This blog is my place to vent and share resources with other parents of children of trauma. I try to be open and honest about my feelings in order to help others know they are not alone. Therapeutic parenting of adopted teenagers with RAD and other severe mental illnesses and issues (plus "neurotypical" teens) , is not easy, and there are time when I say what I feel... at the moment. We're all human!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Due Process

To clarify, we've filed due process, and fully expect the school to agree to mediation. My concerns are what to do in the meantime since Kitty couldn't handle the changes.

Actually, my concerns were what to do in the meantime. I got a call today from the new psych hospital. They want to do an almost complete med wash. This will probably take several weeks, during which time she's disenrolled from school and enrolled in the hospital's charter school and presumably she'll still be there.

So now I'm worried about:



  • the fact that this med wash could make her completely unstable and swing back to irrationally hating me for loving the other kids and hating her.

  • That she may be in the middle of it if/when we finally get approval for RTC

  • that I won't find an appropriate RTC.

  • That we can't proceed with the mediation/due process since she's not enrolled in the school, and therefore when she's released from the hospital we'll have to start all over with her suffering from the unacceptable lack of accommodations,

  • that she'll be missing her annual IEP meeting where they're presenting the results of her new FIE (school version of a psych eval)

5 comments:

Johanna said...

I have no words of advice, but only lots of empathy. I can only imagine how difficult things have been for you and Kitty and your family. I'm praying for you and hope you will continue to find support and that solutions will present themselves and that you will be able to have some peace about the direction things take. I hope they will be able to get Kitty stabilized - and I don't understand how the school can see Kitty as functioning when she has been hospitalized so many times!!

beemommy said...

We have been very impressed with Bayes Achievement Center in Huntsville. They are not a lock-down facility. There is one girls' house (They have one all boys' house and a few houses for lower functioning kids.) It is extremely strict, like raise your hand to talk strict. Don't know if she could handle that. (The punishment has been face the wall for fifteen minutes.) Their school is excellent, very impressed with the special education teacher. Just f.y.i.

marythemom said...

I talked to Bayes Achievement Center. It was recommended by the ACT founder. They only take the most aggressive kids. This does NOT describe Kitty (who has almost no acting out behaviors) and they didn't feel it was a good match.

Mary

Integrity Singer said...

can't help, only commiserate. i've been there - am there. you are not alone.

Anonymous said...

1. I don't see why you can't "take them to court" over past crimes. Have you recieved legal advice on this "but she is hopsitalized so isn't currently in-district?" The court cases I read were about district A paying for residential in district B ... who is telling you that if she is temporarily dis-enrolled then your hands are tied (if it is anyone at the school saying so, assume it is a lie.)
2. If the school insists that legally they must have her annual ARD, then tell them clearly in writing that you will be calling for an immiediate continuation because Kitty has a legal right to be in the ARD and she wishes to execute that right. Having it in writing before-hand shows the "innocent" that you respect their time.
3. Will the pysch hospital keep her long enough for a med wash? It can take WEEKS to safely clear meds (believe me!) and then weeks to build back up.