  However most
parents send their darlings into school with upper resp diseaase like
the coughs and colds we see that actually affect our well kids more
than the debate on if they vaccinated or not.  I see it as my right to
choose and unless you are in my boat - don't judge me - my kids are
healthy!  So if Amanda Peet wants to vaccinate great...but I hope she
sees room for those of us that defend our choice not to and understands
why.  April

Hi Amy - I have yet to find some outstanding doctor aside from my
dentist and my midwives.  Instead of judging any doctor based on what
questions they answered - I look to see how they interact with the
patient, what progress they state or they actually ask about, and where
they would like to see my child.  I went to a doctor in Edison who
actually took a phone call during our visit, then leaned in and asked
my husband and I if "we were finished" and I had to tell him that when
he got off the phone and continued our conversation we were!  I mean I
realize he works in brain injury as well as see Autistic kids but
really?!  How unprofessional.  We never went back.  I think it was Dr.
Milrod - who we named Mimrod after that.  We are on a waiting list to
see a doctor and have been for about a year.  The DAN doctor my husband
went to Dr. Dornfield was excellent and took us and our insurance right
away, undeerstood we were not doing any injection therapy and had a
plan for our son.  We liked him.
April

my ds had his follow-up appointment with his neurodevelopmental
pediatrician yesterday. i took my mom with me since dh was out of town.
although he answered all of our questions, my mom doesn't feel like he
presented umph and that he didn't really spend time with ds! is she
kidding? with that I ask, how often do your child/children's
neurodevelopmental pedi's conduct actual evaulations to better assess
them? he offered us some suggestions to assist in certain behaviors
that we are having with ds but I guess that she wasn't fulfille.

Thanks!

Amy

--- In Care-to-
ShareSupportNetwork@yahoogroups.com, "dianelanglamorticella"
<dianelanglamorticella@...> wrote:
>
> --- In Care-to-
ShareSupportNetwork@yahoogroups.com, "jessicajlh2002"
> <jessicajlh2002@> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks, Diane.  I already told them I can't attend the meeting
this
> > Friday (I have a doctor's appointment.), and asked them to delay
the
> > meeting to Jan. next year ( I explained the reason).  But our
school
> > district still want to push the meeting before the holiday
knowing my
> > baby is coming soon, and they said they will provide me some
> > alternative dates, or I can participate over the phone etc.  If I
> still
> > reject the other meeting dates before the holiday, will I
> >
> Jessica,   Im sorry, I cant see the end of your message, but, I
would
> remind them that your pregnancy is the priority right now, and tell
> them that you cant plan very much until after your delivery.  This
> close to your date, its not a matter of doctors appointments, but
like
> you said, the stress, and the unpredictability of being this close
to
> your due date.
>      I would tell them that this is the reason for keeping things
the
> same until you can have a meeting, if they need to make a response
to
> your request for a meeting, then let them send you a letter that
> acknowledges that you need a meeting at the end of January.
School
> will be closed for almost two weeks anyway, so if things stay the
same
> for a couple weeks in January, isnt that better than the unneeded
> stress of planning an IEP meeting and the response now?   Unless
you
> think your son absolutely cant stay any longer with his current
> services, but, I think it would probably be fine if you have the
> meeting at the end of January.  I would also tell them that you
cant
> make plans and then need to go out in bad weather at this point
either,
> because being so close to your due date and then slipping on ice or
> snow  would be really bad.  Maybe they want to do this now because
if
> there are any changes it might be easier for them to implement them
> after the holiday vacation, but, you need to tell them that your
health
> and the health of your new baby are important too.  Where are they
> going after January?  Doesnt the school year go until June? and
then
> the ESY???  I mean, come on, do they need a note from your doctor
> telling them that this is not a time for you to make plans for
things
> that can wait????   Diane
>

