at the moment we do.  the tennessee early intervention program has been really great to us.  our coordinator has been an angel and has provided us with everything we need.  the problem we have is that the program ends at age three.

lucky for esmond, i worked at project h.e.l.p during college and i knew the signs.  we had his early intervention in place before he was 20 months old.  most parents don't know the signs and by the time a diagnosis is given it is to late for early intervention.  then the program ends for them at three.  most insurance programs don't pick it up because it is pre-existing or, if they do, the coverage they  offer in minimual. 

since we plan on home-schooling, and have been planning this for our older daughter who will be five in december, we feel left out.  there are not many programs offered for the "in between" time.  and the private programs are very costly.

oh well.  we will take what we have learned and go with it.....

sherri

sherri l. yandle

Sherri, I am truly glad your child is having a positive TEIS experience. The problem with our state is when your child turns three...you. Are. Own. Your. On. Oh, yeah, there is public education. And that's ranked at the bottom for our state nationally as well. Not to mention state servcies for those with disAbilities being ranked 49th nationally. Okay. You sound so positve. And so am I normally. But I will not gloss over (and am not saying you are) this injustice and travesty.  You are fortunate and I envy you (read admire) that you do have educational training to help your child. Plus, you are very motivated and have some means (not saying your're wealthy...I just read your post about your challenging job times in your family).  What I'm saying is what if one is poor and uneducated, oppressed... And what if one is not?  The only people I know who are able to really give their children with special needs what they need are those who make half a million. (I do not begrudge them this. I am friends with some of these people. Their children still have autism. They still have many of the same trials we do, they are just able to afford means that can help them more and in some cases help their children's outcomes so much more.) In our commmunity, such people are a handful. I'm tired and rambling here. I just wanted to point out it is good now. But what you do like now is going to end as far as the state is concern. I'm sure you do know this as far as TEIS termination until three. Also, it is fortunate that you seem to have gotten an earlyl diagnosis, giving you more time within the system.  (Really, I'm probably sounding bitter. I'm just tired. Still, I won't play nice-nice about our state's failure to help those with disAbilities.)

I'm too tired to write (I've been in a workshop all weekend, jus' checkin' in) about the fact that some state assistance picks up again at around 20 but you have to fight to get it.  I need to write more about what I am learning now that we are in our transition years.

Jan, thanks for sharing.

LEISA: MLM Moderator-Div/Single-SpecNeeds-WAHM

Count your Blessings. Find the Joy. Celebrate the Good.

Blog: www.leisahammett.com * Autism Art: www.GraceGoad.com

 I have read where advocates are fighting to extend TEIS services until 5 years old, but the law says three now. Pre-K is suppose to fill the gap, but there are other options work better. I think it is great that you have planned to homeschool. If your child is eligible for Part B, you can homeschool under the "independent" category and receive spec ed services such as speech or OT. It depends on your county and what they are offering to private schools. The services should be offered at the school where your child is zoned for. Plus, the museums are very homeschool friendly in this area. You can join for the year and museums like the Frist and Adventure Science Museum have schedules for presentations that your child will love. We also loved the Children's Theatre.

Back to reading, I had more help with independent speech pathologists that recommended phonics programs, books and computer. I was wondering why most special ed IEP programs do not offer a solid curriculum in reading or math skills? Why not use ABA training to teach academic standards that would help develop their strengths? I feel in most programs they spend enormous time on teaching, for example, how to make maccaroni and cheese, but no time is spent on how to read the box or how much money the box costs. 

I had the privilege to be at a Due Process hearing last week for a friend in our system. One of her concerns was a lack of curriculum or academics that would have enabled her child to be able to read. I wonder how long school systems have been ignoring basic reading skills and how many parents have taken their children out of school to get a reading program.

 One more thing about my friend, she has a great website that lists many resources for programs. Many are not very costly at all. 

http://autismresourceconnection.com/

jen and jan,

i couldn't agree more with what you are saying.  we just happen to get lucky with catching esmond's condition early. 

before he was even born we had decided to homeschool maxie, our nearly five year old nt daughter.  we made this decision because we both realize that the public school system just doesn't cut it.  when i went to college i remember sitting in my early american history class and wondering, "when did this stuff happen?".  i was never taught so many things in high school.  i learned just enough to get along.

we often feel like we are going to be left out to fend for ourselves concerning esmond once he turns three in feburary and our "team" is pushing hard for us to get him into a pre-k program.  we finally agreed to go and visit, but that decision was made about three weeks ago and the coordinator for rutherford county can't seem to find the time.  she is the only one trying to oversee a program for several thousand children.  we were told by one of our therapist that she is the only one.  there is no pre-k program for delayed children in our zone. 

we feel like we can get his socialization skills by getting him, and his sister, involved in a home-schooling group, but i do not know if there are any home-schooling programs, or groups, for delayed children.   i will definitely check the link. 

