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Feeling Highly Irritated!


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I realize some of you have had far worse issues when dealing with your children's schools, but my son's math teacher is driving me bonkers!

 

I have explained to her since the beginning of school about the ongoing process of dealing with my son's OCD/TS/PANDAS. She doesn't seem to hear a word I say!

 

First of all, he should not be in her remedial math class. He has always placed in the top percentage of the class in math. During the week they did placement testing my other son had strep and DS definitely reacted. His testing scores were abysmal. When I told the principal I wanted him retested, I was totally placated and given the brush off. By Christmas his teacher was acting as if she'd seen a miracle because he was at the top of the class. Wow! Really! ([Please read with dripping sarcasm). We talked about his OCD and TS. We also talked about certain triggers. All she wanted to know was if he was medicated or not.

 

By January we were beginning to realize we were dealing with PANDAS. By February he had another exacerbation and we started doing testing and abx. Of course his math abilities suffered which made her even more convinced he belonged in her class. I explained all about PANDAS to both his homeroom teacher and his math teacher. I could tell I was talking to a wall. I also asked if anyone had known strep at the time and if they would let me know in the future as well. His homeroom teacher has been more than willing to share with me but his math teacher told me she is too busy to keep track of who has what illness and which parent needs to be notified.

 

At the last parent teacher conference in early April she was again amazed by his improvement. She was positively giddy showing me how he is testing at the top of the grade in math. I explained how well the abx seem to be working. Again it was like talking to a wall. She just doesn't hear anything! I'm sure she is just thinking about how this reflects on her teaching ability. We also talked about how he seems to be hypoglycemic and since math is right before lunch, he might do better with a snack at the beginning of class. She was all on board until I looked over the approved list of snacks, which were all simple carbs. When I asked if he could have something else, something with more protein, she told me absolutely not, he needed to follow the approved snack list like everyone else. No exceptions.

 

Anyway, what has me so pissed off right now is: today DS earned a treat in class for doing well. She gave out pixie sticks. And she gave him a red one. He looked at it and said he couldn't have a red one. She got all offended and told him if he was going to be picky he could just give it back. He tried to explain that red dye #40 is a tic trigger for him but he said she wouldn't let him speak at all and was all miffed at him the rest of the class period. So he ate it and has had to deal with the increase in tics all day. This is something I have talked with her about several times already! Here is my son trying to be smart about his own health but faced with an authority figure that should know better pressuring him to do what isn't best for him. It just really burns me up!

 

And the kicker is that she had a child with tons of health problems that eventually died around the age of 19. You would think she would understand that some kids have special issues. But she is the most inflexible person I have ever dealt with. I just keep reminding myself we only have 3 1/2 weeks to go until summer and I will never have to deal with her again. I still can't decide if I'm going to send her an email though.

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Part of me says keep telling yourself 3 more weeks...3 more weeks...3 more weeks, but the other part of me says you should rip her a new one! 3 more weeks though and thankfully no more of her! If she is inflexible and has not listened all year, chances are you will get blank stares and non interest. She is not worth it. Unfortunately but hopefully not, there will be more naysayers and non listeners that come along as well. Navigating the public school system can be so difficult when you have a child that needs special care. It is a shame that the ones who suffer are the ones who are supposed to be in an environment that is supposed to nurture them.

 

I realize some of you have had far worse issues when dealing with your children's schools, but my son's math teacher is driving me bonkers!

 

I have explained to her since the beginning of school about the ongoing process of dealing with my son's OCD/TS/PANDAS. She doesn't seem to hear a word I say!

 

First of all, he should not be in her remedial math class. He has always placed in the top percentage of the class in math. During the week they did placement testing my other son had strep and DS definitely reacted. His testing scores were abysmal. When I told the principal I wanted him retested, I was totally placated and given the brush off. By Christmas his teacher was acting as if she'd seen a miracle because he was at the top of the class. Wow! Really! ([Please read with dripping sarcasm). We talked about his OCD and TS. We also talked about certain triggers. All she wanted to know was if he was medicated or not.

 

By January we were beginning to realize we were dealing with PANDAS. By February he had another exacerbation and we started doing testing and abx. Of course his math abilities suffered which made her even more convinced he belonged in her class. I explained all about PANDAS to both his homeroom teacher and his math teacher. I could tell I was talking to a wall. I also asked if anyone had known strep at the time and if they would let me know in the future as well. His homeroom teacher has been more than willing to share with me but his math teacher told me she is too busy to keep track of who has what illness and which parent needs to be notified.

 

At the last parent teacher conference in early April she was again amazed by his improvement. She was positively giddy showing me how he is testing at the top of the grade in math. I explained how well the abx seem to be working. Again it was like talking to a wall. She just doesn't hear anything! I'm sure she is just thinking about how this reflects on her teaching ability. We also talked about how he seems to be hypoglycemic and since math is right before lunch, he might do better with a snack at the beginning of class. She was all on board until I looked over the approved list of snacks, which were all simple carbs. When I asked if he could have something else, something with more protein, she told me absolutely not, he needed to follow the approved snack list like everyone else. No exceptions.