--- In Care-to-ShareSupportNetwork@yahoogroups.com, "jessicajlh2002"
<jessicajlh2002@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks, Diane.  I already told them I can't attend the meeting this
> Friday (I have a doctor's appointment.), and asked them to delay the
> meeting to Jan. next year ( I explained the reason).  But our school
> district still want to push the meeting before the holiday knowing my
> baby is coming soon, and they said they will provide me some
> alternative dates, or I can participate over the phone etc.  If I
still
> reject the other meeting dates before the holiday, will I
>
Jessica,   Im sorry, I cant see the end of your message, but, I would
remind them that your pregnancy is the priority right now, and tell
them that you cant plan very much until after your delivery.  This
close to your date, its not a matter of doctors appointments, but like
you said, the stress, and the unpredictability of being this close to
your due date.
      I would tell them that this is the reason for keeping things the
same until you can have a meeting, if they need to make a response to
your request for a meeting, then let them send you a letter that
acknowledges that you need a meeting at the end of January.   School
will be closed for almost two weeks anyway, so if things stay the same
for a couple weeks in January, isnt that better than the unneeded
stress of planning an IEP meeting and the response now?   Unless you
think your son absolutely cant stay any longer with his current
services, but, I think it would probably be fine if you have the
meeting at the end of January.  I would also tell them that you cant
make plans and then need to go out in bad weather at this point either,
because being so close to your due date and then slipping on ice or
snow  would be really bad.  Maybe they want to do this now because if
there are any changes it might be easier for them to implement them
after the holiday vacation, but, you need to tell them that your health
and the health of your new baby are important too.  Where are they
going after January?  Doesnt the school year go until June? and then
the ESY???  I mean, come on, do they need a note from your doctor
telling them that this is not a time for you to make plans for things
that can wait????   Diane

Thanks, Diane.  I already told them I can't attend the meeting this
Friday (I have a doctor's appointment.), and asked them to delay the
meeting to Jan. next year ( I explained the reason).  But our school
district still want to push the meeting before the holiday knowing my
baby is coming soon, and they said they will provide me some
alternative dates, or I can participate over the phone etc.  If I still
reject the other meeting dates before the holiday, will I

Hello, everyone.  First I'd like to wish all of you and your family a
very merry Christmas and happy new year.

This holiday is kind of stressful for me though.  My son is in a half
day preschool disabled class right now, we're happy about his progress
in following classroom routine and teacher's directions, and his
pragmatic language usage, but he is not making a lot of progress in the
area of social interaction.  Now the school district wants to move him
to a full day ABA class and proposes an IEP meeting before the
holiday.  I've seen that class before and doesn't think a full day
rigid ABA program fits my son's needs.  Also, I'm 3.5 weeks away from
my due date, my doctor even told me the baby can come early.  I really
don't have the time and energy to attend the IEP meeting and file for
mediation within 15 days after the meeting.  Is there any way I can
refuse the IEP meeting right now and delay the meeting to late Jan next
year?  Your advise is greatly appreciated!

Jessica

----- Original Message -----

From: Tina Rear

To: Care-to-ShareSupportNetwork@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 6:33 PM

Subject: RE: [Care-to-ShareSupportNetwork] Great holiday party

Thank you both for your kind words.. The party turned out as special as I envisioned and I know families that attended felt special, which was our goal.

We live amongst an awesome community who wants to support us..  it feels great to know that if we need something that our neighbors are here for us…..

Have a happy and healthy holiday season…

Tina Rear

President

Care to Share Support Network, Inc.

A non-profit, 501c (3) Corporation

520 Route 22 East, Third Floor

Bridgewater, NJ 08807

www.caretosharenj.org

908-450-5691

From: Care-to-ShareSupportNetwork@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Care-to-ShareSupportNetwork@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of amykav@...
Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2008 10:14 PM
To: Care-to-ShareSupportNetwork@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Care-to-ShareSupportNetwork] Great holiday party

	I second Anu's sentiments.  The party was another spectacular 'Tina production,' with every detail as good as it could be.  A wonderful time was had by all, and thanks so much to everyone who had a hand in making it all happen!  Even above and beyond all the wonderful party details Anu mentioned, there's something at every one of the Care to Share events that means the world to me - that is the wonderful, warm sense of belonging to a community of folks who are sharing this 'special' journey, in one way or another.  Thanks, everyone!! Fondly, Amy -------------- Original message from "Anu Gandavabi" <anuradhabhaskar@gmail.com>: -------------- Dear Tina, The CTS holiday party was fabulous.  My kids and I enjoyed the party so much. Thanks for the wonderful gifts.  Even better was getting it from Santa himself. The songs were very entertaining.  Great crafts. Loved the food, especially the desserts.  I was thrilled to win raffles.   The santa helpers were so nice and helped me and my kids in all ways possible. I have never attended a party so good. It made my day. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. - Anu.

