A student with autism was caught being slapped by a support teacher. This happened in Pittsburgh, PA. You can read the rest of the story in the first link below. The second link shows the video of the incident that was taken by teacher's aide. This is the major reason why there should be a video camera inside the autism clusters' classrooms. Students with autism will be protected from whatever possible incidences of maltreatment by the adults in the classroom. The video camera will be their mouthpiece since many cannot communicate well or simply cannot talk.
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/allegheny/20531472/detail.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GyW-jsuCbU
Monday, August 24, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Tape and a pair of scissors to repair the teeth 26 Nov 08
It was a normal day and the three kids were watching Blue's Clues. This is their latest craze. AX was doing a lot of jumping. I was at the other room. I heard a loud sound and I thought, he must have hurt his head or knee or any joints in his body. He came down rushing and I was calling him. Finally, he came up and there was blood in his mouth. He bruised his lower lip. He brought a pair of scissors and a tape. I did not understand what he meant when he gave me the pair of scissors and the tape. It turned out, his two upper incisors are wobbly. He was crying the whole time and could not be consoled. I took the dental floss and removed his teeth one by one. It was a little hard because he was crying and felt discomfort the whole time. I was able to remove them and when he realized that they are not there anymore when I showed him his mouth, he began crying hard. He was asking me to put them back. He even took back the 2 milk teeth from me and tried putting them but they fell off. He was so innocent and it seemed like he will stay that way.
Writing on the desk 15 Dec 08
We were told in school that AX is writing on the desk. I do not know why he starts writing on the desk. He never did that before. He used to write on the walls, floors, books, notebooks but never on the desk. Last week, he ran downstairs, went to the table and got a pencil and just draw an envelope on the paper that is on the table. It gave me a clue that somehow he is doing what Steve is doing in Blues Clues. Indeed, he is drawing the things that he sees in Blues Clues. I just do not know why he is drawing on the desk. I told the school that most likely he copied that from his classmates as his brother and sister never write on the desk/table.
From my diary where I usually write (around early 2007)
Many times, a child's innocence is better than live with another experienced adult. It teaches you to enjoy simple things in life and appreciate them. A child's joy and laughter is nothing compared to an adult's fictitious laugh and endless chatters. As adults, we are programmed to do mundane things the society and for that matter, the ruling government and bureaucracy expect us to do. We have children and we also felt the need that they also follow our tedious life in this society. Having been married for almost seven years and with two children in tow, there are many life-altering lessons learned along the way. It is not an easy task to be parents. The things and events that your parents have undergone are coming to you like recycled plastics. I did not even dream in my wildest imagination that some of the things I am experiencing right now are the very things I have seen from the dilemmas my parents faced when we were growing up. It is just so funny. What comes around, goes around like they always say.
AX is a child 5 years of age and hardly talking at all. The so called professionals diagnosed him as having autism. He has been living under the umbrella for 2 years as a child with autism because he is not in par with kids of his age when it comes to communication. He is categorized as having the speech communication of a normal boy less than 2 years of age. Indeed, AL, his younger brother, has far more words he utters than that of AX. He is basically autistic because he can not talk like normal kids of his age. The reasons are unknown that not even the professionals and well-researched studies can explain such condition at present. In other aspects of life, he is developing normally and as far as I can tell, he may be advanced in other fields compared to children of his age. What are the stumbling blocks then? For one, he is having behavioral problems in school. The adults assigned to him and that includes his Kindergarten teacher, seem like, they think of him as a nuisance. He does not follow readily the things or commands the teacher tells him. He disobeys or does not follow as the teacher and his speech therapist told us. He can not do this and that. "I am giving him a lower 2, actually, it should be 3 because he just do not understand things." Impossible. Insanely impossible. What I believe is this: The teacher is not doing the things she should be doing. She may not even spend enough time or the allotted time for AX to learn things. AX does not follow, she does not do anything. She thinks very low of AX like he is a dumb person. He does not do this and that therefore, he can not do this and that. Another thing that Marco related to me yesterday, they do not have a respect on what the boy can do. I believe that is true. I have seen two instances when I dropped him off to school in the mornings, one staff member just pointed with her forefinger to AX to put his bag and lunch bag in the corner right after the door. The other time, it was the autistic coach, who just did almost the same thing as the staff member - cautioning AX to drop his bag and lunch bag in the corner. No language communication ensued. It is like the boy is a prisoner and that he just knows sign language, which he does not, unfortunately. They should have told him the commands by opening their mouths. They did not.
