Letter From Principal

[katiekat]

We got a lengthy letter sent home home today from the principal. It said that Sean was told repeatedly not to touch the cones that were set up for PE-but he would not listen and kept doing it until he finally hit another kid in the head with one. He was also flailing his arms and legs around at other kids "kung-fu" style and even when told over and over to stop he didnt. Tomorrow he will have detention during recess and the next time this happens his consequences will be "much greater". When he was asked at school why he wouldnt listen he gave his famous reply of "I dont know" and "I forget." He told me the same thing. I am furious.

[charliegirl]

Save the letter. Its important. It will show that he needs behavior intervention and they know it. Its one more thing in your arsenal to get them to comply with FAPE and IDEA.

Don't be as furious with him as you are with the school. If they were doing what they are supposed to do for him, he would be having the interventions he needs to help him learn to control himself in school.

[bugsmom]

Boy, KK... I was thinking the exact same thing CG said. This is just one more piece of evidence for you to present your case. It just blows me away that they think Sean is not in need of special services. Poor little guy...I hate that he will be punished for behavoir he needs guidence and help with. Serving detention and threatning him with "much greater consequences" is not going to benefit him at all. They do know he is Bipolar, right? You would think the school would be wanting him to receive special services...I just don't get it.

I know your upset, but keep fighting for him. He has just as much a right to be there as the other children. I know its hard receiving negitive notes everyday, (I have sooo been there) but try to hang tough. Hugs out to you tonight ((((((Hugs))))) and I just want you to know I keep you all in my prayers daily.

[katiekat]

I already put the note in my "Sean Binder." Bugs-they are aware that he is BP plus the other things-I wrote it all on his medical history. I am glad that the principal was made aware of the situation. All of this stuff just backs up what we have been saying all along-that something needs to be done. Sooner or later I assume they will get tired of his behavior.
This also shows me some more that the meds aren't helping at all. I do agree though that he should receive some type of consequence at school because he cannot be hitting people in the head with cones and not having some kind of punishment. There is only so much I can do-if they find him to consistently be a problem then they will have to do something about it.

[annem]

Good Good Luck Katie Kat .... and oh yes ... keep that letter!! ..

This is purely out of curiosity ... but what sort of interventions would or should they be giving at the school to help ... which are not happening at present??

[katiekat]

I'm really not sure what they could do...that is a very good question. As of now they are doing nothing, he just gets in trouble a lot. Can anyone answer that-what exactly could they do as far as a behavior plan?

[lillian]

Ideally, they would do a functional behavioral analysis (FBA), then write a behavior intervention plan (BIP) based on the analysis. He would be observed in many different learning situations at different times of the day. His behavior would be noted and the function of his behavior would be speculated. Once the function was speculated, a positive, more constructive behavior would be taught to replace negative behaviors. The positive, more constructive behaviors would be the central part of his BIP. Again, ideally, the BIP would be put in place and tried, before a change in placement to either a resource room or a behavior intervention room was tried.

I can't recommend highly enough the importance of getting an advocate, when your child is facing an Emotional and Behavioral Disorders label in Special Education or when your child is having continual behavior problems at school. You want someone who really knows the law and will make sure the school follows the law. If not, your child can end up in an alternative placement, constantly in trouble and reprimanded, or with a behavior plan that is nothing more than a punitive list of don'ts.

[katiekat]

Lillian, Is the FBA a part of an evaluation or something totally separate? Also is a BIP part of an IEP or 504? Or can you have a BIP without having one of those? Thanks.

[lillian]

The FBA is done after a child has been shown to have a disability that effects his behavior to the point that it is interferring with his academic performance or his social skills. In some districts, you must have an IEP to get a full FBA with a BIP following, although I don't think that truly follows the law. Legally, I think you should be able to get both with a 504. This is where you need an advocate because districts BIP's can vary greatly from one district to another, and you need an advocate who specializes in this area to help you and to make sure that the district follows federal laws, regarding FBA's and BIP's. It's extraordinarily important because most teachers don't have clue how to write a behavior plan.

I belong to a teachers' website, and almost daily, I come across a post from a teacher asking how to write a behavior plan. Other teachers will write and tell the teacher how to write a punitive, negative behavior plan, where it only focuses on the child's behavior challenges, with his strengths being completely ignored. This is illegal. You cannot do this. The teachers don't know this, though, and they are left to write the plans. No one in the school tells them what to do or helps them. No psychologist or school counselor observes the child's behavior, looking for behavior functions. It's a terrible situation, and a good advocate, who specializes in behavior issues, can be a tremendous help here. I have even heard of schools letting the advocate do the behavior observations for the FBA, if the advocate has a counseling or psychology degree or is certified to work with EBD children in the school district, which advocates who specialize in behavior intervention often have.

[lostmyshoe]

KK,

Just wanted to send some hugs and prayers your way and I hope you can get the advocate that Lillian talked about in her posts.