Good Examples of Parent Input Statements

I have written in the past as to the importance of parent input statements. A friend has sent me examples that have proven to be especially useful for her children, that can serve as a model for future advocacy. These statements are clear, concise and present the child in real terms. The statements offer guidance and insight to a receptive school team.

I can not emphasize strongly enough how important it is to document concerns, present arguments in writing and conserve time at meetings; parent input statements serve all these functions.

Download dear_teacher.doc
Download parent_attachment_sophia.doc

Comments

[Margo/Mom]

These are really good statements--should be very helpful. Sorry to say though, that I also read teacher blogs, so I am aware that there are teachers who would find these prime examples of parental idiocy. One in particular (three standard deviations to the left) lately has caught my attention not only ridicules such parents as these, but also draws in cheering from other teachers.

[kit]

Families of Adults with Autism: stories and advice for the next generation: Imagine having a non-verbal child with autism who punches himself in the head. Imagine not being able to find help for that child! Imagine when you do find help, some people oppose the only treatment that you know will help your child! Yikes. This and other fascinating true-life stories will give you insight into the hidden world of autism and how some families have overcome situations we never knew existed. A must read for educators, psychologists, shrinks and well, anyone who has, or knows or will be working with persons or families with autism.

[Heidi]

Teacher blogs that villify parents giving inside information? Wow. One wonders if these teachers are more concerned about defending their profession than gathering insight into the failed educational programs serving autistic, self-injurious children and their families. Once again, we see human behavior at its worst. Group thinking marshalling it's muscle. Exposed teachers working in system that often fail parents and children going around attacking parents for exposing the truth. Part of the effectiveness of the Nazi’s T-4 Euthanasia program was eliminating a clear source of accountability. Now, apply this to special educators who have repeatedly left autistic and mentally retraded children sufering from self injurious behavior behind: It went like this: By having rotating doctors write dozens of reports, no doctor was ever deemed culpable for denying effective treatment. And the madness continues: Evil burying accountability under bureaucratic bunkers. Here's some more reality: · December 5, 1997, Chronicle writer Edward W. Lempinen, wrote: In a scathing report hand-delivered to top state officials yesterday, the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration criticized the state for risking the health and safety of the disabled, lax state oversight of their care and mismanagement of federal funds… Disabled people and their families who complain about services sometimes suffer retaliation from those who oversee their care.”· February 25, 2001, The Sacramento Bee reported: “…a class-action lawsuit filed last year in an Oakland federal court on behalf of several disabled Californians and a handful of advocacy groups…. Allegations are that the state has failed to provide adequate services for disabled people….”· San Francisco Chronicle: August 4, 1997; Agencies for disabled in disarray. “The sprawling bureaucracy that controls more than $1 billion a year for developmentally disabled Californians is plagued by mismanagement and financial abuses so severe that the health and safety of the disabled have been jeopardized. State officials have known for two decades of serious problems..." So go for it, teachers. Tell us again how horrible these parents are.

[Bradley]

People don’t seem to understand that there are autistic children and adults out there who don’t respond to conventional therapies. Consequenlty, these unique cases are often left behind in schools and by professionals who don’t have a clue how to help, but keep writing reports and doing evaluations. This leaves families with intense hopelessness and frustration. Sometimes, these children end up at places like Judge Rotenburg Center because nobody else could help them. Others, like a few children in California, have had parents fight for their right to use skin shock therapy. Research shows skin shock therapy is to the self abusing autistic what the defibrillator is to the person having a cardiac attack. Both therapies apply electric shock, though skin shock is much, much less severe and only lasts a second. Both save lives. The thing people don’t get is children with severe treatment resistent self abuse are very complex. Often, they have multiple antecdencts to their behavior, all of which flucturate daily. This means that even with meticulous attention to providing every positive behavioral support you can think of, there are SUDDEN savage self injurious attacks that render the child or adult in severe danger. For example, brutal eye poking, blows to the head, face, neck, temples or mouth areas. Smashing head into pavement. Biting pieces of flesh off arms. Tearing out eye balls. Poking fingers into ears or up nose. The normal non skin shock response to this attack is rather primitive. It entails one or two or sometimes three people pouncing on the person and restraining them. Not good. Very aversive. Dangerous. Risk of suffocation, etc…. Conversely, with skin shock in place, the person holding the remote simply presses the button and delivers the shock to the person wearing it. This, in turn, immediately stops the person in their obsessive compulsive fit to destroy their body. Very simple. Very quick. Nobody is restrained. Nobody gets hurt. Much more sensible than pouncing on person and restraining or drugging them up 24/7 on Haldol mellaril or thorazine or whatever else drug cocktail people use when they get desperate and just want this self abusing nightmare to go away.