The horizons last week and this week became all the more gloomy for AX because this time around, I insisted that they are hurting AX physically when he does not comply. His home note states: "Does not want to come in, 3 staff members to bring him back in." Heck, the times when I see more than 2 staff members escorting someone is when a prisoner is in the maximum security facility or when a guy going to court is an extreme menace like a "terrorist." AX is an average height for his age and 43 pounds and being escorted by 3 staff member who are adults? Surely, that is a sign that some of these people are getting tax payers' money and doing nothing. Many times, they are heavy adults as many Americans are full-sized figures. Last week was very important and I should have noted it but let it go believing the incident will not happen anew. He came home one day last week with heavy finger marks on his upper left arm. These faded away like 4 days or so. It is hard to see this boy being hurt by people who do not believe in him nor have shown love to him. He can not talk and it is hard to get real facts from him. Surely, these people from school will tell their side of the story but not the real thing. They need to defend themselves and their positions.
I am just so exhausted with all the things happening to AX. His speech problem is becoming a darn impediment in school as well as his stubbornness. I do not deny that the boy is stubborn. He can be stubborn at times but the moment an adult knows how to impose his authority and at the same time loving, he readily complies albeit reluctantly at times.
The boy is just 5 years of age and all these things are occurring? I do not know but it seems the road ahead is bumpy and I need to fasten my seatbelt tight.
AX is a child 5 years of age and hardly talking at all. The so called professionals diagnosed him as having autism. He has been living under the umbrella for 2 years as a child with autism because he is not in par with kids of his age when it comes to communication. He is categorized as having the speech communication of a normal boy less than 2 years of age. Indeed, AL, his younger brother, has far more words he utters than that of AX. He is basically autistic because he can not talk like normal kids of his age. The reasons are unknown that not even the professionals and well-researched studies can explain such condition at present. In other aspects of life, he is developing normally and as far as I can tell, he may be advanced in other fields compared to children of his age. What are the stumbling blocks then? For one, he is having behavioral problems in school. The adults assigned to him and that includes his Kindergarten teacher, seem like, they think of him as a nuisance. He does not follow readily the things or commands the teacher tells him. He disobeys or does not follow as the teacher and his speech therapist told us. He can not do this and that. "I am giving him a lower 2, actually, it should be 3 because he just do not understand things." Impossible. Insanely impossible. What I believe is this: The teacher is not doing the things she should be doing. She may not even spend enough time or the allotted time for AX to learn things. AX does not follow, she does not do anything. She thinks very low of AX like he is a dumb person. He does not do this and that therefore, he can not do this and that. Another thing that Marco related to me yesterday, they do not have a respect on what the boy can do. I believe that is true. I have seen two instances when I dropped him off to school in the mornings, one staff member just pointed with her forefinger to AX to put his bag and lunch bag in the corner right after the door. The other time, it was the autistic coach, who just did almost the same thing as the staff member - cautioning AX to drop his bag and lunch bag in the corner. No language communication ensued. It is like the boy is a prisoner and that he just knows sign language, which he does not, unfortunately. They should have told him the commands by opening their mouths. They did not.
The horizons last week and this week became all the more gloomy for AX because this time around, I insisted that they are hurting AX physically when he does not comply. His home note states: "Does not want to come in, 3 staff members to bring him back in." Heck, the times when I see more than 2 staff members escorting someone is when a prisoner is in the maximum security facility or when a guy going to court is an extreme menace like a "terrorist." AX is an average height for his age and 43 pounds and being escorted by 3 staff member who are adults? Surely, that is a sign that some of these people are getting tax payers' money and doing nothing. Many times, they are heavy adults as many Americans are full-sized figures. Last week was very important and I should have noted it but let it go believing the incident will not happen anew. He came home one day last week with heavy finger marks on his upper left arm. These faded away like 4 days or so. It is hard to see this boy being hurt by people who do not believe in him nor have shown love to him. He can not talk and it is hard to get real facts from him. Surely, these people from school will tell their side of the story but not the real thing. They need to defend themselves and their positions.
