Harley....

I realized I haven't been posting my little Harley episodes here. I wouldn't really call them Harleyisms...but maybe they are? The past week has been quite the ride with him...

First off, we've been through about 12 pairs of socks. No, he's never liked socks but we THOUGHT we got him over that...He is now chewing socks and ripping HUGE holes in them to wear they can't be worn...not just little holes but completely destroying the socks to where no one would be able to wear them. I was so upset when in one morning we went through 3 pairs of socks...I should've taken a picture!

Wednesday he got sent home from school because "all the way to school he was banging his head on the seat in front of him on the bus". Upon arriving at school, he had a headache (who wouldn't!?) and looked 'flushed'...I guess he was also complaining of a stomach ache...He had been in school for about 30 minutes when I got the call. What I just don't understand is that they have put an aide on the bus with him again this year because he was destroying the seats on the bus last year...I guess this aide thinks his job is to watch Harley beat himself up...as long as he isn't destroying the bus it's ok?

Thursday I got home from taking Kelly to the doctor and Harley was in the kitchen trying to rip the doors off of the refrigerator. Andrew explained that he had been eating non-stop since I had left (hehe, now Andrew knows what I deal with since I had left him home with Zac, Ty and Harley and he was SUPPOSED to try to get dinner done and the house cleaned and deal with the therapists too!) Anyhow, Andrew had to lock the refrigerator and Harley was highly upset about it. Good thing we have the thing tethered or Harley would've pulled it down on himself.

Ah, Friday...After finally getting Harley motivated (half an hour just to coax him into the shower), I successfully got him on the bus. I figured I don't need to go anywhere and took two vicodin since I don't like to drive on the stuff. Well...Ends up I took the stronger dose of vicodin (750mg instead of 500mg) and it made me VERY sick to where I couldn't even stand...then the school calls...Not even an hour after school starts asking me to come and get Harley because they just can't handle him today. They had taken him to social studies class where he proceeded to punch himself in the head "scaring the other students" and had to be removed to the quiet room. They got him calmed down and to math class and had a repeat of the same thing. They called me saying they 'just can't have him acting like this in school" and that they "can't get him to cooperate in anyway"--All they can get him to do is sit in a corner with a blanket over his head and cry.

Excuse me, but Friday was the last straw...there are a number of things going on...which we have addressed to the school more than once this year...first off
*His aide needs to learn to put her foot down. SHE needs to show him SHE is in control, NOT Harley! She is setting herself up for a really really tough rest of the year with him.
*They 'removed' his behavior plan from his IEP last year because "we never see these issues"...well guess what? I think we need to call an IEP addendum meeting because not only are they seeing these behaviors now, but worse ones...
*The school hasn't been taking him to the psychologists' office when he has an outburst, but allowing him to have 'quiet time' in the quiet room...this is only ENCOURAGING the behaviors. Who wouldn't want to avoid work and go sit on a bean bag and cover up with a blanket rather than do math or social studies...come on use your brain people!!
*We are only 3 months into the school year and they are setting a bad example. Twice this week he gets sent home for having behaviors...I have issues with this because...
--well first off they accepted him into this school under the auspices that they CAN handle these behaviors and still be able to teach him...I do not believe this is the case anymore and I'm afraid they may ask we transfer him again to a more restrictive environment. I just don't want to do that...he has to transfer schools at the beginning of next year as it is...too many changes will make the whole situation worse!
--They are showing him that he can get into a routine of 'have a fit and you'll get sent home'...what?? Don't they understand the more they do this the more he will manipulate them into letting him come home? GRH!
They haven't even started working on his transition plan (that just dawned on me)...we don't have much longer before he has to start getting ready to attend middle school. He has so much to learn before then...WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!

I know I know, have another meeting with the school...I know they won't change aides...I've already talked to them about that. The aide he currently has must think it's all about fun and games and when Harley doesn't cooperate, she can just send him home. I don't think she is getting any support / guidance from the special ed team so I can't blame it completely on her...especially since she has no prior experience with Autism and was just "thrown" in on the first day of school with Harley and said "ask questions"...she did finally get to read his IEP, but since the behavior plan is no longer part of it...well, she had no idea....

Now we are coming up on the hardest time of year for Harley...HOLIDAYS! He ADORES the holiday season and can think of nothing but Christmas trees, winter break, gifts, decorating...They will get almost a week off for Thanksgiving, go back to school for 2 weeks and then get 3 weeks off for winter break. Getting back into the routine of school is always hard, but I have a feeling that this year will be even harder with an aide that has no training...

How many more calls will I get to come and get him between now and then? How will they handle him come January? Will they just send him home because he can't handle getting back into routine? Will they insist on placing him back into a more restrictive environment?--which I am beginning to think may be the best thing for him at this point...Will they decide that he needs to attend a different middle school because of the behaviors he is now exhibiting?

Oh and Robert's IEP is coming up too...but that's a whole another ball of wax...I am not ready to deal with...especially when my hands are tied because K has it in his head that Robert is doing just fine and they school "has to pass him because he's special ed". The boy needs life skills and the school has been failing him in HIS transition services as well...*sigh* the life of a special ed mom!! I am tired of making people do their jobs...I am tired of being the watchdog...Why can't they just follow the plan we've laid out and let me parent my children (not just my special needs children either!).

Wow, sorry this is long now...Closing...