My Letter To Tony Stansberry That He Ignored
My son is 13 years old and has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS (when he
was 5), Kanner's Syndrome (from the E-3 form through the Autism
Research Institute)and Asperger's Syndrome, Inattentive ADHD, and
Dysgraphia (through Children's Mercy Hospital when he was 13). He
had not had a private or school evaluation since he was five years
old, until this year, when I requested that his school give him one.
I have never had a reason to have him reevaluated until now. That
means that he had not been evaluated for seven years.
My son attended Prairie View, in Lee's Summit, from kindergarten
until 6th grade. The educators at that school are amazing, caring,
and wonderful people. I never had to ask for a thing for my son. They
knew what he needed and they did it.
My son is now in middle school. In the spring of 2005 we met with the
people from Prairie View and Pleasant Lea. We came up with provisions
for his middle school years. His educators from Prairie View came up
with 90% of these provisions based on their direct experience with my
son.
He does not like to break rules and his 6th grade teacher STRONGLY
suggested that he leave each class a minute or two early. That would
keep him out of the halls during the chaos and help him avoid getting
a tardy. She stated that, "If he gets a tardy it will ruin his whole
day. He will be lost to you for the rest of the day."
They also said that he should have a set of books in each classroom
and a set at home. This would also help him with getting to his
classes on time. It would help with his organizational issues that
all autistic people suffer from.
We also asked that he have music instead of art. His fine motor
skills are not the best and art can be difficult.
We asked that he have PE at the end of the day so that he wouldn't
have to shower. According to the University of North Carolina,
bullying can be at it's worse in the shower area. Autistic children
are often bullied and my son has not been the exception.
Pleasant Lea did not do any of these things until January when I
wrote to the Department of Education, the entire school board, the
superintendent, and Project Access. He did not get to leave class
early. He did not get a set of books in each classroom or a set at
home. He had art. He has PE 6th hour.
He got seven tardies in a span of three weeks. He became depressed.
He came home from school one day and put the thermometer in the
microwave. Of course that didn't work out the way that he had wanted.
He had wanted to make it look like he had a fever.
He ran to his room and put his piggy bank outside of his door. He
wanted me to take money out of it to replace what he had broken. I
went into his room and he was sobbing. He said, "I can't do anything
right. Your life would have been better if I had never been born." I
told him that a hole in my heart was filled on the day that he was
born. He said, "You never would have missed me if you had never known
me. A different child would have made your life better."
I immediately contacted the school. This was September and I didn't
want the school year starting out like this.
I had a meeting with two teachers, one co-teacher, and two aides. I
had talked about this with the assistant principal, but she wasn't
available on that day. Neither was the special education coordinator
nor the autism coordinator.
I tried to explain his tardies. Five of them were directly due to his
having to go to his locker after every class. This would not have
been necessary if he had a set of books in each class. One tardy was
because he couldn't get his PE locker open and he waited until a
child from the next hour came in and helped him. One tardy was
because he was late to home room. His bus had came back through our
neighborhood, I witnessed this, twenty minutes after it had picked
him up. A student had gotten sick on the bus and the bus driver had
brought her back home. This meant that the students got to school 20
minutes later than normal. He is AUTISTIC. He didn't understand that
his schedule had changed by twenty minutes.
His co-teacher would not even let me finish a sentence. I didn't get
to state what I just stated above. She said that I was wrong and that
his bus had never been late. She said that he was just being stubborn
and wouldn't take his book to PE. If he took his book to PE, he would
be able to go straight to his class after PE instead of his locker.
She said that he had not had a problem with his locker and that it
was stubbornness that made him late. The rule is that you don't take
your books to PE. Once again, he WILL NOT break rules. Real or
perceived.
I told her that I would like to have a book at home, as per our
spring conversation. She said that he didn't need a book at home. The
information was available online. I told her that I would need a
username and password. She said that I already had it. I told her
that I did not. She said that I did. Finally, another teacher
intervened and told me that he would get me the password and
username. What if the internet was down? Why must I count on my
server when I was supposed to have a book at home?
I explained that my son was depressed and related the incident of the
thermometer. I told them that I knew that his depression was a direct
result of coming to this school. The co-teacher said that he would be
really stressed and want to stay home on Friday. She stated that he
was going to have a test and that he was going to flunk it.
I asked her if he was being given tests in small groups as was stated
in his IEP. She said that she would have to drag him out into the
hall to do that.
My son has always gone to the learning center for his tests. Not once
was dragging him out of the class required. As a matter of fact, he
has never had any discipline issues until now.
The next day I called the autism coordinator to explain my distress
after this meeting. Never have I been treated in such a manner. I am
an adult. If the co-teacher treated me this way, how does she treat
children? She is in charge of children with special needs.
The assistant principal called me that same morning to discuss my
son's tardies. Because of the number of the tardies he was to be
disciplined. I told her about my meeting. She said that she would
talk to the co-teacher, autism coordinator, and special education
coordinator. The co-teacher is also my son's home room teacher. They
took all but two of his tardies off of his record. This will not
change the damage that has been done.
They kept my son out of home room for two weeks and the main teacher
took him out into the hall and gave him the test. He passed the test
with a "B".
One day his math teacher asked him to do an assignment. Then she
started writing the answers on the board. He thought that he should
stop. Her story is that she asked him three times and he didn't
comply. His story is that he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.
He shut down and just sat there.
She wrote him up. They call it a commitment letter. To my son it was
a punitive action. He started crying. She called me to let me know
what had happened and that he was crying. I told her that I would cry
too, if every day that I went to work I was afraid that I was going
to get into trouble and I didn't know why. If I didn't understand the
rules and what was expected of me I would be stressed, too.
His teacher told me that she felt that he needed to live up to
expectations. I told her that I agreed. But, not the expectations
of "normal" kids. I told her that I had expectations the day that he
was born. Those are gone. I will give you the results of his Vineland
testing at the conclusion of this letter.
I received a call from the autism coordinator stating that she was
concerned because Jake had become depressed and lethargic. She wanted
to have a meeting to make a plan to help Jake. At this point, I had
spoken with all of Jake's teachers, the special education
coordinator, the assistant principal, and the autism coordinator. I
had expressed my concern over my son's depression. At no time was he
sent to the counselor's office.
I went back for another meeting. They felt that we all just needed to
be more positive and help my son to be more positive. They asked if
my being anxious had caused my son to become anxious. I assured them
that I was not anxious until my child began talking about dying.
It was suggested that I take my son to his pediatrician for the
depression. I did this. My pediatrician was as confused as I was as
to why the school was having such an issue trying to figure out how
to educate an autistic child. She asked me if they were having budget
issues.
We both agreed that my child should not be medicated for a problem at
school. She decided that she wanted to call the school and speak with
Jake's counselor.
I called the school counselor and told her about my son. My doctor
called the counselor as well. It took a week for my doctor to get a
call back. Still, my son has never been to the counselor. The school
blamed my doctor for the time it took for them to call her.
I researched many autism sites and tried to find information on
educating autistic children. Most sites stated that I should offer
the school any information that I found so that we could work
together on my son's education.
I contacted Jerry Keimig, Special Education Coordinator fo r the
Lee's Summit School District. I told him that I wanted to have my
next meeting with the staff at the school and give them a chance to
work this out. I told him that I would call him back after my meeting.
I emailed Mr. Keimig after the meeting where we discussed making Jake
feel more positive. I told him that I would like to meet with him one-
on-one to discuss my issues. I told him that I get easily intimidated
when I have to face many people at one time.
Mr. Keimig refused to meet with me one-on-one. He said, "I would be
happy to meet with you at any time, but not without direct input from
PLMS staff. I will ask that Emily Miller coordinate a meeting with
the three of us and any additional staff that might have more
background on your son. I have none." I would have thought that he
could have read my son's file and gotten all of the background that
he needed.
I called Mr. Keimig several time the next few days. He WOULD NOT
return my phone calls. I wanted to let him know what my pediatrician
and I had discussed.
I met with Mr. Keimig for 15 minutes. I told him that I had read that
most autistic children only respond to positive teaching. He told me
that I couldn't believe everything that I read. I told him that I
wanted my son in a class with a more positive teacher or in a
modified curriculum. He told me that he may not be able to help my
son in the future. I told him that my son was depressed and that
being in this class was making it worse. He told me that it was a
good life lesson for my son.
I informed him that I would be contacting Children's Mercy to have my
son reevaluated. I told him that my doctor felt that my son's
disability was not being addressed and that we would need
professional help to draw up his IEP.
It will take six months to get my son even started on the
evaluations. Children's Mercy suggested that I contact MPACT so that
they could help mean in the interim.
I contacted the superintendent to complain about Mr. Keimig's lack of
understanding about autistic children and his inability to discuss my
concerns without totally dismissing me. I was contacted by the
principal of Pleasant Lea instead of by the superintendent. I told
her everything that I have just stated. She suggested that I contact
the assistant superintendent, Dr. Ann Starlin-Horner.