and jen, your right about the cost.  this past summer we received word about a program for autistic children to work with horses.  i can't think of the name of the therapy right now because i too am tired.  anyway, the cost was $300.00 a week!  we just don't have that kind of money.

and about the idea of receiving speech or ot from the public schools just doesn't seem to appealling.  a few of the different therapist that have worked with esmond told us that they left the public school system because they were being forced to use a blanket therapy for all children because they lack the staff to give the children the individual instruction they need.

it would be wonderful if they would extend the coverage time for these children.  in the meantime we are still looking into what groups are out there.  we are still very, very new to this and we are looking for all of the help possible to prepare ourselves for the transition so we can help him as much as possible.

i so do appreciate the kindness that you have shown.

sherri

sherri l. yandle

 I found out about blanket therapy when my county was indicted for knowingly allowing this type of abuse. I saw children wrapped in blankets like burritos with aids sitting on them. I asked why and  the staff acted like this was part of an IEP. I had no idea that they did it randomly to any child. It seems our pre-K is a program of being forced to eat and forced to nap. Can you imagine a child who is maybe prescribed stimulants so he/she can concentrate is being forced to eat and sleep? How in the world does the school system think that this is any kind of preparation for any classroom and why does it continue? The same children are having behavior problems now in middle/high school and the system blames the issues on the disabilities, not how the childrens' authority influenced them by using restraint/seclusion methods to garner attention.

I wished I had homeschooled from the start. Moms make great teachers. 

i know my husband had found at least 4,000 articles, throughout the country, of abuses of children in the public school system.  although this was not our original reason to home-school, it does make us feel better about our choice.

it does also seem as though there are many abuses towards children with disabilities.  i have read a lot of articles where some child has been tazered or arrested.  usually because someone had not read the i.e.p and/or they do not have the staff to help with these children.

today our "life-skills" therapiest had a session with esmond.  we absolutely adore this woman.  she is sweet, kind, helpful....anyway, she was asked about our appointment to tour the school programs.  she had yet, after four weeks, heard a response.  so, she was told "that's it".  you asked us to give it a chance, and we agreed to go see, yet they can not get back to us. 

sherri

sherri l. yandle

Sherri, I'm skimming this quickly. I don't see where you state your child's dx--and that may be on purpose. Your right/choice. That sometimes can help you get pointed to a more specific resource that can assist you.  You can always PM me as the MLM special needs moderator. It is your legal right to be receiving services from your LEA (local education authority) and they are in violation if they are not responding to you.  The local autism society has county contacts that may be able to assist you in Rutherford.  I respect and admire your choice to homeschool. I strongly urge you to consider, however, that your son may have needs that are best met in a social setting such as a special needs preschool or otherwise.  Homeschooling DOES work for special needs children but I have also known hard core homeschool advocates to make different choices for their special needs children based on their unique needs. If your child does not have autism, I encourge you to contact STEP or an organization affiliated with his disability. You could be losing precious early intervention time.  Good luck.

LEISA: MLM Moderator-Div/Single-SpecNeeds-WAHM

Book: www.fromheartachetohope.org

Blog: www.leisahammett.com * Autism Art: www.gracegoad.com

thank you so much.  you seem like a very wise lady who has a lot of experience in this area.  esmond was given a diagnosis of "provisional autism".  there was no particular reason i didn't disclose it earlier.  i really just didn't think about it. 

the doctor at vanderbilt felt that esmond was still to young, we had his evaluation done before he was two, to be put on the spectrum "permanently" at this point and wanted to wait until he had at least a full year of therapy.  he met the criteria and he said he was more than mild and less than severe. 

what i would love to find is a home-schooling group for children that are autistic or have similiar delays.  i do not know what, if any, is out there yet.  we have even asked about this to our team and they were not sure.  which reminds me that i need to get back in touch with our coordinator and see if she has found out any information for me. 

another mother of an autistic child told me the same thing the other day...that is that there is a time frame the have to operate within.  what floors me is that there is one lady in charge of the whole thing and she appears to be so overwhelmed that she can not make time for us.  it just doesn't give me much faith in the system.

take care,

sherri

sherri l. yandle

jen,

i should add that esmod attended project h.e.l.p for six months.  it was a great experience for him and we loved the staff.  they were fantastic.  but, the opportunity for me to start working full-time came along and i had to take it.  since esmond receives three days a week of therapy at home, my husband has been overseeing the therapies and trying to take care of a family of four on a part-time salary was so difficult.

luckily, even part-time in my job pays pretty well.  but full-time is even better.  anyway, since we only have one operating car we had to pull him out of the program.  i really hated it.  we plan on having a second car come tax time....

but, i do see the point especially in terms of social skills.  right now we are starting to look into play groups and hope that we find some more home-schooling families for delayed children through them.

again, thank you and take care,

sherri

sherri l. yandle