I am just so exhausted with all the things happening to AX. His speech problem is becoming a darn impediment in school as well as his stubbornness. I do not deny that the boy is stubborn. He can be stubborn at times but the moment an adult knows how to impose his authority and at the same time loving, he readily complies albeit reluctantly at times.
The boy is just 5 years of age and all these things are occurring? I do not know but it seems the road ahead is bumpy and I need to fasten my seatbelt tight.
School is coming again
Last Tuesday, we went to the orientation meeting of AL's school. The private school of AL wants that the students will have social skills mastered than having intelligence. In short, they want the kids to be able to say, "I want to go to the bathroom" first than having a mastery of the ABCs, 123s.
AL is AX' younger brother. He is an incoming pre-K student (2009-2010). It will be our first time to have a kid who will be in the mainstream. AX was immediately put into pre-K autism cluster and up until now he is still in the autism cluster (incoming 3rd grade 2009-2010) but he is in Math mainstream and Language mainstream classes. His Reading will still be in the autism cluster. As aforementioned in previous posts, he is very good in Math. He is having some issues in reading comprehension. He is reading but his comprehension needs attention.
Tomorrow will be AX' school orientation and we will all go there as a family. We have no one to leave the kids with so wherever we go, they all go with us or with me for that matter.
AL is AX' younger brother. He is an incoming pre-K student (2009-2010). It will be our first time to have a kid who will be in the mainstream. AX was immediately put into pre-K autism cluster and up until now he is still in the autism cluster (incoming 3rd grade 2009-2010) but he is in Math mainstream and Language mainstream classes. His Reading will still be in the autism cluster. As aforementioned in previous posts, he is very good in Math. He is having some issues in reading comprehension. He is reading but his comprehension needs attention.
Tomorrow will be AX' school orientation and we will all go there as a family. We have no one to leave the kids with so wherever we go, they all go with us or with me for that matter.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Similar circumstances happened to us before...
I will try to relate in a comprehensive way on what happened to AX, to us, the parents and the schools. I was inspired by this other blogger who has a son with autism. Her experience is so similar to us. I just made a sigh of relief thinking before we are or I am the only nutcase having this problem with the school. Actually, it is a long and continuous true to life story of how a student with autism was treated in school, how the schools' and the school district's perceptions are different from neuro-typical students compared to the students with autism and how incompetent/negligent are quite large number of teachers, autistic coaches, ESE specialists, assistant principals and principals in the three schools we have gone into.
http://mommydearest1514.blogspot.com/search/label/School?updated-max=2008-05-29T15%3A10%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20
http://mommydearest1514.blogspot.com/search/label/School?updated-max=2008-05-29T15%3A10%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20
Friday, August 14, 2009
"Jack" fell down and broke his arm...
On 23 July, AX fell on the toy school bus that was on the floor. He was trying to get the Gameboy of his younger brother and most likely, he lost his balance and fell on the floor. Unfortunately, he landed on the toy school bus. I found him there crying and cringing in pain. He was pointing that his left arm was bothering him. He had a little fever at around 5:00 AM the next day. I did not hesitate to have him medically attended because he has a bulge between the lower part of his upper arm and the elbow. He could not stretch out his left arm at all. He was in pain. The whole day of Friday was spent at the doctor's office. It was mostly a long time of waiting to be attended in the walk-in emergency clinic and then the orthopedic's office.
The orthopedist decided to have his left arm be put in a cast. At first, the medical attendant was feeling like AX was being hardheaded. Eventually, I told her that he has autism. Next thing I know, she related that her girlfriend's son has autism as well and they participated in the Walk for Autism.
We are slated to have his cast be removed on 17 Aug and that means, we have to wait again.