I contacted Dr. Horner. I told her of my concerns. I told her that I
was having another meeting with the staff at Pleasant Lea. I told her
that I would email all of my correspondence to her. That is when I
found out that the public can not have access to Administration email
addresses. I had to send everything to her secretary.
Dr. Horner called me back several days later and stated that she had
found out that I was having a meeting with the Pleasant Lea staff in
two days. She went on to say that she hadn't known about that. By the
end of the message she said that I had told her about it and that she
had forgotten. She told me that she would contact me after the
meeting. She stated that she was writing it on her calendar right
then. She didn't call me back until I wrote a letter to the
superintendent in December. Two months after my initial phone call.
Jake is very smart, but he is getting an "F" in science, language
arts, and home economics. He has missed almost 20 days of school
because he has been sick so much. I believe that the stress that he
has been under has affected his health. I have, of course, received
the letter threatening me because of his absences.
Jake has to go to his teachers for his make up work and tests that he
missed. He never does that and that is why he is flunking. He is
supposed to be taking tests in small groups, but they say that they
will only do that if they "don't have to drag him out of class" to do
it. He has never had to be dragged out of class before. It states in
his IEP that he is supposed to take tests in small groups and that
the tests should be read to him. His case manager didn't even know
that that was in there.
I had another meeting in December. I must stress that the special
education coordinator for his school is trying to do her best. I just
don't think that the district has a clear understanding of how to
educate this unique population of students.
In our last meeting we decided that he needed a place to go when he
gets stressed. It has been working and he is no longer as depressed.
His teachers are supposed to write in his plan book every day so that
I know what his assignments were for that day and what we need to get
done that night. Only his core classes do this. And they don't do it
on a consistent basis.
He didn't get books in all of his classrooms until January. He wasn't
able to leave any classes early, with the exception of one, until
January. The staff felt that it was not necessary and dismissed it.
My advocate tells me that he should never receive a tardy. She said
that his paras should make sure that he gets his work turned in and
that they should be responsible for getting his make up work to him.
That is something I am going to work on for his IEP. I trusted the
school to write an IEP that would be the best for my son. I have
learned that I will have to have a great deal of input so that it
will address my son's disability and the issues that come with it.
I had a meeting with Ann Starlin-Horner in December. We discussed all
of these issues. Jake has started chewing again and he has gotten in
trouble for chewing in class. They said that it could pose a risk. He
is chewing on his fingers.
At our meeting, we decided that Jake should have something
appropriate to chew on. They decided that a bracelet, such as Lance
Armstrong wears, would be a good alternative. I told them that I
didn't feel that it would be good because he would have his wrist at
his mouth all day.
Also at this meeting, Dr. Starlin-Horner said that my son needs to be
held accountable for poor decisions. She said that his tardy in PE
was an example of him making a poor choice. I told her that I
disagreed. He was in a panic about being late and he couldn't get his
locker open. He didn't know that he had any choices. His disability
wouldn't allow him to focus on his choices.
After Christmas break they gave him the bracelet to chew on. The
first day that he wore it he got into trouble for chewing on it. His
teacher told him that "bracelets are for wearing, not for chewing on."
I have been posting on the EFECT board. It is a board for parents of
children with disabilities. At my last meeting I noticed that the
autism coordinator had a copy of every post that I had posted. She
tried to hide it, but I saw it as she was searching for a paper. This
board is for parents to share concerns, thoughts, issues, etc. It has
since been changed so that teachers can not access it.
My son has been reevaluated and a new IEP has been drawn up. At our
IEP meeting the school admitted that they had not properly prepared
for my son and it was the cause of most of his issues this year.
His co-teacher, that wouldn't let me speak in our first meeting, has
now said that he has lost the two books that were kept in the
classroom for him. He hasn't lost the books that he had to bring home
and then return or the books in other classes. Only the books in her
class. Now I have to pay a fine for that. When I asked the principal
about this on March 31st, she never responded. I'm sure that they
will wait until the day that yearbooks are handed out and then tell
him that he doesn't get one because he owes fines.
Sincerely,
Sherri R. Tucker
Jake's Vineland Scores
Jacob Tucker was 12 years 9 months old on the interview date of
3/1/06. Jacob's standard score on the Adaptive Behavior Composite is
64. The confidence level of 90 percent yields a confidence band of 60
to 68. Jacob's percentile rank of 1 on the Adaptive Behavior
Composite indicates that his score is higher than or equal to only 1
percent of similarly aged individuals in the norm group. His adaptive
level is rated as Low for his age group.
1. Jacob's level of adaptive functioning within the Communication
domain is Moderately Low for his age group. His standard score of 78
results in a confidence band of 71-85 at the 90 percent confidence
level. His percentile rank is 7. Thus, his score in this area is
higher than or equal to only 7 percent of his peers in the normative
sample. He has an adaptive level of Low for REceptive Communication,
Adequate for Expressive Communication, and Adequate for Written
Communication. The lower adaptive level for the Receptive subdomain
indicates that Jacob has particular trouble with tasks such as
accurately identifying some of the major body parts, following
instructions that require and action and an object, or understanding
an "if-then" statement. Be aware, however, that 17 percent of Jacob's
Communication score was based on estimated performance.
Jacob's standard score for the Daily Living Skills domain is 62 which
results in a confidence band of 57-67 at the 90 percent confidence
level. This score represents a Low level of adaptive functioning for
an individual of his age. His percentile rank for the Daily Living
Skills domain is 1. His adaptive level is Low for all three
subdomains.
Jacob's level of adaptive functioning within the Socialization domain
is Low for his age group. His standard score is 60 which results in a
confidence band of 54-66 at the 90 percent confidence level. His
percentile rank is 0.4. A look at the subdomain scores within the
Socialization domain indicates that Jacob's adaptive level is Low for
all three subdomains (Interpersonal Relationships, Play and Leisure
Time and Coping Skills). Be aware, however, that 45 percent of
Jacob's Socialization score was based on estimated performance.
Jacob's standard score for the Motor Skills domain is 87. Jacob is
over 6 years old and therefore the standard score of 87 is an
estimated score. This score represents an Adequate level of adaptive
functioning for his age group. His percentile rank for this domain is
19. Jacob's adaptive level is Moderately Low for the Gross Motor
Skills subdomain and Adequate for the Fine Motor Skills subdomain.
Jacob's standard score for the Communication domain is significantly
different from the average for all of the domains. This large a
difference was also very rarely seen in the normative sample. Such a
difference indicates that his communication abilities are a strength
that he may use to compensate for skills in other areas.
Although Jacob's standard score for the Socialization domain is
significantly higher than the average for all domains, this
difference is not particularly unusual. In fact, a difference this
large occurred in over 16 percent of the cases in the normative
sample. Such a difference indicates that social abilities are a
weakness for Jacob relative to his skills in the other areas.
Activities that target the development of social skills may therefore
be useful. In fact, attention to socialization may help to raise his
overall level of adaptive behavior.
I met with the psychologist and got Jake's diagnosis. I'm sure that
you have already received the handouts that the psychologist gave me
and that you got the news of his diagnosis, but I thought that I'd
email you so that you would have the email. I went over it verbally
and that is a lot to remember.
Jake has been formally diagnosed with:
Asperger's Syndrome
Inattentive ADHD
Dysgraphia
I would like to make sure that we all have a clear understanding of
the meeting that took place yesterday. It was scheduled on September
19, 2006. The attendees were Sherri Tucker, Diane Stark (sister of
Sherri and employee of Children's Mercy Hospital since 1981), Todd
Wilson, Kim Berkstresser, and Suzanne Vleisides. Jannette Cooley
attended half of the meeting. I need a copy of the schools' minutes
for this meeting. Please correct me on any items that I am mistaken
on.
The meeting was called to discuss the modifications that should be
made to Jacob Tucker's IEP. He has modifications in every class and
his mother felt that he needed modifications in PE. She has done a
great deal of research on this subject and has offered the
information to all that were involved in this meeting, with the
exception of Ms. Cooley.
The following email precipitated the meeting:
Todd,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my email. I would like
for you to clear up a few matters. You stated that Jake has been
doing an outstanding job for the past few years. Last year you
contacted me and told me that Jake wasn't doing very well. What do
you mean by "Jacob, for over a year now, has been doing an
outstanding job in PE"?
In your email to me on February 22, 2006 you stated:
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Tucker,
I just wanted to touch base with you about Jacob's behavior recently.
The last month or so, Jacob's attitude and energy level has been
dropping rather quickly. As a reflection to this, I have been forced
to give him some participation marks which is affecting his grade. I
talked with Jacob today after class and he stated that he feels "worn
out" and that a lack of sleep is partially to blame. He told me that
he has been drinking pop at night which I believe could be part of
the reason he has been having trouble falling asleep.
