Why Do We Continue To Allow Our Educators To Bully The Disable of Lee's Summit?

I sent this letter in 2007.  Once again, nothing was done.

My son is 13 years old and has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS (when he was 5), Kanner's Syndrome (from the E-2 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.  However, they never addressed his autism or other issues.

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. This teacher's name is Donetta Horkey.

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.  They removed this commitment letter before the OCR investigated and stated that this never happened.

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 for 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

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER: This email and any 
attachments may
be confidential and may contain privileged or copyright information. 
If
you are not the intended recipient, please call (816) 986-1444 and 
inform
us that you have received this message in error. Please do not copy,
distribute or use this email or the information contained in it for 
any pu


"Curtis Tucker" 
cutucker@earthlink.net
To "Todd Wilson" 
09/19/2006 08:22 
<todd.wilson@leesummit.k12.mo.us> 
AM cc 
"Kim Berkstresser" 

> <kim.berkstresser@leesummit.k12.mo.
> Please respond to us>, "Suzanne Vleisides"
> cutucker@earthlin <suzanne.vleisides@leesummit.k12.mo
> k.net .us> 

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?%c2%a7ion=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 emloying 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 montone 
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 

> [Original Message]
> From: <Cathy.Zornes@leesummit.k12.mo.us>
> To: <cutucker@earthlink.net>
> Date: 10/4/2006 10:32:19 AM
> Subject: Jacob
>
>
> 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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