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

From: Tom Smith

To: autismlist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2006 7:35 PM

Subject: [Autismlist] Re: Alex's IEP

Aletha,

Good work for Alex.  I should be the one to thank you for the family pic gracing
the autismlist homepage, not only because it's a handsome family but I swear I
have never had this many people joining the list for anything else I have done
to the site.  They love you guys!  BTW, what happenned to dad for that picture? 
Couldn't fit him in?  <smile> 

As for why Alex is acting out with certain teacher's and aides.  It's really hard to
tell and I guarentee you that the ABAers task analysis (I forget now the real
name for it) won't come up with the right answers though sometimes all the
attention it gives the clients DOES help.  I guess I rare occasions they "get it".  I
have also seen auties acting out like crazy with certain staff and at least some
of them I knew weren't doing anything out of the ordinary.  The auties never
targetted me and I often wondered why.  Nick used to target this one staff like
crazy but the staff was a super nice Christian born again who wouldn't hurt a
fly. 

Tom

--- In autismlist@yahoogroups.com, "Aletha" <Reejay62@...> wrote:
>
> I love that pic on the front of the page....that's Alex most of the
> time...smiling...until he gets to school lately. Reading that
> article on the disruption of public schools due to autistics is
> sickening. They actually see it as a problem weighing on everyone
> else!!
>
> Alex's IEP went as expected....the school begging to keep him there,
> because they seem to think that his attitude problems are his way
> of "manipulating" or "controling" his surrounding situation, and a
> behavioral therapist being called in will magically make everything
> better. I'll tell you folks, I'm not sure if bringing my husband
> into this meeting was a good thing. It was his first one, actually
> (he's usually at work)....but made it a point to be at this one,
> since I set it up because of the problem going on. I thought they
> were going to call security on him. He lost it!! He insisted that
> something was happening at this school that caused Alex to respond
> negatively, and he was going to find out what it was..and that we
> were insistant of having him pulled out to a more productive,
> experienced setting.
>
> My husband is by the way a large 6'2", and has a quite intimidating
> look at first glance...(hee hee)...they didn't know if he was going
> to burst into flames or something. But at the same time he was using
> his very educated, progessional language...it was hard to keep a
> straight face.
>
> There was an advocate there, of course. She suggested a time-line of
> 30 days to bring in a therapist, and get the ball rolling. We agreed
> for the moment that we would watch and document this whole process,
> and see what happens. Another follow-up IEP will be on February 24.
>
> My concern is that Alex's aggresive behavior is always towards the
> same people. That is a red light. Something has occured between Alex
> and one or more people (faculty or children), that was a negative
> experience for him, and now he is acting out his aggression
> repeticiously, like he does everything else. What ever they did,
> whether it be verbally or otherwise (I hope not physically), he
> hasn't forgotten it. He has a memory like an elephant. He isn't
> randomly picking people out to be aggressive with. I'm willing to
> bet on it. This problem wasn't even an issue at last year's IEP.
>
> I'm still looking at taking him out of puplic school. His behavior
> isn't acceptable, but it won't get better in that setting, either.
> The experience needed just isn't enough. They need the funding. I
> need to see progress. Alex is in the middle. I agree with the
> inclusion of autistic children in public school, but I think that
> some schools are just as "socially challenged", and need to make a
> few attitude adjustments in their program. I'll keep you updated.
>
> Aletha
>