If you could encourage Jacob to do his very verst in P.E. each day
and also encourage him to have a healthy diet while at school and at
home, I believe it will positively reflect on his attitude and effort
in P.E.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Todd Wilson"
Can you also explain to me why Jake said that the team that lost in
the passing contest had to do sit ups or push ups? I understand that
his perception can be off sometimes, but I would like to know why he
believed that to be true. I don't believe that I am getting
a "slanted view". I am getting Jake's view. He is autistic and they
have a hard time with social cues. That in no way means that he is
lying or "slanting the truth".
Jake has complained about PE for two years. I have always just let it
go and told him to try harder. However, after investigating autism
further, I have found that it is not just an issue with Jake. It is
an issue for almost everyone with autism. I have sent you several
articles stating this.
I don't believe that Jake needs to be pushed physically or socially
in a school setting such as PE. He doesn't have the physical
abilities to compete with NT children and social skills should only
be addressed by someone that has been educated on ASD.
I asked that Jake stay in PE with modifications. All of which seem to
be the preferred setting for children on the spectrum. It is my hope
that my request will be complied with. I understand the need for Jake
to be fit and would love for that to happen. But, I want it to be
done in a physically and emotionally healthy way.
Sherri
[Original Message]
From: <Todd.Wilson@leesummit.k12.mo.us>
To: <cutucker@earthlink.net>
Cc: Kim Berkstresser <kim.berkstresser@leesummit.k12.mo.us>; Suzanne
Vleisides <suzanne.vleisides@leesummit.k12.mo.us>
Date: 9/19/2006 9:32:27 AM
Subject: Re: Jacob Tucker
Hi Sherri,
I first want to thank you for your email and thoughts. However, I am
going to disagree with some of your statements. Jacob, for over a year
now, has been doing an outstanding job in p.e., as have many other students
similar to Jacob over the past few years. His attitude is always good and his
effort is above average. Though he may not "excel" athletically, he
is not graded or disciplined on performance nor will he ever be. Your
statement about having to do push-ups or sit-ups for losing a game makes me
believe that you are getting a "slanted" view of what actually happens here
in p.e. and maybe even in his other classes. Don't be alarmed. Many students
tell their parents one thing when something else may actually be the
case. I'm not calling Jacob a liar, I'm simply telling you the facts.
I also find it hard to believe that p.e. is causing Jacob a great
deal of anxiety. Jacob seems very relaxed in class and communicates very
well with me and his classmates when I interact with him. My p.e. classes push
students physically so that they can improve their physical health
and well-being, which in today's society, I think we can all agree, is
needed.
It would be a shame to take Jacob out of a setting that is going to
challenge him physically, socially, and mentally. My classes prepare
students for the world outside of school. We have fun playing games,
getting to know each other, interacting with each other, and doing
other things. We challenge ourselves by asking out bodies to do their best
everyday and by periodically pushing them outside of their comfort
zone.
Jacob, like every other student in this school, needs this.
Jacob is a joy to have in class and I have sincerely enjoyed getting
to know him over the last several months. I hope that he is not only
allowed to remain in a regular p.e. setting, but encouraged by you, to push
his "bubble" out a little and continue to face the day to day challenges
head on.
Thank you for your time,
Todd Wilson
Pleasant Lea Middle School
Lee's Summit, MO 65081
816-986-1175 ext. 7552
Subject Jacob Tucker
Mr. Wilson,
I am trying to find the best situation for Jake. PE is a very anxiety
provoking activity for Jake. He is afraid of his team losing because
of the extra push ups or sit ups. I'm afraid that his teammates will not
appreciate having Jake on their team and that he will be bullied. This
happens frequently with AS children and Jake is not the exception.
Also, he is physically clumsy and the laps that they have to run and
the activities that PE requires are very difficult for him. This adds to
his anxiety.
I would like for Jake to have modifications to his PE class or
adaptive PE.
Following are articles and suggestions from professionals and parents
of AS children.
Sherri Tucker
One of the hardest social situations for my son in middle school was
the Physical Education classes. He hated sports and had motor delays that
made sports difficult for him and therefore made him more of a target for
other students. The locker room situation was especially difficult and
there was little adult supervision there to protect him. After a couple of
incidences, we were able to arrange that he wouldn't go into the
locker room at all, and instead would wear appropriate clothes on P.E. days
and would leave his backpack in the P.E. teacher's office. We had him
exempted from the 8th grade P.E. requirement. I wrote a letter to the
principal and included a letter from a developmental pediatrician who knew my son
and was very knowledgeable about autism. We had no problem getting him
exempted. I would only suggest this option if your child gets nothing positive
from P.E. or suffers anxiety related to it. High School gives you man y
more options for Physical Education classes that can be used to satisfy the
requirements for graduation, such as weight lifting, track, and other
more individualized sports. You can also request Adaptive PE help in an
IEP.
http://www.teacch.com/survive.html
When students with autism are mainstreamed into the regular classroom
setting it would be best to do so for classes that are interesting to
them and which are related to their strengths. For example, handicapped
students are often mainstreamed into electives such as physical education
classes. Such a strategy would probably not be successful for children with
autism. The social nature of this type of class and the relative lack of
structure would make it difficult for them to have success in this setting. They
would be much more successful if they were placed in a class such as
math, and electives, such as computers, which are academic strengths, strong
interests, and take place in a structured setting.
http://www.teacch.com/highfunction.html
Inclusion
1. Inclusion, or the integration of people with and without
disabilities, is supported by legislation of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). A key
component of IDEA addresses the need for individuals to receive services in the
least restrictive setting or environment. Physical activity and recreation
programs should be naturally inclusive environments for individuals
with autism. To ensure a safe and successful program, staff need to be
knowledgeable on the considerations of autism, and sufficiently
trained on working and interacting with individuals with autism.
http://www.ncpad.org/disability/fact_sheet.php?sheet=366?§ion=2153
I have been in special education for 20 years. Here are some general
guidelines for this population. Reduce distractions and clearly
define rec space. Employ task variation using 4-6 stations. Emphasize
participation, not competition. Integrate strengths of student into lesson. When
integration is not appropriate, design a parallel activity to take
place in same area at the same time.I have also experimented with peer tutor
dyads/tryads. It begins with sensitivity training for typical peers.I
would suggest employing the school psychologist in reference to the scope and
depth of the training. You can choose a simple motor skill like
throwing.The first dyad/tryad ( D/T) is the typical peer and the
teacher.
Essentially, the teacher teaches the typical peer how to properly
sequence the skill. The 2nd D/T is the typical peer and the autistic student
(unidirectional). The 3rd D/T is typical peer and autistic student (
reciprocal). The 4th D/T is the autistic child teaching an atypical
peer (unidirectional) . The 5th D/T is the autistic student with a typical
same age peer. You have to experiment a little to find what methodology is
the most advantageous. I have found whenever you can give these students a
moment to shine, it really seems to raise their self-esteem and gives
them opportunity to reciprocate in social environments. Good luck.
The term special education means specially designed instruction, at no
cost to parents, to meet the 1. unique needs of a child with a
disability, including -
(A) instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals
and institutions, and in other set- tings; and
(B) instruction in physical education.
I began the meeting by reading some information that had been given
to me by a specialist in AS. I wanted the team to be privy to
knowledge that I had gained in the hours prior to the meeting. I
also stated that I had spoken with many parents of children in middle
school with AS.
I read the following: "Jacob is challenged every single day.
Physically, socially and mentally. Jacob also needs a different kind
of preparation for the world outside of school. Most AS kids live
outside their comfort zone just by virtue of walking into the school
building."
I also told everyone that Jake's psychologist has determined that
Jake has anxiety issues and they are mostly due to school.
There was some more conversation and it there was a lot of back and
forth about autism. I don't believe that Mr. Wilson is very
knowledgeable about autism. That is the impression that I got.
I believe that Mr. Wilson then stated that he did not believe this to
be the case and that he knew Jake better than any "What do you call
it? AS?" specialists. I believe that he then said that he still do
not believe that Jake was suffering from anxiety. I explained that
Jake's anxiety was not detectable to him because he is autistic and
doesn't act the same as "normal" kids.
Kim and Suzanne were very good at facilitating the meeting. They
kept asking what modifications needed to be put into Jake's IEP. I
stated that I did not want Jake to have to run laps. He had been
punished for not running laps the prior week.
Mr. Wilson stated that Jake was not punished for walking he was
punished for not running the last 20 feet when he was instructed to.
I asked Mr. Wilson what he told Jake. He stated that he told Jake
and two other kids that they needed to "hustle" on the last 20 feet.
He said that he punished Jake for not following instructions and that
he felt that Jake needed to be punished.
