The price of gas

OK here's my Harley vent...it's not really Harley, but...well you'll see if you make it through this...Harley got sent home from school today because he had GAS!?!?

Hey Stephanie...you're a teacher...tell me if this is appropriate? I will address the issues I have with this at the bottom...

Yesterday he gets home from school and the note from the aide in the back and forth notebook...It says..."Harley was very tired in math class so I let him take a nap." Then it goes on to say that "at recess, he got hit in the arm with a ball. I put a bandaid on it because "bandaids fix everything :) " (yes, she even put the :) in there! The last sentence really was the last straw..."when we tried to work on math one on one he was too tired so I let him nap the last 1/2 hour of school".

TODAY I get a call at 10:00 (school for him starts at 9:05) telling me he was laying under the blankets in the nurses office acting like he is cold AND that he has bad gas, so they think he has a virus....They want me to pick him up ASAP. They took his temperature and he is not running a fever. He has no symptoms like Zac & Tyler....I get there an the aide is not there, the back and forth notebook is missing from his backpack, the nurse isn't available to talk to and he is sitting in the main office, under an air conditioning vent...with blood on his face!! He had been putting his fingers in his nose till it bled, but they didn't mention this on the phone or when I picked him up...nor did they try to clean it off his face?

OK, now I will go back and explain why these issues upset me....

Napping in school: it is KNOWN that Harley will fake he is tired to avoid math or any other non preferred activity. This happened the first half of last year till his aide caught on...so pure and simple manipulation on his part...I can't believe they didn't write it down for the new aide -- or tell her about it!! So I told her in my response note back that that was an avoidance technique that he used last year and that we came up with the solution that if he was tired, he could use his recess time to take a nap. (and it worked last year!)

Bandaids: Well, if you've been a long time reader of this blog, you know Harley has an obsession with bandaids (click here for the blog entry). I responded to her comment of bandaids fix everything by telling her that he is obsessed with bandaids and the rule is he is not allowed to have a bandaid unless there is blood...(that's why they have sponges ya know!?). I think this may have totally offended her.... But it is in his behavior plan! He was coming home daily with bandaids at his old school, part of the reason he was transferred to a less restrictive environment!

Sending him home today: The nurse is the one who called for me to come and get him. She did tell me he was not running a fever. I know there's something going around our house, but Harley is pefectly healthy...he is NOT having any of the issues that Zac and Tyler are. He has no fever....I truly believe the GAS is the reason they wanted to send him home...well, she's gonna have to get used to that...he's a gassy guy! Some days are worse than others and I don't know why...but he sometimes has gas...it just so happens he gets it bad at least twice a week. I am beginning to wonder if possibly I offended her by telling her "how to do her job" so she found a way to send him home?? Maybe I am overthinking it....Of course, when he was curled up under the blanket "looking cold" it was AGAIN during math class (and I warned her that math is a non preferred subject!) Oh and so far as the blood on his face...I mean, come on! you can clean his face off or prompt him to do it if you really try! Besides, keeping his fingers out of his nose is ALSO in his behavior plan!

Harley has an apppointment with his psychiatrist on Monday and will be missing part of the day at school. I figure today is Friday so I will hit this head on on Monday starting with the school psychologist. I just need to make sure this new aide is given the chance to read Harley's IEP and behavior plan and that she understands that I didn't mean anything derrogetory at all towards her...just informing her that Harley is a manipulator...

I know from my own personal experience in being a paraprofessional for severe and profound needs, I was "presented" with a child, not really given any background into the child herself...not invited to any of the IEP meeitngs and never encouraged to meet with the parents at any of the parent teacher conferences or back to school nights. I think this policy stinks myself, as it's the para who knows more about that child because they spend more one on one time with the child than any other person in attendance at these meetings and they should be given every opportunity to attend if they wish.

OK, so tell me....am I overreacting? I know I will call a meeting at the school, but I can't get everyone who should be invovled scheduled in one day. Would it be better if I just sent a copy of his IEP and behavior plan for the para to read...or would that offend the teachers and other staff? UGH...

Oh yes, and when I picked him up, he said he wasn't cold, he was starving in fact, and tore up his whole lunch in less than 10 minutes (a sandwich 3 snacks and carrots). I haven't heard him fart once since he's been with me. He is DEFINITELY NOT sick!! I think he was manipulating so that he could eat...He's wanting to go on an eating binge again, so EVERYTHING in the house is locked up!!

I was just so frustrated at the thought that they let him come home...as I see it .... because he had GAS! Oh and mostly because they are allowing him to manipulate them ... school as only been in session for 10 days! They CAN'T let him get into this routine or they won't have any success with him the whole year!!