What to do next? Elopement and aggression with first grader

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to disagree with the prior poster, the extreme safety issues presented with running away means you should go directly to lawyer. You need all the firepower you can in your corner before this escalates even further.

And I disagree with you. As a lawyer, I can tell you that legal skills don't help with creating and implementing a behavioral plan! If what you mean is that she needs to get him into a self-contained class or private placement ASAP, I guess so - but not clear that OP actually understands what that entails, especially for a 2E kid. I can share that for my child who had serious behavioral issues (albeit not elopement) a properly designed behavioral plan worked. OP needs the support of a psychologist/consultant who can work with the school to create and implement the plan. It may be painful for a while waiting to see if the plan can work, but otherwise, you're just jumping to put your kid into a private placement that deals with behavioral challenges or a self-contained program with reports like this: https://www.hillrag.com/2021/03/22/dcps-child-abuse-suit-expands/

[Anonymous]

Guanfacine was really helpful for our kid re ADHD and anxiety, but it's hard to tell how anyone is going to react to a particular medication.

[Anonymous]

OP here. The psychologist we saw said he didn't have autism because he "demonstrated good and fluid coordination between his verbal and nonverbal communication, was socially responsive and able to engage in fluid back-and-forth interactions, and showed relative strengths in his imaginative play. Because autism is a behavioral diagnosis, a child has to consistently display a number of these behaviors across settings. When DS is anxious or dysregulated, these things become more challenging for him. However, when he is calm and regulated, he is able to integrate these pieces of social functioning, so he does not meet criteria for ASD."

We just got off the waiting list with Georgetown's child psych unit - should I try KKI too? Also, another thing I didn't mention is that he has been taking his clothes off at school too when he gets upset.

The school social worker is in the middle of doing a functional behavioral assessment.

What is ABA? Thanks so much in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to disagree with the prior poster, the extreme safety issues presented with running away means you should go directly to lawyer. You need all the firepower you can in your corner before this escalates even further.

And I disagree with you. As a lawyer, I can tell you that legal skills don't help with creating and implementing a behavioral plan! If what you mean is that she needs to get him into a self-contained class or private placement ASAP, I guess so - but not clear that OP actually understands what that entails, especially for a 2E kid. I can share that for my child who had serious behavioral issues (albeit not elopement) a properly designed behavioral plan worked. OP needs the support of a psychologist/consultant who can work with the school to create and implement the plan. It may be painful for a while waiting to see if the plan can work, but otherwise, you're just jumping to put your kid into a private placement that deals with behavioral challenges or a self-contained program with reports like this: https://www.hillrag.com/2021/03/22/dcps-child-abuse-suit-expands/

I agree that she should not immediately sue the school system, but lawyers tend to have a network of vetted, competent advocates they can refer out to. As you must be aware, the term 'education consultant' is completely unregulated, and when we are dealing with immediate safety issues I don't want her to risk getting stuck with some yahoo.

[Anonymous]

I agree with both posters. OP I would call the lawyers and request an advocate with prior DC teaching experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The psychologist we saw said he didn't have autism because he "demonstrated good and fluid coordination between his verbal and nonverbal communication, was socially responsive and able to engage in fluid back-and-forth interactions, and showed relative strengths in his imaginative play. Because autism is a behavioral diagnosis, a child has to consistently display a number of these behaviors across settings. When DS is anxious or dysregulated, these things become more challenging for him. However, when he is calm and regulated, he is able to integrate these pieces of social functioning, so he does not meet criteria for ASD."

We just got off the waiting list with Georgetown's child psych unit - should I try KKI too? Also, another thing I didn't mention is that he has been taking his clothes off at school too when he gets upset.

The school social worker is in the middle of doing a functional behavioral assessment.

What is ABA? Thanks so much in advance.

Well, it's probably not worth worrying about right now, but could help the overall picture to keep it in mind. My kid with ASD functions well socially when he is calm and regulated and had normal imaginative play at 7 ... a lot of HFA kids do. The question is whether rigidity/perseverative behavior and relative lack of interest in conforming to social rules (which is different from being socially responsive on an individual level, especially 1:1 with an adult assessor) cause behavioral issues. I only really bring this up because the ASD diagnosis helped us with DCPS.

