Hope No Likey Homework

The girls came home from school yesterday, had a snack, and sat down to do homework. In less than thirty minutes, GB's homework was neatly done, correct, and in her book bag. Hope had done one problem and had done it incorrectly. It wasn't rocket science- just writing a number sentence to go with a picture. All she needed to write was 4+1= 5. We went over the picture, and wrote the corresponding number for each group of balls directly on the picture. Since she has been writing number sentences for homework for the last 6 weeks, I reread the directions and told her to fix her number sentence. When she came back with 4+5=1. I knew she had shut her brain down. At this point I told her, like I usually do, that we would work on the homework for 1/2 hour and then put it away. Today was different. The Dad was home. Hope informed me she didn't need my help, her Daddy would help her. The Dad came in the room to help her with her homework. He quickly figured out Hope wasn't interested in actually doing the work, she wanted him to do it for her. He wouldn't. At that point, all was left was the rage. Short Version: She screamed, stomped her feet, slammed doors, and eventually started throwing things at people. It was almost 5 when the Dad had enough and put her to bed kicking and screaming.


This morning, we put her incomplete, damaged homework sheets in her folder. Ms. Very Young Teacher is starting to come around. I received an email from her saying that Hope was busy taping the homework sheets together and would be completing them before starting on today's work.

Both girls' CSE meetings have been rescheduled for Monday. So far, a productive morning :)

Meeting with the School- Full of Surprises

The Dad and I showed up at our therapy session for Hope at the school. We spent about ten minutes filling the therapist in on the past weeks rages. She called down to Hope's classroom and asked one of the aides to bring her up. Shortly after there was a knock on the door (the therapist rates an air conditioner) and in comes Hope. Her teacher had brought her up instead of the aide. First time that has happened. The teacher asked to stay. She wanted to talk to us about Hope's rage Monday. I assumed she meant when Hope beat the crap out of me. She assumed I knew Hope had raged at school. I didn't know Hope had raged at school. I asked why I hadn't heard about it before. Miss VY Teacher said she assumed the Director of Special Ed had told me.

The rage started in the classroom, and by the time the 2 aides got her to the bus, it took ten minutes and three people to get Hope on the bus. Nobody called me. The driver didn't tell me, the aide on the bus didn't tell me. Hope came off the bus crying, but that is not unusual. All Hope said was that she wanted me to pick her up.

It is good that the school has finally seen Hope in full rage mode. I wish they had told me when it happened, because if they had, I would not have taken her to gymnastics. That MIGHT have avoided the rage in the waiting room. Maybe I wouldn't have all the bruises and gouges on my arms. It is 95 degrees here and I refuse to cover them up. Three people to wrestle her on to the bus and nobody told me about it. Sigh.

MYOB

Yesterday afternoon I was invited to an impromptu meeting about Hope. They wanted to discuss upping her meds because of her acting out. I asked if her acting out had been dangerous to her or others. They said no. I pointed out Hope was in a class for behaviorally disordered children.  I told them I thought Hope's acting out in school was a good thing, because now they could deal with the feelings that are driving the behavior. Then I told them medication was my decision, not theirs. What I wanted to tell them was "Mind Your Own Business", do your job, I don't home school, so why is this my fifth trip here this week, etc, etc. I am tired.

School Updates

Today was the first day of school in 2011 and for Hope it started out on an optimistic note. Her class has has a new social worker/ therapist, who trained under the private therapist Hope is seeing once a week AND has multiple years of experience treating kids with RAD. And if that wasn't enough good news for one day, somebody (besides me) noticed that Hope's teacher was struggling and not all the student's needs were getting met. It hasn't been approved by the school board yet, but they are looking at a proposal to divide Hope's class (12 kids) in half and change the 12:1:2 class to two 6:1:1 classes.This would take  place by the end of January.

GB started 5 mg of Zyprexa yesterday, and today she was a bit more stable. Maybe just a coincidence, but I am allowing myself a little optimism. I have a CSE meeting on GB Thursday, to add the services the George Jarvis Clinic recommended when they said she was autistic back in November. I was told I had to reduce the stress in my life because of my neurological problems, so I already sent an email to the Director of Special Education, warning her that if they could not provide the new services that GB's new diagnoses of Autism would require, I would be hiring the same educational lawyer I hired in 2008.