 

Anyway, what has me so pissed off right now is: today DS earned a treat in class for doing well. She gave out pixie sticks. And she gave him a red one. He looked at it and said he couldn't have a red one. She got all offended and told him if he was going to be picky he could just give it back. He tried to explain that red dye #40 is a tic trigger for him but he said she wouldn't let him speak at all and was all miffed at him the rest of the class period. So he ate it and has had to deal with the increase in tics all day. This is something I have talked with her about several times already! Here is my son trying to be smart about his own health but faced with an authority figure that should know better pressuring him to do what isn't best for him. It just really burns me up!

 

And the kicker is that she had a child with tons of health problems that eventually died around the age of 19. You would think she would understand that some kids have special issues. But she is the most inflexible person I have ever dealt with. I just keep reminding myself we only have 3 1/2 weeks to go until summer and I will never have to deal with her again. I still can't decide if I'm going to send her an email though.

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Here is my son trying to be smart about his own health but faced with an authority figure that should know better pressuring him to do what isn't best for him. It just really burns me up!

 

it's so sad there seems to be many of us here just white-knuckling it to get to the end of the school year!!! i'm sorry to hear you are having to deal with such a block-head.

although - i am so proud of your son for trying to get through to her that that red dye is not good for him. she's an insensitvie, ignorant jerk but he was standing up to her!! too bad it didn't go through but he tried!

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I just had to add my two cents....Pixie Sticks!! My husband and I cringe when we hear those words...most people realize that they are pure sugar, and horrible for kids, even without health issues...What if a student was diabetic? would she have allowed a different treat?

 

Okay, I get that pixie sticks are cheap, and most of the time, teachers are providing these things from their own pockets...but there really are so many alternatives to reward students.

 

Of course, you do need to decide how much fight is in you...but I think if speaking to her again gets you nowhere, it may be time to start going up the chain of command...

 

Although....three more weeks does sound so tempting.

 

I'm actually amazed that a teacher for remedial math is not sensitive to the health issues of her students...why does she think most of them are there? He can't be the only one with a health issue!

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I would e mail her with a CC to the principal. This works very well for "appreciation" e mails too.

You can probably find even better articles than what I posted below. Maybe include something like this

 

I was very disappointed to learn of the way that you handled a situation regarding a reward treat that was offered to my son in your class, when he informed you that he was sensitive to an artificial dye in that "treat."

 

We as parents are trying to teach our children responsibility for making good decisions regarding their health and well being. I would think as an educator you would be happy to reinforce this process.

 

Please consider a different approach in the future.

 

 

http://savvyconsumer.wordpress.com/2010/03...etic-food-dyes/

 

Groups calling on FDA to match UK’s ban on synthetic food dyes Monday, March 29, 2010

 

By Courtney Brein, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow

 

Last week, the National Consumers League and a number of other concerned organizations sent letters to Members of Congress and FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg urging them to follow the United Kingdom’s example and start protecting children from synthetic food dyes. Specifically, the letter to Congress encouraged members to support legislation that would ban the use of dyes in school foods; fund a study by the Institute of Medicine on the broader issue of diet and behavior; and press the FDA to respond to a petition calling for a ban on most dyes.

 

 

http://blogs.webmd.com/health-ehome/2010/0...en-red-and.html

 

WebMD

 

More than 90% of food colorings now in use are synthetic. According to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), nine synthetic food dyes, mostly petroleum-derived, are U.S.-approved for use in foods under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act of 1938 (FD&C;). (Down from roughly 80 at the turn of the 20th century.) Pigments from natural sources are exempt from FDA certification.

 

and

 

Avoid: RED 3 (found in candy and baked goods)

The evidence that this dye caused thyroid tumors in rats is “convincing,” according to a 1983 review committee report requested by the FDA. The FDA’s recommendation that the dye be banned was overruled by pressure from elsewhere in the Reagan Administration. Red 3 used to color maraschino cherries, but it has been replaced there by the less controversial Red 40 dye. It is still used in a smattering of foods ranging from cake icing to fruit roll-ups to chewing gum.

 

Caution: RED 40 (found in soda pop, candy, gelatin desserts, pastries, pet food and sausage)

The most widely used food dye. While this is one of the most-tested food dyes, the key mouse tests were flawed and inconclusive. An FDA review committee acknowledged problems, but said evidence of harm was not “consistent” or “substantial.” Red 40 can cause allergy-like reactions. Like oth

er dyes, Red 40 is used mainly in junk foods.

 

 

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200806022.html

 

The science shows that kids' behavior improves when these artificial colorings are removed from their diets and worsens when they’re added to the their diets," said Dr. David Schab, a psychiatrist at Columbia University Medical Center, who conducted the 2004 meta-analysis with his colleague Dr. Nhi-Ha T. Trinh. "While not all children seem to be sensitive to these chemicals, it's hard to justify their continued use in foods—especially those foods heavily marketed to young children."

 

and

 

CSPI's petition asks the FDA to require a warning label on foods with artificial dyes while it mulls CSPI's request to ban the dyes outright. CSPI also wants the FDA to correct the information it presents to parents on its web site about the impact of artificial food dyes on behavior. Joining CSPI's call are 19 prominent psychiatrists, toxicologists, and pediatricians who today co-signed letter urging members of Congress to hold hearings on artificial food dyes and behavior, and to fund an Institute of Medicine research project on the issue. Those doctors include L. Eugene Arnold, professor emeritus of psychiatry at Ohio State University; Bernard Weiss, professor of environmental medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry; and Stanley Greenspan, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at George Washington University Medical School.

Edited by kim
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