I explained that Jake is autistic and he takes things
literally. "Hustle" does not mean run to Jake. I'm not even sure
that he knows what it means. I told him that Jake thought that he
was being punished for not running all of the laps. He did not
understand that he was being punished for not "hustling" and was
probably not even sure what was being asked of him.
I went on to explain to Mr. Wilson that AS kids have difficulties
with motor skills. He stated that he disagreed and that he knew more
about Jake's abilities than I do.
Somewhere during this conversation Ms. Cooley arrived in the
meeting. There were many conversations going back and forth and I
can't recall every one. I will request that future meetings be
recorded.
We finally got back down to discussing the modifications. There was
some confusion as to what to put into the IEP. I stated that I had
hoped that the team would have some suggestions and felt that the PE
teacher would be the best person to come up with some of these, but
it appeared that the PE teacher didn't feel that modifications were
warranted and that I would need to do some more research on my own
time.
We did decide that Jake should not have to run laps. It got pretty
technical and there was discussion as to whether he should run during
basketball, etc. It was finally decided that Jake would not have to
run laps or long distances.
I believe that Mr. Wilson asked how that would be handled and if he
would say to all of the kids "You all have to run, but Jake you can
walk." He also stated, "What happens if Jake accidently runs? Am I
going to get into trouble for that?"
Kim, Suzanne, my sister, and I all stated that it would be great if
Jake ran, but that he doesn't have to. I stated that I didn't want
there to be any question about whether Jake had to run or not and
that's why I wanted it in black and white. I didn't want to depend
on the teacher to make a decision for a child that has a disorder
that he clearly doesn't understand.
Mr. Wilson brought up an email that I wrote to him last year. He had
emailed me the above and I responded in a positive way. We had so
many issues with Jake last year that I didn't want to add to it. I
responded in a kind and positive way to Mr. Wilson in hopes that he
respond in the same way to Jake.
We discussed how Jake loved PE in elementary school and felt that Mr.
Bishop hung the moon. I said that I agreed with that statement. Mr.
Bishop is an excellent teacher and beyond that a wonderful and caring
human being.
Mr. Wilson said that he felt that Jake liked him and had never
appeared to be upset. I explained that Jake is autistic. He doesn't
dislike people. He doesn't see the good or bad in people. He may be
stressed by an activity, but not by the person making him do it.
Mr. Wilson asked me if I would be telling Jake that he didn't have to
do anything he didn't want to in PE. I told him that what I discuss
with adults is not the same as I what I tell Jake. I told that I
would never go home and say "That person is mean." I will simply
tell Jake that he needs to do his best and if he can't run then
walking would be acceptable.
It was my feeling that Mr. Wilson was not on board with Jake having
modifications. He continued to assert that Jake was up to the
challenge of PE. I continued to assert that Jake is not a "normal"
child and that he is not.
My sister brought up the fact that Mr. Wilson stated that my son
lied. Mr. Wilson corrected her and said that he purposely stated
that he didn't lie. So, we agreed that he stated that he slanted the
truth. My sister stated that Mr. Wilson stated that Jake might be
doing this in all of classes. She asked him how many of Jake's
classes he had been in.
My sister brought up the fact that Mr. Wilson had addressed Jake's
need for a healthy diet at home and that he felt that Jake needed to
drink less pop at home so that he could get to sleep. Mr. Wilson
agreed that I had sent him an email explaining that children with AS
have sleep issues and that it has nothing to do with diet or pop
consumption.
Mr. Wilson at first stated that Jake told him that he drinks pop
before he goes to bed. He then stated that Jake drinks 3 or 4 cans
of pop before he goes to bed. I explained to Mr. Wilson that he
asked Jake if he drinks pop and Jake answered yes. Once again, I
explained to Mr. Wilson that Jake is autistic and will only respond
to a direct question. If he had asked Jake what time he drank that
pop and how much, Jake would have answered that. Jake only told him
that he drank pop.
I said that perhaps I should talk to my psychologist and see about
having Jake released from PE. I really didn't feel that it was a
good environment for Jake and I would not allow us to go back to
where we were last year.
Ms. Cooley stated that she didn't want me to discuss last year
anymore. My sister said that I had attended so many meetings last
year and nothing was ever fixed.
Ms. Cooley told my sister that discussing last year wasn't going to
get us anywhere and that no purpose was served by bringing it up. We
need to focus on the positive.
I tried to insert, "If we don't learn from our past we are doomed to
make the same mistakes." but I didn't get to finish my thoughts.
We once again discussed the modifications and Kim and Suzanne said
that they knew that Mr. Wilson would follow through with whatever we
decided. We decided that Jake would not have to run laps or long
distances.
We concluded the meeting at that point.
I came home and contacted Jake's psychologist and talked to him about
this meeting. We agreed that the atmosphere, in PE, would not be
good for Jake's emotional and psychological well being. I told the
psychologist that Jake's father would be taking him to the gym three
times a week for physical fitness.
I would like to see Mr. Wilson attend a class on autism because I
feel that he doesn't understand the disorder and it's impact on the
students that he serves.
Kim,
I sent Ms. Zornes some information on why Jake doesn't make changes
to his voice. I really understand her need to grade him based on his
performance, but I am afraid that he brought down his whole group's
grade this week. There is a grading sheet in Jake's backpack and it
shows that the group got marked off because Jake didn't intonate. I
would hate for the whole group to be penalized because of Jake's
disability. Also, Jake wants to talk to you about Mrs. Garlic. I told
him that he needed to discuss it with you. I'm afraid that he might
forget.
I will send you the information that I sent Mrs. Zornes.
On another note, I took Jake to the pediatrician on Monday. We are
starting on a whole new medication. The last one just didn't show
enough of a change. We will be adding an anti-anxiety medication in
two weeks. Once again, we have to start at the bottom and work our
way up. Unfortunately, this is the only way that it can be done.
The pediatrician would like for you and Mrs. Muckey to fill out
another form in two weeks. I'm sorry that you have to keep doing
this, but it's the only way he knows what medicine and how much will
work for Jake.
Thanks again for all of your help.
Sherri
I will talk to him tonight. Part of his Aspergers is the monotone
voice. When they do speak, the speech may be in a sing-song pattern
or monotone (no variation in pitch, like playing a single note on an
instrument).
Autism is characterized by:
communication problems, which may include delays in developing
speech, repeating words, and speaking in a monotone that lacks pitch,
inflection, or rhythm poor social interaction repetitive behavior and interests
unusual behaviors, such as spinning or flapping hands
17. Why do many individuals with Autism speak in a monotone?
The most common belief for this behavior is that the sound of their
own voice actually hurts their hypersensitive auditory system. Once
they find a tone that is not painful, they stick to it, which results
in monotone speech. This could also be a cause for no speech, in that
an individual may not be able to find a tone that is not painful.
He missed your class today because he had an appointment with the
psychologist.
Delay in or lack of expressive language skills
Poor comprehension of spoken and written language
Lack of responsiveness when addressed
Impairments in nonverbal communication, such as use of gestures,
facial expression, eye contact and imitation
Differences in pitch, intonation, rate, rhythm, and/or stress. Some
individuals with autism may demonstrate monotone, or distinctly
rhythmical speech
Repetitive or idiosyncratic language
Echolalia
Pronoun reversals
Restricted vocabulary, dominated by nouns. The majority of speech may
be to make requests or rejections
Perseveration on a topic, or changes topics frequently
Difficulty interpreting abstract concepts
Difficulty initiating conversation, using rules, maintaining a topic,
interrupting and /or rigidity. The student with autism may
demonstrate a stereotype routine way of interacting.
Difficulty comprehending verbal information, remembering a sequence,
or connecting ideas.
Difficulty attending to relevant cues, sharing attention, or shifting
attention from one stimulus to the next.
May demonstrate strength in speech production and vocabulary, but
have significant difficulty carrying on a conversation or using
speech for social interactive purposes
Hey there. Jacob had a presentation that didn't go very well
yesterday. They were supposed to read a poem making changes in his voice. His
para worked with him the day before trying to get him to practice with
her, and he was not very cooperative. The rest of the kids did this in
groups, but he wanted to work on his own. I was also unsuccessful at getting
him to rehearse aloud which is the only way you can really prepare for this
assignment. As a result, when he read it, he didn't read the title
and didn't follow the required guidelines for vocal variety and volume
and tempo changes. He only got a 20/45. I'm returning it today and
letting him know that he can redo it for me if he wants to raise his grade,
and I also wanted to let you know. Today we are starting to work on our
monologues. They will choose one, write a character analysis of the
character on a provided form, memorize it and present it toward the
middle of next week. I just wanted to give you a heads up. Let me know if
you have any questions.
Thanks,
Cathy Zornes
Speech/ Theatre/ Video Production
Tiger Tracks T.V.