[Anonymous]

OP again. 16:01 that is interesting. I have to say it’s something I have wondered about, really since he was tiny. He has always been challenging. I was extremely anxious during my pregnancy with him due to a previous neonatal full term loss and worry that he was bathed in sadness hormones in utero. May I ask how the ASD diagnosis helped? I wonder if it’s something I should push for again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. 16:01 that is interesting. I have to say it’s something I have wondered about, really since he was tiny. He has always been challenging. I was extremely anxious during my pregnancy with him due to a previous neonatal full term loss and worry that he was bathed in sadness hormones in utero. May I ask how the ASD diagnosis helped? I wonder if it’s something I should push for again.

It helps because it's accurate, in our case! And it helps because for whatever reason people take it more seriously when it comes to "behaviors" and are more willing to work with us. Depending on how things go we will request consultation/services from a BCBA to deal with behavioral issues, which I don't think would be possible without the dx.

I'm surprised they called CHAMPS though. I don't have any way to compare, but I don't think our school ever does that. How competent do you feel the social worker & school psychologist are?

[Anonymous]

I don’t know. I like the social worker very much. Don’t have much of a sense of the psychologist. There’s also a special education teacher who seems very good. They all seem like smart, hard working, and kind people. Just for whatever reason my kid cannot cope with the structure and authority and demands upon him.

After they called CHAMPs the first time I asked them to please always call both me and my husband first before CHAMPS. They called today during a meltdown and said if we didn’t collect him they would have to call CHAMPS again.

[Anonymous]

Guanfacine can definitely have a paradoxical, agitating effect on some kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know. I like the social worker very much. Don’t have much of a sense of the psychologist. There’s also a special education teacher who seems very good. They all seem like smart, hard working, and kind people. Just for whatever reason my kid cannot cope with the structure and authority and demands upon him.

After they called CHAMPs the first time I asked them to please always call both me and my husband first before CHAMPS. They called today during a meltdown and said if we didn’t collect him they would have to call CHAMPS again.

Have they started an FBA?

[Anonymous]

We haven’t started guanfacine yet. The school has started an FBA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know. I like the social worker very much. Don’t have much of a sense of the psychologist. There’s also a special education teacher who seems very good. They all seem like smart, hard working, and kind people. Just for whatever reason my kid cannot cope with the structure and authority and demands upon him.

After they called CHAMPs the first time I asked them to please always call both me and my husband first before CHAMPS. They called today during a meltdown and said if we didn’t collect him they would have to call CHAMPS again.

So, having them call to send him home is a defacto suspension. Are they logging it that way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to disagree with the prior poster, the extreme safety issues presented with running away means you should go directly to lawyer. You need all the firepower you can in your corner before this escalates even further.

And I disagree with you. As a lawyer, I can tell you that legal skills don't help with creating and implementing a behavioral plan! If what you mean is that she needs to get him into a self-contained class or private placement ASAP, I guess so - but not clear that OP actually understands what that entails, especially for a 2E kid. I can share that for my child who had serious behavioral issues (albeit not elopement) a properly designed behavioral plan worked. OP needs the support of a psychologist/consultant who can work with the school to create and implement the plan. It may be painful for a while waiting to see if the plan can work, but otherwise, you're just jumping to put your kid into a private placement that deals with behavioral challenges or a self-contained program with reports like this: https://www.hillrag.com/2021/03/22/dcps-child-abuse-suit-expands/

With all due respect, you're aware that lawyers can compel school systems to pay for public school placements, right? Like paying for a bus to send a kid to a public school with an emotional disturbance center. They also can make them pay for a free evaluation. Equating lawyer=private school is simply misinformation. Not trying to start an arguement! I just don't want OP to be inadvertently mislead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know. I like the social worker very much. Don’t have much of a sense of the psychologist. There’s also a special education teacher who seems very good. They all seem like smart, hard working, and kind people. Just for whatever reason my kid cannot cope with the structure and authority and demands upon him.

After they called CHAMPs the first time I asked them to please always call both me and my husband first before CHAMPS. They called today during a meltdown and said if we didn’t collect him they would have to call CHAMPS again.

Have they started an FBA?

Sorry, I missed that you said they were starting the FBA.