School doesn't get Pandas

[airial95]

Have you contacted the school board? Or even better, you local county comission or state representatives? This type of problem tends to resonate with them and often they'll be willing to get involved and help.

 

Heck, I wouldn't even rule out going to the press over the whole "solitary confienment" thing. It's the type of thing that will get the public's attention and justifiably their outrage. Obviously the media would be a last ditch effort - but it's something to consider!

[poetmom]

I can't get this story out of my head.

When I took my ds to school today, I looked for and thanked each and every individual who has been helpful, proactive, curious, understanding, sympathetic and supportive this year. And then I told them about your little girl who was being treated so horrifically. Every one of them, from his teacher, to the school nurse, to the guidance counselor, to the admin assistance, to the principal responded right away with, "THEY CAN'T DO THAT!" They were all indignant.

 

Make noise.

 

My mother taught me, "You will take it until you are no longer willing to take it, and when you are no longer willing to take it... you won't."

Don't take this from them.

Your daughter deserves better.

[T_Mom]

oooh...poetmom that is good, really good!

[coco]

So I spoke with an attorney for about an hour today. Very tedious getting into all of it "from the beginning" and explaining Pandas. He only heard of Pandas a month ago from a colleague but was very eager to learn more about it since he was sure I would not be the last. (Well-respected education firm recommended by a friend who has a son with disabilities.) I gave him the Pandasnetwork site, this forum, Dr K's web, Pepsi Refresh, etc. and was interested in getting up to speed and welcomed ongoing info.

 

He wholeheartedly agreed that even IF dd was a willfully misbehaving child who was diagnosed with WHATEVER that those measures should never have been taken. But, since the school year is almost at an end, perhaps opt for continuing home services, continue to heal our child, have a good summer (oh yeah) and get a plan in place for the fall. He said we may even want to continue home services starting in Sept if the district easily honors our request to keep that option open. He was giving me the typical lawyer advice of asking for an independent psych evaluation...to which I said "where am I gonna find a psych who knows anything about how to do an eval on a kid who has pandas and come up with "oh yeah, she has pandas." He agreed. Trouble is we (all us pandas parents) have to educate everyone along the way as we fight for our children, it is our common sense and sweat that is spent on getting these people educated. It has to be done, but our energy is low. In light of the fact that there are so few "experts in the pandas field growing on trees to advocate" for the time being we need to rely on our treating pandas physicians to help us out here.

 

I was kind of in the mood for a more "sharky" conversation, given my anger...remember the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz....? "Hippopotamus??...I'd rip 'em from topus to bottumus? What puts the Ape in Ape-ricot?? Courage!!"

 

He did say he would be happy to get involved depending on what we decided to do. I've got a growl in me somewhere, but I can't find it right now.

[MomWithOCDSon]

I've got a growl in me somewhere, but I can't find it right now.

Mayber later tonight, when the kids are all tucked in, you can retreat to the bathroom, close the door, face the mirror, and . . . . "Ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!"

 

We're with you, and anything we can do to smooth your path, let us know. We probably ought to work out a "share site" for IEP's, 504's, school responses, etc. that we could trade around. Or at least collaborate on a book called something like, "What You Don't Know, Mr./Ms. Teacher, Can Turn My Child Off Learning Forever!"