Pleasant Lea Middle School
630 SW Persels
Lee's Summit, Missouri 64081
816-986-1499 ext. 8413
Cathy.Zornes@leesummit.k12.mo.us
was 5), Kanner's Syndrome (from the E-3 form through the Autism
Research Institute)and Asperger's Syndrome, Inattentive ADHD, and
Dysgraphia (through Children's Mercy Hospital when he was 13). He
had not had a private or school evaluation since he was five years
old, until this year, when I requested that his school give him one.
I have never had a reason to have him reevaluated until now. That
means that he had not been evaluated for seven years.
My son attended Prairie View, in Lee's Summit, from kindergarten
until 6th grade. The educators at that school are amazing, caring,
and wonderful people. I never had to ask for a thing for my son. They
knew what he needed and they did it.
My son is now in middle school. In the spring of 2005 we met with the
people from Prairie View and Pleasant Lea. We came up with provisions
for his middle school years. His educators from Prairie View came up
with 90% of these provisions based on their direct experience with my
son.
He does not like to break rules and his 6th grade teacher STRONGLY
suggested that he leave each class a minute or two early. That would
keep him out of the halls during the chaos and help him avoid getting
a tardy. She stated that, "If he gets a tardy it will ruin his whole
day. He will be lost to you for the rest of the day."
They also said that he should have a set of books in each classroom
and a set at home. This would also help him with getting to his
classes on time. It would help with his organizational issues that
all autistic people suffer from.
We also asked that he have music instead of art. His fine motor
skills are not the best and art can be difficult.
We asked that he have PE at the end of the day so that he wouldn't
have to shower. According to the University of North Carolina,
bullying can be at it's worse in the shower area. Autistic children
are often bullied and my son has not been the exception.
Pleasant Lea did not do any of these things until January when I
wrote to the Department of Education, the entire school board, the
superintendent, and Project Access. He did not get to leave class
early. He did not get a set of books in each classroom or a set at
home. He had art. He has PE 6th hour.
He got seven tardies in a span of three weeks. He became depressed.
He came home from school one day and put the thermometer in the
microwave. Of course that didn't work out the way that he had wanted.
He had wanted to make it look like he had a fever.
He ran to his room and put his piggy bank outside of his door. He
wanted me to take money out of it to replace what he had broken. I
went into his room and he was sobbing. He said, "I can't do anything
right. Your life would have been better if I had never been born." I
told him that a hole in my heart was filled on the day that he was
born. He said, "You never would have missed me if you had never known
me. A different child would have made your life better."
I immediately contacted the school. This was September and I didn't
want the school year starting out like this.
I had a meeting with two teachers, one co-teacher, and two aides. I
had talked about this with the assistant principal, but she wasn't
available on that day. Neither was the special education coordinator
nor the autism coordinator.
I tried to explain his tardies. Five of them were directly due to his
having to go to his locker after every class. This would not have
been necessary if he had a set of books in each class. One tardy was
because he couldn't get his PE locker open and he waited until a
child from the next hour came in and helped him. One tardy was
because he was late to home room. His bus had came back through our
neighborhood, I witnessed this, twenty minutes after it had picked
him up. A student had gotten sick on the bus and the bus driver had
brought her back home. This meant that the students got to school 20
minutes later than normal. He is AUTISTIC. He didn't understand that
his schedule had changed by twenty minutes.
His co-teacher would not even let me finish a sentence. I didn't get
to state what I just stated above. She said that I was wrong and that
his bus had never been late. She said that he was just being stubborn
and wouldn't take his book to PE. If he took his book to PE, he would
be able to go straight to his class after PE instead of his locker.
She said that he had not had a problem with his locker and that it
was stubbornness that made him late. The rule is that you don't take
your books to PE. Once again, he WILL NOT break rules. Real or
perceived.
I told her that I would like to have a book at home, as per our
spring conversation. She said that he didn't need a book at home. The
information was available online. I told her that I would need a
username and password. She said that I already had it. I told her
that I did not. She said that I did. Finally, another teacher
intervened and told me that he would get me the password and
username. What if the internet was down? Why must I count on my
server when I was supposed to have a book at home?
I explained that my son was depressed and related the incident of the
thermometer. I told them that I knew that his depression was a direct
result of coming to this school. The co-teacher said that he would be
really stressed and want to stay home on Friday. She stated that he
was going to have a test and that he was going to flunk it.
I asked her if he was being given tests in small groups as was stated
in his IEP. She said that she would have to drag him out into the
hall to do that.
My son has always gone to the learning center for his tests. Not once
was dragging him out of the class required. As a matter of fact, he
has never had any discipline issues until now.
The next day I called the autism coordinator to explain my distress
after this meeting. Never have I been treated in such a manner. I am
an adult. If the co-teacher treated me this way, how does she treat
children? She is in charge of children with special needs.
The assistant principal called me that same morning to discuss my
son's tardies. Because of the number of the tardies he was to be
disciplined. I told her about my meeting. She said that she would
talk to the co-teacher, autism coordinator, and special education
coordinator. The co-teacher is also my son's home room teacher. They
took all but two of his tardies off of his record. This will not
change the damage that has been done.
They kept my son out of home room for two weeks and the main teacher
took him out into the hall and gave him the test. He passed the test
with a "B".
One day his math teacher asked him to do an assignment. Then she
started writing the answers on the board. He thought that he should
stop. Her story is that she asked him three times and he didn't
comply. His story is that he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.
He shut down and just sat there.
She wrote him up. They call it a commitment letter. To my son it was
a punitive action. He started crying. She called me to let me know
what had happened and that he was crying. I told her that I would cry
too, if every day that I went to work I was afraid that I was going
to get into trouble and I didn't know why. If I didn't understand the
rules and what was expected of me I would be stressed, too.
His teacher told me that she felt that he needed to live up to
expectations. I told her that I agreed. But, not the expectations
of "normal" kids. I told her that I had expectations the day that he
was born. Those are gone. I will give you the results of his Vineland
testing at the conclusion of this letter.
I received a call from the autism coordinator stating that she was
concerned because Jake had become depressed and lethargic. She wanted
to have a meeting to make a plan to help Jake. At this point, I had
spoken with all of Jake's teachers, the special education
coordinator, the assistant principal, and the autism coordinator. I
had expressed my concern over my son's depression. At no time was he
sent to the counselor's office.
I went back for another meeting. They felt that we all just needed to
be more positive and help my son to be more positive. They asked if
my being anxious had caused my son to become anxious. I assured them
that I was not anxious until my child began talking about dying.
It was suggested that I take my son to his pediatrician for the
depression. I did this. My pediatrician was as confused as I was as
to why the school was having such an issue trying to figure out how
to educate an autistic child. She asked me if they were having budget
issues.
We both agreed that my child should not be medicated for a problem at
school. She decided that she wanted to call the school and speak with
Jake's counselor.
I called the school counselor and told her about my son. My doctor
called the counselor as well. It took a week for my doctor to get a
call back. Still, my son has never been to the counselor. The school
blamed my doctor for the time it took for them to call her.
I researched many autism sites and tried to find information on
educating autistic children. Most sites stated that I should offer
the school any information that I found so that we could work
together on my son's education.
I contacted Jerry Keimig, Special Education Coordinator fo r the
Lee's Summit School District. I told him that I wanted to have my
next meeting with the staff at the school and give them a chance to
work this out. I told him that I would call him back after my meeting.
I emailed Mr. Keimig after the meeting where we discussed making Jake
feel more positive. I told him that I would like to meet with him one-
on-one to discuss my issues. I told him that I get easily intimidated
when I have to face many people at one time.
Mr. Keimig refused to meet with me one-on-one. He said, "I would be
happy to meet with you at any time, but not without direct input from
PLMS staff. I will ask that Emily Miller coordinate a meeting with
the three of us and any additional staff that might have more
background on your son. I have none." I would have thought that he
could have read my son's file and gotten all of the background that
he needed.
I called Mr. Keimig several time the next few days. He WOULD NOT
return my phone calls. I wanted to let him know what my pediatrician
and I had discussed.
I met with Mr. Keimig for 15 minutes. I told him that I had read that
most autistic children only respond to positive teaching. He told me
that I couldn't believe everything that I read. I told him that I
wanted my son in a class with a more positive teacher or in a
modified curriculum. He told me that he may not be able to help my
son in the future. I told him that my son was depressed and that
being in this class was making it worse. He told me that it was a
good life lesson for my son.
I informed him that I would be contacting Children's Mercy to have my
son reevaluated. I told him that my doctor felt that my son's
disability was not being addressed and that we would need
professional help to draw up his IEP.
It will take six months to get my son even started on the
evaluations. Children's Mercy suggested that I contact MPACT so that
they could help mean in the interim.
I contacted the superintendent to complain about Mr. Keimig's lack of
understanding about autistic children and his inability to discuss my
concerns without totally dismissing me. I was contacted by the
principal of Pleasant Lea instead of by the superintendent. I told
her everything that I have just stated. She suggested that I contact
the assistant superintendent, Dr. Ann Starlin-Horner.
