What they fail to understand is that making a break for it is the easiest way to get Doodle back in an environment where she calms down and starts to regain herself. I deal with the sensory. And being at a family members home I just can't deal with sensory if it's slapping her in the face and she's not allowed to get away from what ever it is that is triggering a sensory meltdown.
Wednesday was Doodle's awards day at school. She received A-B honor roll, most creative and perfect attendance for 3rd quarter. Who else was there? My cousin's wife, who loves to snub me every chance she gets, even coming and hugging and speaking with my parents but acting like I wasn't even there. The beef between her and I has gotten to the point where it came to a head yesterday. Her children go to the same school as Doodle. And because the special needs class has our own parking spot, this cousin has started parking her car there too. Oh it's no big deal. This is how big of a deal it is. Since the school that Doodle went to last year had a designated drop off and pick up section to make it easier for the kids to transition from school to home. First ones out of school, first ones gone from campus. I insisted that Doodle get the exact same treatment at this new school. And yes we got it. This way the transition from school to home stayed the same. Last year the parents had to wait in the car pool lane and wait for their number be called, told to me by one of the special needs parents.
When parents think that it's okay to park where ever they want it leaves us to park in the back of the school. Children on the spectrum are routine strict. If even the slightest little thing is out of place in their routine they have meltdowns. To them it's like going to the store buying groceries and leaving the groceries there and going back home. That's the easiest way to describe it. You don't know why you left the groceries behind that you need but you spent money on it and just left. Doesn't make sense, right?
This cousin thinks that because I park here she can park there and not in a regular parking spot with the rest of the staff that she claims to be "working" with. Yeah, you read that right. She says she works at the school. Now here is my problem. She started it and parks there all freaking day! So by the time it comes for us to come pick up our children we have no place to park. One special needs parent has started parking on the cross walk and another has taken to blocking every single parent in by parking on the passing side. It's really becoming a nightmare. When I come to the school and it's not to pick up my child I park in the parking lot not my regular side. If I'm there for an iep meeting I park in our section because by the time the meeting is over it's time for school to let out and Doodle is routine strict. Last iep meeting I was late getting her and Doodle flipped her wig for the entire night where there was just no homework to be able to get done. Screaming at the top of her lungs, trying to hurt herself and the iPad up until the moment that she fell asleep.
I really don't like those days. Well, days where parents park in our section and I have to park at the back lot those are the days it takes roughly 30 minutes or longer to do something that should take 5-10 minutes. This is what most of the people in my family don't understand. The frustration with her autism. I would like to say that everyone in my family is understanding and accepting but that's not the case. This "cousin" if you want to call her (she's married in) that is so offended that I turned her in to the school because she's keeping my student from giving her all to her lessons. Okay, it wasn't worded that way. The note was worded more to, "there are parents that are parking in the designated section for the special needs parents and when they take over our section knocking off routine I have to deal with transitional meltdowns because the transition from school to home is not going smoothly. Which makes it harder for my child to get her homework taken care of in a timely manner. The parents' name is...
Now this issue was taken care of this Wednesday by the Vice Principal. Because when I showed up for the awards ceremony again she was parked in our section. I saw the Vice Principal pull her aside and chat with her. When the ceremony was over her car was gone. At the time of Doodle's ceremony her children were not participating. Their ceremony was in the afternoon.
Yes, it chaps my butt that she thinks because I get to do it she can do it. This is my right as a special needs parent because my child can't do what regular ed children can do and that's, be called to the car and be able to make it to the car without assistance. Same for drop off. She won't make it to her classroom without help. If I were to drop her off like a regular ed student she would find herself somewhere that isn't on campus and no one would know where she is. It's a safety issue. Our children get out of school 30-45 minutes early every single day. First out of class, first off of campus.
At the old school, when Doodle was not walked to her destination by the person appointed to getting her I would text her teacher and get a response back saying we found her, she was in the gym or by the fish tank or we found her wandering the halls. It happens this I understand. Which is why I always sent a text when I dropped her off and the person to get her wasn't there. Which I might add was very rare! At this school I walk Doodle to the crosswalk where she is met by one of her para's. The para stays with her until she has all the kids from the class and then they all head inside.
Do I talk to family members anymore. No I don't. I have several on my facebook page and they don't talk to me and I don't talk to them. It's like an understanding. Really and truly they don't know what all I go through raising a child on the spectrum. Some days are better then others. And every day is a challenge. My mother thinks that Doodle is just acting like a normal child. Yes, if it's normal for a child to slap themselves, pick their skin until they bleed and continue on, hums all the time, flaps like a bird when she's becoming overstimulated, runs off at the drop of a hat. has meltdowns that they don't even know why they are having them and so on.
If your having issues at school, stand up for your sanity. We don't have a normal life. The school has schedules they go through with our children and we have routines and schedules that we go through. I spoke with a woman whose son was allowed to sleep all day at school because the teacher said he wasn't acting like himself. That made me cringe! I feel that struggle. If Doodle so much as has a 5 minute nap she can be up for 24 hours straight. For this I suggested the parent call an emergency iep meeting and get this issue rectified. School is almost out and if this teacher is allowing this behavior this poor parent won't be able to get any rest at night during the summer because her child's schedule will be off for months. No you're not changing the iep, you are addressing an issue that has aroused. Your iep is your binding corner to corner contract that protects your child at school. Your child has a right to learn and be educated just like a regular ed student.
With Doodle I had to deal with this nightmare for an entire month until the meltdowns just made me snap. It was easier to just take the issue to the principal where it was handled by the Vice Principal then having myself go to jail. Purple is more my color, not orange.
No comments:
Post a Comment