Opposition Teacher Pt 2

Needless to say, I was overwhelmed with negative emotions. Anger, frustration, confusion, you name it and I may have experienced it at that time.

To express that ANY child wanting an education was beneath receiving it was downright shameful in my opinion. I knew I had to do more than be angry to remedy this situation. I reached out to other parents and counselors who reminded me of an important fact that I was forgetting. My son’s IEP was law! As long as it was locked, or agreed upon and signed by all in attendance, it was equivalent to classroom law! What a relief it was knowing my son would still have his opportunity. Both of us were up for the challenge, which was good because it was far from easy. Weekly tests, essays, projects, and oral reports were the norm in this classroom. History and Spelling became two of his favorite subjects. The fact that historical dates and the spelling of words never changed made them easy things for him to remember. Once he had something memorized, it was with him for life! Oral reports and essays were not as easy for him to complete. As I have mentioned before, one of his problem areas was verbal communication. To help with this issue, he and I would practice his oral reports while standing in front of a mirror. This paid off tremendously! Once every word and sound was put to memory, he had no problem reciting it in class.

Unfortunately he would lose points for his handwriting as it was terrible at that time. He would also lose point during the verbal question and answer period that followed each student’s oral report. Even with the point deductions, he still received a passing score on these assignments. Along with a stellar memory, my son possessed another very important quality that seemed to be lacking in his generation. He had the ability to behave himself! My son was becoming a person who preferred order, stability and schedule over chaos. For example, if there was a substitute teacher in the class, he would usually be the only student choosing to behave.

The rest of the class would be unruly. His self-control was one way he ended up turning that teacher from a non-believer into a cheerleader! Not only was he well behaved, he came to school every day prepared and eager to learn.

He was a teacher’s dream come true. He definitely passed the 4th grade, but not before showing one opposition teacher how NOT to judge a book by its cover.

ASAN=Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Did you know that there is a nonprofit organization run by and for autistic people? Well there is, and it’s called The Autistic Self Advocacy Network or ASAN. One of their many goals is to ensure that the autistic communities have a voice in what has definitely become a national conversation about their lives. This group of brilliantly organized individuals advocates specific policy position on issues of importance to autistic people and others with disabilities. ASAN members include autistic adults and youth, cross disability advocates, non-autistic family members, professionals and friends.

May I just say how overjoyed I was when I came across this site. To know that it’s not only for but run by individuals with autism filled me with pride. Again, thinking back to the 90’s when my son was first diagnosed; advocacy groups were seldom heard of or just didn’t exist! Now there’s a plethora of amazing groups, networks and sites including the ASAN right at your fingertips. www.autisticadvocacy.org

Ari Ne’eman, co-founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/just-asking-ari-neeman-co-founder-of-the-autistic-self-advocacy-network/2015/03/05/ccb87f44-b2e1-11e4-854b-a38d13486ba1_story.html

Opposition Teacher Pt 1

Knowing and understanding the purpose of an IEP became one of my greatest tools. It gave my son a chance to showcase his strengths instead of constantly being judged solely on first impressions. By his 4th grade year, due to patience and hard work, his silent reading and comprehension skills had improved tremendously. He was tested and proved he could read and follow directions and complete all grade level assignments with a passing score. I couldn’t have been more proud.

During the IEP meeting, I opted to have my son placed in a regular-ed class setting given a few provisions. One provision was that he would have an assistant teacher in class with him. This person would be in charge of helping with or explaining classwork or directions that he may not have fully understood upon instruction. That way, the teacher wouldn’t feel the need to stop class or slow down instruction just for him. The assistant would also work as a sort of translator for my son, as his verbal skills still needed much improvement. By the end of the meeting, we all agreed that this would be a great opportunity for him. I remember going home that evening beaming with delight. I already knew he would ace this challenge from working with him daily at home. A few days later, however, I receive a disturbing phone call. Unfortunately, someone didn’t share my belief in my son’s capabilities. They verbally stated that they assumed my son would be a burden on their time and beneath their credentials. They made it very clear that they wanted no involvement in his education. Who was this person you ask? None other than the 4th grade teacher he was being assigned to.

pic provided by www.animationfactory.com As a parent, guardian, advocate, or loved one of a student with autism, how would you have handled this?

Interacting With Autism

About 20yrs ago, it was difficult to find helpful resources and information pertaining to autism. It was fairly new to the public as a whole and entirely new to me when my so was diagnosed. However, as of today, I am proud to say that is no longer true! Gone are the days of feeling as helpless as being stuck in the middle of the creek without a paddle.

Nowadays, finding answers can be as simple as a mouse click. InteractingWithAutism.com (www.interactingwithautism.com) is a video based resource site tackling many autism related questions and issues head on. You’ll find helpful articles, links and videos on understanding, treating and living with autism.

Topics ranging from causes, diagnoses, and vaccine controversies are thoroughly discussed from many perspectives. The section Voices From The Spectrum showcases individuals with autism describing their daily lives from initial diagnosis to the present. Coping methods, evidence based treatment overviews, and behavioral-based social skills groups are also explored in this amazing website.

I especially enjoyed the section Living With Autism. There you’ll find over a dozen stories from families and individuals on the autism spectrum. These real life stories offer the reader a very personal and honest glimpse into their everyday challenges. If you or someone you know is living with autism, need help finding resources, or in need of a better understanding of autism, then visiting this website is a must! Let me know if you enjoyed this site as much as I did.

Say No To Drugs

Being a young, first time mother brought many challenges my way. I had to learn how to be the best parent I could be along with learning how to be his autism advocate as well. In the late 90’s the drug Ritalin had become a very popular treatment among children diagnosed with autism. Ritalin is a central nervous system stimulant. It affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control.

Ritalin is used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. The downside to this drug (in my opinion) is that it’s a schedule 2 narcotic. That puts it in the same category as cocaine, morphine and amphetamines! Just knowing that scared me. Although I wanted my son to be able to focus, I didn’t want him to become addicted or dependent on ANY drug. A very difficult decision was placed in front of me and my choice would affect the rest of his life. I chose to say no to drugs.

This was an independent decision based on the individual, my son. We were finding ways to cope with his speech impediment through speech therapy. He was hardly ever a disciplinary problem at that time, and he was no danger physically to himself or others. Had that NOT been true, I may have had to make a different choice. One of my biggest jobs was making sure he felt that home was a safe haven. No matter what stress he had to face at school, he knew home was full of love and support for him. If something upset him, we would find ways to communicate about it through toys, drawings, acting, and even talking using the words that he knew and understood. I am by no means judging ANY parent/guardian or caretaker who has had to make that difficult decision of whether or not to medicate their child. Each of our circumstances and children are different. I am just 1 mom with 1 story in a world of millions of stories who decided to share this with you. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to post questions, comments and/or share your own experiences.