I contacted Dr. Horner. I told her of my concerns. I told her that I
was having another meeting with the staff at Pleasant Lea. I told her
that I would email all of my correspondence to her. That is when I
found out that the public can not have access to Administration email
addresses. I had to send everything to her secretary.
Dr. Horner called me back several days later and stated that she had
found out that I was having a meeting with the Pleasant Lea staff in
two days. She went on to say that she hadn't known about that. By the
end of the message she said that I had told her about it and that she
had forgotten. She told me that she would contact me after the
meeting. She stated that she was writing it on her calendar right
then. She didn't call me back until I wrote a letter to the
superintendent in December. Two months after my initial phone call.
Jake is very smart, but he is getting an "F" in science, language
arts, and home economics. He has missed almost 20 days of school
because he has been sick so much. I believe that the stress that he
has been under has affected his health. I have, of course, received
the letter threatening me because of his absences.
Jake has to go to his teachers for his make up work and tests that he
missed. He never does that and that is why he is flunking. He is
supposed to be taking tests in small groups, but they say that they
will only do that if they "don't have to drag him out of class" to do
it. He has never had to be dragged out of class before. It states in
his IEP that he is supposed to take tests in small groups and that
the tests should be read to him. His case manager didn't even know
that that was in there.
I had another meeting in December. I must stress that the special
education coordinator for his school is trying to do her best. I just
don't think that the district has a clear understanding of how to
educate this unique population of students.
In our last meeting we decided that he needed a place to go when he
gets stressed. It has been working and he is no longer as depressed.
His teachers are supposed to write in his plan book every day so that
I know what his assignments were for that day and what we need to get
done that night. Only his core classes do this. And they don't do it
on a consistent basis.
He didn't get books in all of his classrooms until January. He wasn't
able to leave any classes early, with the exception of one, until
January. The staff felt that it was not necessary and dismissed it.
My advocate tells me that he should never receive a tardy. She said
that his paras should make sure that he gets his work turned in and
that they should be responsible for getting his make up work to him.
That is something I am going to work on for his IEP. I trusted the
school to write an IEP that would be the best for my son. I have
learned that I will have to have a great deal of input so that it
will address my son's disability and the issues that come with it.
I had a meeting with Ann Starlin-Horner in December. We discussed all
of these issues. Jake has started chewing again and he has gotten in
trouble for chewing in class. They said that it could pose a risk. He
is chewing on his fingers.
At our meeting, we decided that Jake should have something
appropriate to chew on. They decided that a bracelet, such as Lance
Armstrong wears, would be a good alternative. I told them that I
didn't feel that it would be good because he would have his wrist at
his mouth all day.
Also at this meeting, Dr. Starlin-Horner said that my son needs to be
held accountable for poor decisions. She said that his tardy in PE
was an example of him making a poor choice. I told her that I
disagreed. He was in a panic about being late and he couldn't get his
locker open. He didn't know that he had any choices. His disability
wouldn't allow him to focus on his choices.
After Christmas break they gave him the bracelet to chew on. The
first day that he wore it he got into trouble for chewing on it. His
teacher told him that "bracelets are for wearing, not for chewing on."
I have been posting on the EFECT board. It is a board for parents of
children with disabilities. At my last meeting I noticed that the
autism coordinator had a copy of every post that I had posted. She
tried to hide it, but I saw it as she was searching for a paper. This
board is for parents to share concerns, thoughts, issues, etc. It has
since been changed so that teachers can not access it.
My son has been reevaluated and a new IEP has been drawn up. At our
IEP meeting the school admitted that they had not properly prepared
for my son and it was the cause of most of his issues this year.
His co-teacher, that wouldn't let me speak in our first meeting, has
now said that he has lost the two books that were kept in the
classroom for him. He hasn't lost the books that he had to bring home
and then return or the books in other classes. Only the books in her
class. Now I have to pay a fine for that. When I asked the principal
about this on March 31st, she never responded. I'm sure that they
will wait until the day that yearbooks are handed out and then tell
him that he doesn't get one because he owes fines.
Sincerely,
Sherri R. Tucker
Jake's Vineland Scores
Jacob Tucker was 12 years 9 months old on the interview date of
3/1/06. Jacob's standard score on the Adaptive Behavior Composite is
64. The confidence level of 90 percent yields a confidence band of 60
to 68. Jacob's percentile rank of 1 on the Adaptive Behavior
Composite indicates that his score is higher than or equal to only 1
percent of similarly aged individuals in the norm group. His adaptive
level is rated as Low for his age group.
1. Jacob's level of adaptive functioning within the Communication
domain is Moderately Low for his age group. His standard score of 78
results in a confidence band of 71-85 at the 90 percent confidence
level. His percentile rank is 7. Thus, his score in this area is
higher than or equal to only 7 percent of his peers in the normative
sample. He has an adaptive level of Low for REceptive Communication,
Adequate for Expressive Communication, and Adequate for Written
Communication. The lower adaptive level for the Receptive subdomain
indicates that Jacob has particular trouble with tasks such as
accurately identifying some of the major body parts, following
instructions that require and action and an object, or understanding
an "if-then" statement. Be aware, however, that 17 percent of Jacob's
Communication score was based on estimated performance.
Jacob's standard score for the Daily Living Skills domain is 62 which
results in a confidence band of 57-67 at the 90 percent confidence
level. This score represents a Low level of adaptive functioning for
an individual of his age. His percentile rank for the Daily Living
Skills domain is 1. His adaptive level is Low for all three
subdomains.
Jacob's level of adaptive functioning within the Socialization domain
is Low for his age group. His standard score is 60 which results in a
confidence band of 54-66 at the 90 percent confidence level. His
percentile rank is 0.4. A look at the subdomain scores within the
Socialization domain indicates that Jacob's adaptive level is Low for
all three subdomains (Interpersonal Relationships, Play and Leisure
Time and Coping Skills). Be aware, however, that 45 percent of
Jacob's Socialization score was based on estimated performance.
Jacob's standard score for the Motor Skills domain is 87. Jacob is
over 6 years old and therefore the standard score of 87 is an
estimated score. This score represents an Adequate level of adaptive
functioning for his age group. His percentile rank for this domain is
19. Jacob's adaptive level is Moderately Low for the Gross Motor
Skills subdomain and Adequate for the Fine Motor Skills subdomain.
Jacob's standard score for the Communication domain is significantly
different from the average for all of the domains. This large a
difference was also very rarely seen in the normative sample. Such a
difference indicates that his communication abilities are a strength
that he may use to compensate for skills in other areas.
Although Jacob's standard score for the Socialization domain is
significantly higher than the average for all domains, this
difference is not particularly unusual. In fact, a difference this
large occurred in over 16 percent of the cases in the normative
sample. Such a difference indicates that social abilities are a
weakness for Jacob relative to his skills in the other areas.
Activities that target the development of social skills may therefore
be useful. In fact, attention to socialization may help to raise his
overall level of adaptive behavior.
I met with the psychologist and got Jake's diagnosis. I'm sure that
you have already received the handouts that the psychologist gave me
and that you got the news of his diagnosis, but I thought that I'd
email you so that you would have the email. I went over it verbally
and that is a lot to remember.
Jake has been formally diagnosed with:
Asperger's Syndrome
Inattentive ADHD
Dysgraphia
I would like to make sure that we all have a clear understanding of
the meeting that took place yesterday. It was scheduled on September
19, 2006. The attendees were Sherri Tucker, Diane Stark (sister of
Sherri and employee of Children's Mercy Hospital since 1981), Todd
Wilson, Kim Berkstresser, and Suzanne Vleisides. Jannette Cooley
attended half of the meeting. I need a copy of the schools' minutes
for this meeting. Please correct me on any items that I am mistaken
on.
The meeting was called to discuss the modifications that should be
made to Jacob Tucker's IEP. He has modifications in every class and
his mother felt that he needed modifications in PE. She has done a
great deal of research on this subject and has offered the
information to all that were involved in this meeting, with the
exception of Ms. Cooley.
The following email precipitated the meeting:
Todd,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my email. I would like
for you to clear up a few matters. You stated that Jake has been
doing an outstanding job for the past few years. Last year you
contacted me and told me that Jake wasn't doing very well. What do
you mean by "Jacob, for over a year now, has been doing an
outstanding job in PE"?
In your email to me on February 22, 2006 you stated:
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Tucker,
I just wanted to touch base with you about Jacob's behavior recently.
The last month or so, Jacob's attitude and energy level has been
dropping rather quickly. As a reflection to this, I have been forced
to give him some participation marks which is affecting his grade. I
talked with Jacob today after class and he stated that he feels "worn
out" and that a lack of sleep is partially to blame. He told me that
he has been drinking pop at night which I believe could be part of
the reason he has been having trouble falling asleep.
