Monday, January 26, 2009

What Is Up With Our System???

Okay, having gone through the special education system here in my county with four children now I am FED UP! It started with our five year old when she was 2. Interestingly enough is in kindergarten not on an IEP despite the fact that her social skills are at a two plus year level. She seeks out adult approval, has trouble making new friends, cries and hides under the table whenever I go in to volunteer and does not want to go to recess, ever! Luckily she had a mommy who is very persistent and found her help in other places when the school system failed her before...but now I have three other children with similar issues.  And I feel like I have to fight to the death to get any help or services.

We had my eight month old evaluated today by Early Intervention and he tested out at cognitive 6 months, Language 4 months, receptive skills 4 months, social emotional 6 months and he still does not qualify for services. WHAT!? Can someone please explain this to me.

They are calling him "mildly" delayed and really did not have many suggestions for me on helping him respond to his own name and his reflection in a mirror. He currently makes no consonant sounds or babbling words and he looks physically like a five month old. The only suggestion they had was that maybe he was sleep deprived and we should give him melatonin like we do the rest of our children. Nice Nice ladies but help!!!! Does anyone have any ideas?

I hope my daughter's pre-school eval this next month goes a little better seeing as how all she wants to do ALL DAY LONG is jump off of our couch or her top bunk...over and over and over. And half the time I find her without any clothes on.  Does anyone else's children not understand why they have to wipe?  or why it is important to wear shoes or a coat in snow?

Why is my heart still breaking every time my four year old son screeches like a dinosaur, covers his ears at music, hits his head with his hands, rubs his head across the carpet with both of his sisters. I thought I would grow in accepting things as they are. Will he go to school next year without any extra help? 

I am asking myself again today after meeting with "experts", how many other children are falling through the cracks because of budget crunches in the system?  How many others are missing help early on and getting worse because they aren't bad enough off? And why in the heck did they repeal the law that allowed tax credits for disabled children?  How much more do they want us to pay out of pocket? ARRRRHHHG.

3 comments:

Lori said...

you know, one of my therapists told me straight to me once. she said there are two "lines" imagine them like this

------------- (average, normal kid)



--------------- (not needing services)




-------------- (developmentally delayed and needing services)

she said that the special education system is set up to get kids to just-barely-above-the-bottom-line so they don't qualify for services anymore. they are still WAY below the "age appropriate line" but above the "don't need services line." she said it was unfortunate and always fibbed a little on my girls reports in order to keep them in services because she knew she needed them. (old therapist, luckily, who i've never named by name...haha... don't want her to lose her job!)

she encouraged us never ever to let our IEP lapse because complete re-testing could potentially harm the therapy our kids were getting.

i'm sorry you're having troubles. i know you can find places like Shriners, or Scottish Rite that do free therapy services to help supplement.

bleh. special ed system suck sometimes. i'm sorry!

tiptoe mama said...

I'm sorry too. I wish I had something to say. If it's any consolation - my boy asked if he could play at the neighbors house today. I said yes. It wasn't until I called him home for dinner that I found he had gone there and back in bare feet and no coat! There is ice and snow outside!!!! Your kids are not the only ones.

Anita Nap said...

I can totally relate!!! I fought for every ounce of help I've received for Marshall. It is pathetic that your baby is that delayed and they won't help him. What is their standard? Our EI program down here said they had to be a certain percent delayed before they could help them. Marshall has fallen through the cracks as well but thankfully I have Medicaid so I was able to get private OT and SLP (to help with feeding). I find it interesting that I get a note from Medicaid denying my request from the feeding therapist for 4 months of therapy. The letter stated it wasn't medically necessary. Oh, really? He was not eating solid foods but that's not medically necessary?! Puleeze.

Marshall always rubbed his head on the floor like your son does but lately he hasn't done it as much. We got a new swing from IKEA and I've been doing obstacle courses a lot more to help with that. I'm sorry you don't get the help for your kids that you deserve. Why doesn't your oldest have an IEP?? They say she doesn't need it?