Some sad news of late:
An Italian child with cerebral palsy and his grandmother died in hyperbaric chamber explosion. Please see link below:
http://www.theautismnews.com/2009/08/13/family-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit-after-hyperbaric-chamber-explosion/comment-page-1/#comment-1552
The orthopedist decided to have his left arm be put in a cast. At first, the medical attendant was feeling like AX was being hardheaded. Eventually, I told her that he has autism. Next thing I know, she related that her girlfriend's son has autism as well and they participated in the Walk for Autism.
We are slated to have his cast be removed on 17 Aug and that means, we have to wait again.
Some sad news of late:
An Italian child with cerebral palsy and his grandmother died in hyperbaric chamber explosion. Please see link below:
http://www.theautismnews.com/2009/08/13/family-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit-after-hyperbaric-chamber-explosion/comment-page-1/#comment-1552
Eight Years of Life
It would have been a good thing if one day AX will surprise us and he will just be talking endlessly. We are still wishing for that day to come when communication will be part of his system. AX can talk and read at present. He needs more time in comprehension. In Math, he is flying so we are not that concerned. However, he will need the comprehension in Math in the years to come. He is capable of multiplication from 0 - 10. He knows that when you give him 6 x 8, he has to do 8 six times or 6 eight times. A week ago, I taught him multiplication using the fingers/hand for higher numbers (6 to 9). He is still learning and I think, he will find it much easier later on.
AX turned eight years old last 8 August and he spent some minutes doing three pages of multiplication from a Grade 3 exercise book that we bought at Sam's Club. We went out later in the day just like all our other weekends. We usually eat out during Saturday and Sunday, do a little of cheap shopping, take them to some kids' hang-outs that we could find and whatever we will be able to do before we arrive back to the house.
His eight years of life has been pretty healthy and real progress has been there. He did not talk or utter words except 10 - 25 words (I think, 25 is an exaggeration but just consider it as a safety net) with most of the times almost nothing. He lived in the dark world since he turned 18 months old. It was really odd and so sad to see him unable to talk like normal kids of his age. The light kept peering in the closed door and finally, in April 2007, he started to talk and this became very evident in September 2007. He can tell us that this is an airplane, a computer, a television, a table, an egg, an ice cream, a pizza and among other things. Soon, he is able to read stories. He still has some pronunciation mishaps but since he has some good phonics, he can go on reading 3-syllable words he has not encountered yet. Despite his pace in reading, his comprehension is not yet in the leaping stage. We are still trying to teach him and hopefully, he can reach the stage where the students of his age are or even surpassed them? Well, one has to be optimistic all the time no matter what. Every failure leads closer to the next step of success. As in our case and in our son's case in particular, I felt that no one believe in him, he was taken like a kid in school who has a duct tape on his mouth. No one thought that he could read or even understand or even be very good in Math.
AX turned eight years old last 8 August and he spent some minutes doing three pages of multiplication from a Grade 3 exercise book that we bought at Sam's Club. We went out later in the day just like all our other weekends. We usually eat out during Saturday and Sunday, do a little of cheap shopping, take them to some kids' hang-outs that we could find and whatever we will be able to do before we arrive back to the house.
His eight years of life has been pretty healthy and real progress has been there. He did not talk or utter words except 10 - 25 words (I think, 25 is an exaggeration but just consider it as a safety net) with most of the times almost nothing. He lived in the dark world since he turned 18 months old. It was really odd and so sad to see him unable to talk like normal kids of his age. The light kept peering in the closed door and finally, in April 2007, he started to talk and this became very evident in September 2007. He can tell us that this is an airplane, a computer, a television, a table, an egg, an ice cream, a pizza and among other things. Soon, he is able to read stories. He still has some pronunciation mishaps but since he has some good phonics, he can go on reading 3-syllable words he has not encountered yet. Despite his pace in reading, his comprehension is not yet in the leaping stage. We are still trying to teach him and hopefully, he can reach the stage where the students of his age are or even surpassed them? Well, one has to be optimistic all the time no matter what. Every failure leads closer to the next step of success. As in our case and in our son's case in particular, I felt that no one believe in him, he was taken like a kid in school who has a duct tape on his mouth. No one thought that he could read or even understand or even be very good in Math.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