If you could encourage Jacob to do his very verst in P.E. each day
and also encourage him to have a healthy diet while at school and at
home, I believe it will positively reflect on his attitude and effort
in P.E.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Todd Wilson"
Can you also explain to me why Jake said that the team that lost in
the passing contest had to do sit ups or push ups? I understand that
his perception can be off sometimes, but I would like to know why he
believed that to be true. I don't believe that I am getting
a "slanted view". I am getting Jake's view. He is autistic and they
have a hard time with social cues. That in no way means that he is
lying or "slanting the truth".
Jake has complained about PE for two years. I have always just let it
go and told him to try harder. However, after investigating autism
further, I have found that it is not just an issue with Jake. It is
an issue for almost everyone with autism. I have sent you several
articles stating this.
I don't believe that Jake needs to be pushed physically or socially
in a school setting such as PE. He doesn't have the physical
abilities to compete with NT children and social skills should only
be addressed by someone that has been educated on ASD.
I asked that Jake stay in PE with modifications. All of which seem to
be the preferred setting for children on the spectrum. It is my hope
that my request will be complied with. I understand the need for Jake
to be fit and would love for that to happen. But, I want it to be
done in a physically and emotionally healthy way.
Sherri
[Original Message]
From: <Todd.Wilson@leesummit.k12.mo.us>
To: <cutucker@earthlink.net>
Cc: Kim Berkstresser <kim.berkstresser@leesummit.k12.mo.us>; Suzanne
Vleisides <suzanne.vleisides@leesummit.k12.mo.us>
Date: 9/19/2006 9:32:27 AM
Subject: Re: Jacob Tucker
Hi Sherri,
I first want to thank you for your email and thoughts. However, I am
going to disagree with some of your statements. Jacob, for over a year
now, has been doing an outstanding job in p.e., as have many other students
similar to Jacob over the past few years. His attitude is always good and his
effort is above average. Though he may not "excel" athletically, he
is not graded or disciplined on performance nor will he ever be. Your
statement about having to do push-ups or sit-ups for losing a game makes me
believe that you are getting a "slanted" view of what actually happens here
in p.e. and maybe even in his other classes. Don't be alarmed. Many students
tell their parents one thing when something else may actually be the
case. I'm not calling Jacob a liar, I'm simply telling you the facts.
I also find it hard to believe that p.e. is causing Jacob a great
deal of anxiety. Jacob seems very relaxed in class and communicates very
well with me and his classmates when I interact with him. My p.e. classes push
students physically so that they can improve their physical health
and well-being, which in today's society, I think we can all agree, is
needed.
It would be a shame to take Jacob out of a setting that is going to
challenge him physically, socially, and mentally. My classes prepare
students for the world outside of school. We have fun playing games,
getting to know each other, interacting with each other, and doing
other things. We challenge ourselves by asking out bodies to do their best
everyday and by periodically pushing them outside of their comfort
zone.
Jacob, like every other student in this school, needs this.
Jacob is a joy to have in class and I have sincerely enjoyed getting
to know him over the last several months. I hope that he is not only
allowed to remain in a regular p.e. setting, but encouraged by you, to push
his "bubble" out a little and continue to face the day to day challenges
head on.
Thank you for your time,
Todd Wilson
Pleasant Lea Middle School
Lee's Summit, MO 65081
816-986-1175 ext. 7552
Subject Jacob Tucker
Mr. Wilson,
I am trying to find the best situation for Jake. PE is a very anxiety
provoking activity for Jake. He is afraid of his team losing because
of the extra push ups or sit ups. I'm afraid that his teammates will not
appreciate having Jake on their team and that he will be bullied. This
happens frequently with AS children and Jake is not the exception.
Also, he is physically clumsy and the laps that they have to run and
the activities that PE requires are very difficult for him. This adds to
his anxiety.
I would like for Jake to have modifications to his PE class or
adaptive PE.
Following are articles and suggestions from professionals and parents
of AS children.
Sherri Tucker
One of the hardest social situations for my son in middle school was
the Physical Education classes. He hated sports and had motor delays that
made sports difficult for him and therefore made him more of a target for
other students. The locker room situation was especially difficult and
there was little adult supervision there to protect him. After a couple of
incidences, we were able to arrange that he wouldn't go into the
locker room at all, and instead would wear appropriate clothes on P.E. days
and would leave his backpack in the P.E. teacher's office. We had him
exempted from the 8th grade P.E. requirement. I wrote a letter to the
principal and included a letter from a developmental pediatrician who knew my son
and was very knowledgeable about autism. We had no problem getting him
exempted. I would only suggest this option if your child gets nothing positive
from P.E. or suffers anxiety related to it. High School gives you man y
more options for Physical Education classes that can be used to satisfy the
requirements for graduation, such as weight lifting, track, and other
more individualized sports. You can also request Adaptive PE help in an
IEP.
http://www.teacch.com/survive.html
When students with autism are mainstreamed into the regular classroom
setting it would be best to do so for classes that are interesting to
them and which are related to their strengths. For example, handicapped
students are often mainstreamed into electives such as physical education
classes. Such a strategy would probably not be successful for children with
autism. The social nature of this type of class and the relative lack of
structure would make it difficult for them to have success in this setting. They
would be much more successful if they were placed in a class such as
math, and electives, such as computers, which are academic strengths, strong
interests, and take place in a structured setting.
http://www.teacch.com/highfunction.html
Inclusion
1. Inclusion, or the integration of people with and without
disabilities, is supported by legislation of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). A key
component of IDEA addresses the need for individuals to receive services in the
least restrictive setting or environment. Physical activity and recreation
programs should be naturally inclusive environments for individuals
with autism. To ensure a safe and successful program, staff need to be
knowledgeable on the considerations of autism, and sufficiently
trained on working and interacting with individuals with autism.
http://www.ncpad.org/disability/fact_sheet.php?sheet=366?§ion=2153
I have been in special education for 20 years. Here are some general
guidelines for this population. Reduce distractions and clearly
define rec space. Employ task variation using 4-6 stations. Emphasize
participation, not competition. Integrate strengths of student into lesson. When
integration is not appropriate, design a parallel activity to take
place in same area at the same time.I have also experimented with peer tutor
dyads/tryads. It begins with sensitivity training for typical peers.I
would suggest employing the school psychologist in reference to the scope and
depth of the training. You can choose a simple motor skill like
throwing.The first dyad/tryad ( D/T) is the typical peer and the
teacher.
Essentially, the teacher teaches the typical peer how to properly
sequence the skill. The 2nd D/T is the typical peer and the autistic student
(unidirectional). The 3rd D/T is typical peer and autistic student (
reciprocal). The 4th D/T is the autistic child teaching an atypical
peer (unidirectional) . The 5th D/T is the autistic student with a typical
same age peer. You have to experiment a little to find what methodology is
the most advantageous. I have found whenever you can give these students a
moment to shine, it really seems to raise their self-esteem and gives
them opportunity to reciprocate in social environments. Good luck.
The term special education means specially designed instruction, at no
cost to parents, to meet the 1. unique needs of a child with a
disability, including -
(A) instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals
and institutions, and in other set- tings; and
(B) instruction in physical education.
I began the meeting by reading some information that had been given
to me by a specialist in AS. I wanted the team to be privy to
knowledge that I had gained in the hours prior to the meeting. I
also stated that I had spoken with many parents of children in middle
school with AS.
I read the following: "Jacob is challenged every single day.
Physically, socially and mentally. Jacob also needs a different kind
of preparation for the world outside of school. Most AS kids live
outside their comfort zone just by virtue of walking into the school
building."
I also told everyone that Jake's psychologist has determined that
Jake has anxiety issues and they are mostly due to school.
There was some more conversation and it there was a lot of back and
forth about autism. I don't believe that Mr. Wilson is very
knowledgeable about autism. That is the impression that I got.
I believe that Mr. Wilson then stated that he did not believe this to
be the case and that he knew Jake better than any "What do you call
it? AS?" specialists. I believe that he then said that he still do
not believe that Jake was suffering from anxiety. I explained that
Jake's anxiety was not detectable to him because he is autistic and
doesn't act the same as "normal" kids.
Kim and Suzanne were very good at facilitating the meeting. They
kept asking what modifications needed to be put into Jake's IEP. I
stated that I did not want Jake to have to run laps. He had been
punished for not running laps the prior week.
Mr. Wilson stated that Jake was not punished for walking he was
punished for not running the last 20 feet when he was instructed to.
I asked Mr. Wilson what he told Jake. He stated that he told Jake
and two other kids that they needed to "hustle" on the last 20 feet.
He said that he punished Jake for not following instructions and that
he felt that Jake needed to be punished.