Well, maybe I got an early christmas present, when our speech
therapist was here the other day, she still did not have her eval in
writing, but, she told me that after going over it again she realized
that Joseph is more like 27 months for speech, and not 30 months.
     I just looked up at the ceiling and said THANK YOU!!! Yes, I have
mental illness, I talk to GOD!  LOL

     I was not going to put too much effort into fighting this, but
just communicate with this person that I think she was WRONG.  But, I
guess after she tabulated Joe's eval at home, the truth jumped up and
bit her!!
     OUr neruo-developmental doctor said there is NO WAY Joseph is at
30 months on speech, and I agree, our neuro-developmental doctor said
Joe is at  24 months for speech.   ALso, the quality of his speech is
really awful, motor maybe???  Maybe that is why we are still at twice
a week for PT, even after its been more than two years of PT??????
HMMM, do we use motor movements to create intelligble speech
sounds??? WHy must I teach someone with 30 years experience how to do
her job???? Ay Carumba!!
     SO, after a week of being miserable, and telling the neuro-
developmental doctor about this, and her offering to back me up, now
I dont have to say a word!!!   Our speech therapist said that the
poor quality of speech is just because of Joe's age.   I would
beleive that if he was not 10 months behind in gross motor as well!!!
      Ahhh, an early Christmas present, and one less battle to
fight!!  Now I have the energy to get my laundry out of the way and
get my CHristmas tree up, so that my little monkey can knock it
down!! LOL
      I can imagine what will happen when he goes to school and speaks
Joseph-ease with his teachers!!  I hope they will be able to
understand him!  We still did not get a new eval that shows receptive
and expressive speech, our speech therapist cant figure that one
out.  But, our former speech person from EI was a speech Pathologist,
and she did evals that showed receptive speech and expressive speech,
and Joe's receptive is great, its his expressive he needs help with.
Thats ok, as long as he can understand when I tell him "if you do
that one more time you will be in time out" and, by the way, he does
understand that, he has understood that for a long time.
      Those poor teachers will really have their work cut out for them
when Joe Joe goes to school!  Maybe I should send them an extra
bottle of vitamins!  LOL    Diane








--- In Care-to-ShareSupportNetwork@yahoogroups.com, "April Larsen"
<ALarsen65@...> wrote:
>
> Speech and Auditory processing are our son's biggest weakness and I
had
> to fight to get an appropriate evaluation from the school district
and
> request (in writing) an independent evaluation.  while I agree that
> most SLT want your child to have a fair evaluation - they need you
to
> point out that non partial opinion is needed.  We got a free
advocate,
> learned Wrightslaw and then bascially went in trying to compare
this
> stupid Battelle eval that the distict crappy SLT did and the
> independent one done from JFK with also included observation of our
> son's group session which was not group and peer related but two 10
> minutes of speech per child (if I make any sense) so we could argue
> that our son did not make signficant improvement with regard to
speech
> because his level of services did not meet his individual needs.  I
> agree with the one Mom that said fight from the beginning and be
> prepared to have them do the work to document any so called
progress.
> A person sitting telling me at a meeting is not the same as someone
> that is going to be called into due process with the stats in
hand.
> April
>

This was sent out on the IEP at yahoo groups, by a Mom named Stacey
Groder,  check this out, http://harmonizingwithhumanity.com    Diane

Speech and Auditory processing are our son's biggest weakness and I had
to fight to get an appropriate evaluation from the school district and
request (in writing) an independent evaluation.  while I agree that
most SLT want your child to have a fair evaluation - they need you to
point out that non partial opinion is needed.  We got a free advocate,
learned Wrightslaw and then bascially went in trying to compare this
stupid Battelle eval that the distict crappy SLT did and the
independent one done from JFK with also included observation of our
son's group session which was not group and peer related but two 10
minutes of speech per child (if I make any sense) so we could argue
that our son did not make signficant improvement with regard to speech
because his level of services did not meet his individual needs.  I
agree with the one Mom that said fight from the beginning and be
prepared to have them do the work to document any so called progress.
A person sitting telling me at a meeting is not the same as someone
that is going to be called into due process with the stats in hand.
April