Mind Controlling Animals and much more!

The last month or so I have been going back and forth with school officials about Harley attending outdoor lab. I don't know if all schools nationwide do this in 6th grade, but the concept is to teach mountain safety. Now Harley can't even cross a street without someone physically holding onto him (if he sees a car coming he freaks out and screams at it and stops in the middle of the street because he thinks the car is 'dangerous' -- which it is but you don't stop to let them hit you!) Anyways....Since Harley will not be in an environment that he needs to learn about mountain safety (nor does he need any encouragement to eat plants and bugs) I really don't think it's critical to his school programming.

Since the end of last school year I have been telling the school I am not comfortable with him attending outdoor lab and that he would not be attending. This year at registration when they wanted to charge me $150 for the program, I again told them he would not be attending. At parent teacher conferences and back to school night, I reminded them he would not be attending. When they sent the registration forms to me at the end of November AGAIN I told them he would not be attending -- instead of signing off on the 'contract' I wrote that Harley would not be attending...A week later they sent the same packet home and again I returned it with the same signed note!

Since school has been back in session after winter break, I have been getting calls and notes home at least once a week reminding me to return the packet. This is not just one of those 'reminder' slips, but notes written in the back and forth notebook, calls from the teacher and calls from the school psychologist. This is bordering on harrassment so far as I'm concerned!! HOW MANY TIMES do I need to tell them in person, by phone AND in writing that he would NOT be attending?! What do they NOT understand?!

When we went to the pediatrician last week I even got a letter from her that stated the only way he would attend is if he had a one-on-one aide within arm's reach at ALL times. (the new pedi has two special needs children of her own and understands where I am coming from and also knows that they weren't planning to send his aide to this program). -- Now the aide he has this year, I don't trust her to even make sure he wears his coat home or bring his lunchbox home each day...I think she would LOSE him up there in the woods! Maybe if I had more confidence...not only that, but the school officials had already told me that she would not be attending...

I offered if they could pull strings and allow Kelly to go, she is familiar with Harley and it would not be a problem with me because they do have a close relationship and she could handle him better than any of them could. They told me it just wasn't possible because she is the 'opposite sex'...Umm...Ok? (Typically they allow juniors and seniors to go as chaperones/counselors.)

Originally they had told me that his aide would not be attending. Then last week they called and asked if I would allow him to go up during the daytime. A different teacher goes up each day so he would ride up with the teacher, join his group and then return with that same teacher that evening. I told them 'No he wouldn't be attending' once again and provided the note from his pediatrician. And then a note from his (mainstream) teacher comes home in the back and forth notebook asking to reconsider...I am beyond frustration now...

I even went as far as explaining that when Harley is outside in the woods/mountains he tends to hallucinate -- the number one hallucination in these kinds of envirnoments are the "mind controlling animals" who are trying to kill him and everyone else. It will just exacerabate him to be at outdoor lab...and when his peers see the hallucinations (he cries, screams and tries to kill them with his invisible swords and charging at them)...it sure won't help...

He's already having problems with peers in school teasing him on the playground to the point that he doesn't even like going out at recess! (of course, the school thought it was a 'he'd rather sleep and since I don't want him sleeping during instruction time, he chooses to sleep at recess instead'...ok, this leads me to another question -- WHERE THE HELL is his aide? I mean Harley comes home and tells me that some kids are bothering him (no he won't give me names) at recess and it makes him cry. But how come the aide doesn't see this? Isn't she supposed to be with him...he being a flight risk, when he's out side!!?

So I had Andrew call the school psychologist and tell her that he wouldn't be attending..Maybe they need a deeper voice before they can actually HEAR the word NO? She goes on and on with him about well, the aide was going to attend...I am now having some BIG trust issues with this school...they have been telling me, and even last week they told me his aide would not be attending and then suddenly they say she will be? I just get this feeling they are lying to me now and I am PISSED!!

Well now we have to talk to the principal because since there won't be any 6th graders in the school the whole week he 'may not be able to attend school that week' and there definitely won't be any bus service available for him. That's fine, I'll keep him home all week, I mean the school isn't doing crap other than falsifying records (more on that in a minute). BUT I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for the special ed teacher to actually spend time with him. Last time we spoke to the teacher she told us about how she doesn't provide any 'direct' instruction to Harley but allows the aide to do the work instead while she oversees it. I have a problem with this!! -- I will explain...

They put on his last IEP (he gets a review of his IEP rather than a report card) that shows he has 'mastered' the one times table...Ok...Well I ask him what is 1x9 and he falls to the floor screaming and crying "I don't know that is too hard"....so if he has learned it...what methods do they use to get an answer out of him? And if he's only able to answer the question correctly within the 4 walls of the school, has he really mastered it?

Well whenever I piss off his aide he suddenly is 'too sick' for one reason or another and has to come home early...so guess what??? I get a call from the school yesterday about Harley having a rash...yes, Harley has eczema...Oh is he up to date on his shots? I told her I thought it was an allergic reaction to the new soap I used while showering him and the she put the school nurse on to tell me that it looked more viral...It is NOT viral...It is his eczema worsened by the new soap!! I swear any excuse they can to send him home!?

Now I am not sure if I should even bother sending him to school today...are they going to try to send him home again because of his eczema? I need to decide and call him in or get him ready...

I am so tired of arguing with this school. I am so tired of them falsifying his records to make themselves look good. There's no sense in changing schools when there's only 4 months (not quite) left in the school year -- besides he has to change schools at the end of this school year because he will be a middle schooler then...Which leads me to the next bitch about this school....

In 4th grade we met with the school officials and the area coordinator to discuss Harley's future planning. At that time we laid out some goals to be done by the end of 6th grade...they haven't even started on them...Like using a combo locker...Role Playing male/female conversations and teaching personal space...sure I do these things at home -- and we've even taught him how to use a combo lock...the school hasn't even started to THINK about his transition to the new school yet...it's only 4 months away!! So I will be calling a meeting when everyone returns from Outdoor Lab and requesting that Harley attend a different school than originally planned so that he can get the actual supports he needs rather than having the aide do all his work for him and have his records falsified!!