I explained that Jake is autistic and he takes things
literally. "Hustle" does not mean run to Jake. I'm not even sure
that he knows what it means. I told him that Jake thought that he
was being punished for not running all of the laps. He did not
understand that he was being punished for not "hustling" and was
probably not even sure what was being asked of him.
I went on to explain to Mr. Wilson that AS kids have difficulties
with motor skills. He stated that he disagreed and that he knew more
about Jake's abilities than I do.
Somewhere during this conversation Ms. Cooley arrived in the
meeting. There were many conversations going back and forth and I
can't recall every one. I will request that future meetings be
recorded.
We finally got back down to discussing the modifications. There was
some confusion as to what to put into the IEP. I stated that I had
hoped that the team would have some suggestions and felt that the PE
teacher would be the best person to come up with some of these, but
it appeared that the PE teacher didn't feel that modifications were
warranted and that I would need to do some more research on my own
time.
We did decide that Jake should not have to run laps. It got pretty
technical and there was discussion as to whether he should run during
basketball, etc. It was finally decided that Jake would not have to
run laps or long distances.
I believe that Mr. Wilson asked how that would be handled and if he
would say to all of the kids "You all have to run, but Jake you can
walk." He also stated, "What happens if Jake accidently runs? Am I
going to get into trouble for that?"
Kim, Suzanne, my sister, and I all stated that it would be great if
Jake ran, but that he doesn't have to. I stated that I didn't want
there to be any question about whether Jake had to run or not and
that's why I wanted it in black and white. I didn't want to depend
on the teacher to make a decision for a child that has a disorder
that he clearly doesn't understand.
Mr. Wilson brought up an email that I wrote to him last year. He had
emailed me the above and I responded in a positive way. We had so
many issues with Jake last year that I didn't want to add to it. I
responded in a kind and positive way to Mr. Wilson in hopes that he
respond in the same way to Jake.
We discussed how Jake loved PE in elementary school and felt that Mr.
Bishop hung the moon. I said that I agreed with that statement. Mr.
Bishop is an excellent teacher and beyond that a wonderful and caring
human being.
Mr. Wilson said that he felt that Jake liked him and had never
appeared to be upset. I explained that Jake is autistic. He doesn't
dislike people. He doesn't see the good or bad in people. He may be
stressed by an activity, but not by the person making him do it.
Mr. Wilson asked me if I would be telling Jake that he didn't have to
do anything he didn't want to in PE. I told him that what I discuss
with adults is not the same as I what I tell Jake. I told that I
would never go home and say "That person is mean." I will simply
tell Jake that he needs to do his best and if he can't run then
walking would be acceptable.
It was my feeling that Mr. Wilson was not on board with Jake having
modifications. He continued to assert that Jake was up to the
challenge of PE. I continued to assert that Jake is not a "normal"
child and that he is not.
My sister brought up the fact that Mr. Wilson stated that my son
lied. Mr. Wilson corrected her and said that he purposely stated
that he didn't lie. So, we agreed that he stated that he slanted the
truth. My sister stated that Mr. Wilson stated that Jake might be
doing this in all of classes. She asked him how many of Jake's
classes he had been in.
My sister brought up the fact that Mr. Wilson had addressed Jake's
need for a healthy diet at home and that he felt that Jake needed to
drink less pop at home so that he could get to sleep. Mr. Wilson
agreed that I had sent him an email explaining that children with AS
have sleep issues and that it has nothing to do with diet or pop
consumption.
Mr. Wilson at first stated that Jake told him that he drinks pop
before he goes to bed. He then stated that Jake drinks 3 or 4 cans
of pop before he goes to bed. I explained to Mr. Wilson that he
asked Jake if he drinks pop and Jake answered yes. Once again, I
explained to Mr. Wilson that Jake is autistic and will only respond
to a direct question. If he had asked Jake what time he drank that
pop and how much, Jake would have answered that. Jake only told him
that he drank pop.
I said that perhaps I should talk to my psychologist and see about
having Jake released from PE. I really didn't feel that it was a
good environment for Jake and I would not allow us to go back to
where we were last year.
Ms. Cooley stated that she didn't want me to discuss last year
anymore. My sister said that I had attended so many meetings last
year and nothing was ever fixed.
Ms. Cooley told my sister that discussing last year wasn't going to
get us anywhere and that no purpose was served by bringing it up. We
need to focus on the positive.
I tried to insert, "If we don't learn from our past we are doomed to
make the same mistakes." but I didn't get to finish my thoughts.
We once again discussed the modifications and Kim and Suzanne said
that they knew that Mr. Wilson would follow through with whatever we
decided. We decided that Jake would not have to run laps or long
distances.
We concluded the meeting at that point.
I came home and contacted Jake's psychologist and talked to him about
this meeting. We agreed that the atmosphere, in PE, would not be
good for Jake's emotional and psychological well being. I told the
psychologist that Jake's father would be taking him to the gym three
times a week for physical fitness.
I would like to see Mr. Wilson attend a class on autism because I
feel that he doesn't understand the disorder and it's impact on the
students that he serves.
Kim,
I sent Ms. Zornes some information on why Jake doesn't make changes
to his voice. I really understand her need to grade him based on his
performance, but I am afraid that he brought down his whole group's
grade this week. There is a grading sheet in Jake's backpack and it
shows that the group got marked off because Jake didn't intonate. I
would hate for the whole group to be penalized because of Jake's
disability. Also, Jake wants to talk to you about Mrs. Garlic. I told
him that he needed to discuss it with you. I'm afraid that he might
forget.
I will send you the information that I sent Mrs. Zornes.
On another note, I took Jake to the pediatrician on Monday. We are
starting on a whole new medication. The last one just didn't show
enough of a change. We will be adding an anti-anxiety medication in
two weeks. Once again, we have to start at the bottom and work our
way up. Unfortunately, this is the only way that it can be done.
The pediatrician would like for you and Mrs. Muckey to fill out
another form in two weeks. I'm sorry that you have to keep doing
this, but it's the only way he knows what medicine and how much will
work for Jake.
Thanks again for all of your help.
Sherri
I will talk to him tonight. Part of his Aspergers is the monotone
voice. When they do speak, the speech may be in a sing-song pattern
or monotone (no variation in pitch, like playing a single note on an
instrument).
Autism is characterized by:
communication problems, which may include delays in developing
speech, repeating words, and speaking in a monotone that lacks pitch,
inflection, or rhythm poor social interaction repetitive behavior and interests
unusual behaviors, such as spinning or flapping hands
17. Why do many individuals with Autism speak in a monotone?
The most common belief for this behavior is that the sound of their
own voice actually hurts their hypersensitive auditory system. Once
they find a tone that is not painful, they stick to it, which results
in monotone speech. This could also be a cause for no speech, in that
an individual may not be able to find a tone that is not painful.
He missed your class today because he had an appointment with the
psychologist.
Delay in or lack of expressive language skills
Poor comprehension of spoken and written language
Lack of responsiveness when addressed
Impairments in nonverbal communication, such as use of gestures,
facial expression, eye contact and imitation
Differences in pitch, intonation, rate, rhythm, and/or stress. Some
individuals with autism may demonstrate monotone, or distinctly
rhythmical speech
Repetitive or idiosyncratic language
Echolalia
Pronoun reversals
Restricted vocabulary, dominated by nouns. The majority of speech may
be to make requests or rejections
Perseveration on a topic, or changes topics frequently
Difficulty interpreting abstract concepts
Difficulty initiating conversation, using rules, maintaining a topic,
interrupting and /or rigidity. The student with autism may
demonstrate a stereotype routine way of interacting.
Difficulty comprehending verbal information, remembering a sequence,
or connecting ideas.
Difficulty attending to relevant cues, sharing attention, or shifting
attention from one stimulus to the next.
May demonstrate strength in speech production and vocabulary, but
have significant difficulty carrying on a conversation or using
speech for social interactive purposes
Hey there. Jacob had a presentation that didn't go very well
yesterday. They were supposed to read a poem making changes in his voice. His
para worked with him the day before trying to get him to practice with
her, and he was not very cooperative. The rest of the kids did this in
groups, but he wanted to work on his own. I was also unsuccessful at getting
him to rehearse aloud which is the only way you can really prepare for this
assignment. As a result, when he read it, he didn't read the title
and didn't follow the required guidelines for vocal variety and volume
and tempo changes. He only got a 20/45. I'm returning it today and
letting him know that he can redo it for me if he wants to raise his grade,
and I also wanted to let you know. Today we are starting to work on our
monologues. They will choose one, write a character analysis of the
character on a provided form, memorize it and present it toward the
middle of next week. I just wanted to give you a heads up. Let me know if
you have any questions.
Thanks,
Cathy Zornes
Speech/ Theatre/ Video Production
Tiger Tracks T.V.
Pleasant Lea Middle School
630 SW Persels
Lee's Summit, Missouri 64081
816-986-1499 ext. 8413
Cathy.Zornes@leesummit.k12.mo.us
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