phinnia | the sign for 'fuck you' is easy to learn

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Current Mood: fucking livid
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your stupid makes me capslock

the sign for 'fuck you' is easy to learn

So Chris called the speech-language pathologist today to try and deal with the sign language lessons, and to yell at them again because the kid is using 'more' instead of 'eat' to request food even though we've asked them to not do that. (We got his midyear report yesterday. That goal was still on there. Not Pleased.) He volunteered to call because I'd yelled at them at least twice not to do that and they're apparently congenitally deaf to the register of my voice.

SLP = speech language pathologist, who has always struck me as a little dim
Chris = Teh Spouse

SLP: Oh, we're not having much success with the signing.

Chris: That's funny, because we are. I taught him the sign for 'jump' in ten minutes.

SLP: Oh, well, we have him sign 'more' and then point to a tactile symbol, but we have to keep repeating it a lot. He's not seeming to get it.

Chris: Well, see, that's not what we do at home at all. In fact that's what we asked you not to do, remember?

SLP: See, I ask him what he wants, and nothing happens. So I'll make him do the sign for 'more' and then point to eat and give him a drink, but he's happy with that. Or I'll point to drink and give him food and he's okay with that.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, BITCH?

You insist on using these tactile graphics even though you admit they don't work.

You are CONFUSING MY CHILD.

MY CHILD DOES NOT UNDERSTAND LANGUAGE. YOU ARE ASKING HIM A QUESTION, AND IT IS COMING OUT BLAH BLAH BLAH. OF COURSE NOTHING IS HAPPENING, YOU STUPID BITCH.

AND I FUCKING WONDER WHY HIS COMMUNICATION IS GETTING NO BETTER?

Fucking livid. Do not know what to do, as driving a ford explorer up the intestines of the SLP is probably a waste of a perfectly good ford explorer, and I don't want to get deported. Obviously talking = not working. Advice please. I'm going to go char-broil something for dinner with my new Dragon Powers.

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Is this someone you (attempt to) work with through the school?

Yes. It's the SLP assigned to his classroom.

Are there any other schools at all? Cuz, hon, it seems like his sucks. They send him home every other day, the speech person has no idea of what the hell is on his IEP, and apparently has idea how to achieve that even if they did, they want too much out of already overburdened parents...I don't know what the answer for you is. Maybe there's some kind of residential school he could attend, where the staff are not idiots?

Urg, I hope you know that I don't mean that as, "Sean should be institutionalized." Possibly I should be, but that is beside the point. What I mean is, maybe if he actually lived at the school, they would not try to send him home all the time, and there would be plenty of consistency in what he is learning.

Anyway, another alternative is you could kill them. I will give you an alibi. *hugs*

*sigh* Sadly the washington state school for the blind won't handle autistic kids. *headdesk* They claim they're not set up for it. And anything private we'd have to convince them to pay for or pay for ourselves out of pocket and they cost a freaking MINT.

Money really is the root of all evil.

OK, how about a seance to raise Helen Keller's teacher? Maybe she could help.

Supervisor. Or principal. Someone with authority over the [censored].

WTF. Giving food for drink and drink for food. W.T.F.?!??!

ETA: I don't suppose you know enough french to give her an object lesson on why "more" =/= "food" =/= "drink"?

I shake-a my head a lot over this. I'd be livid if they were teaching my kid (who is in French Immersion) her second language by trying to 'confuse' her that way to see if she 'knew' what word she was using. WTF? That's just insane and counter-productive at Sean's level of things. That SLP obviously is missing the point. *seethe*

Ideally? Irate parental presence armed with paperwork in principal's office ASAP, demanding satsifaction.

A clearly written letter to the principal and classroom teacher and SLP reiterating what is and is not acceptable, with reference to his IEP and other records. Possibly with return letter included stating, "I have read and understand the clarifications to Sean's IEP" to be signed and returned to you.

Failing that, roundtable session in which, likewise, things are signed off on.

Noises about your lawyers.

Consultation with ombudsman/liason/advocate at school board. Hiring of same, if they are not otherwise available (can be costly, but less than a lawyer, and more knowledgeable about the school system).

You were here, if anything happens. I have pictures. <.<;;

Yes. You are more coherent than I in these matters. *bows*

*seethes on their behalf some more*

What they said.

Sheesh.

Kid is trying his best, why aren't they *helping*!

yeah, srsly.

grumblypegs.

I'm wondering if any of my fellow Microsoft parents of autistic children have any suggestions on this, too—especially since we have a group legal plan. I get the distinct sense that they pointedly have no clue how to handle his particular disability cocktail and are alpha testing their methods on him.

Sweet zombie jesus, what the fuck?!

Does m$ have a legal assistance program? I know some larger companies do, and they might be able to point you in the right direction for help.

They do, and a support group for parents of autistic children that has had no instances of "Giggling Wassername Sent from On High" or whatever the hell.

Class, repeat after me:

The *student* needs remedial language lessons.

The *teacher* *gives* remedial language lessons.

Does he get private SLP at all?

Can you ask to sit in on a session, and then you could correct the SLP as it happens?

Your SLP clearly needs to go back to grad school. Of COURSE he's confused. He doesn't have anything and she's asking him to sign "more"?? He's probably thinking, "more what? I got nothin!"

And. . .and. . .pointing to "eat" and giving him a drink????? Or pointing to "drink" and giving him something to eat???? Is she totally stupid? And if she's the one who's doing the pointing. . . .he can't see what she's pointing at. Or did she miss that part?

Skip the tactile symbols. Put a cup in his hand, guide his hand so that he's making the motion of drinking and say "drink", once he gets used to that, take the cup away, do the same motion with his hand and say "drink" and tell him to make that sign when he wants a drink. Do the same thing with food. Put something (like a goldfish) in his hand, bring it to his mouth and tap his lips with it and say "eat", after he gets used to it, try it without the goldfish. When he makes the signs, reward him by giving him what he signed for. He'll catch on quick.

How I wish I lived closer so I could work with him for you. I wish I wish I wish. Grrrrrr

See, I know about 400-500 words of PSE. I have an English degree, and 10 years IT support experience. And I could probably have come up with that much, perhaps with a little trial-and-error first.

Is the SLP too over-educated to understand something that simple?

No. I'm a first year grad-student getting my SLP Master's. That's just a sign of a clinician who doesn't know what's she's doing and who, apparently, thinks she knows more than anybody else and isn't willing to take suggestions from people who do know what works.

Yeah, no offense meant to you s:) Just, gah, so annoyed that she doesn't get it!

My uncle had that problem with a lot of my autistic cousin's speech therapists. Thankfully, they shortly found a good one, and I hope you do to.

Keep strong, love. And hugs to you and your family.

Good God. I'm sorry that she clearly doesn't get it. No wonder the poor boy is confused.

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