Tourette's or Stress...

Well, ever since the MCAS my son has been dealing with disabiling tics. Things got so bad that he had trouble walking, and even fell down the stairs. We finally got an emergency appointment with a child psychiatrist (only after his primary physician - who is at the top of her profession interveened) who prescribed a medication they use for Tourette's Syndrome.

Now I know that Asperger's and Tourette's sometimes exists as co-morbid conditions, but I still have my doubts. The only time he tics is when he is stressed out. This past holiday weekend, he was home for 3 days - and by Sunday night was virtually tic free. When I picked him up at school the tics were back.

It doesn't help that the school has absolutely no routines or schedules in place for him.

Is This Really Necessary?

Last week was 4th grade MCAS. This is a standardized test that provides data on how well *the SCHOOL* is doing on teaching various topics. Unfortunately the way they test for the school's success is to test the students, thereby creating an incredible amount of stress and pressure on the kids. These are 9 and 10 year old kids. Younger for the 3rd graders (8 and 9).

During MCAS weeks, everybody is in a tizzy. The principal is stressed out, the teachers are freaking out, and this totally upsets the kids. My son is no exception. The last set of MCAS (in February - english portion) left him feeling so down and was completely dibilitating. I was in Phoenix at the time and flew back early. My son (let's call him Redd) Redd's self esteem was so low he would come home crying every day - really not understading where his feelings were coming from, but feeling so despondent that it concerned not only us as his parents, but his diagnosing doctor as well. She immediately wrote a letter indicating that it would be a detriment for Redd to continue any testing with or without accommodation.

Well that wasn't enough for anyone DOE, School District, nobody. So my poor kid had to endure 2 *more* days this week of the dreaded MCAS - this time it was Math - a subject he excells in. Everybody said "he did GREAT", "he was FINE", "no problems whatsover".

I guess no one has noticed the very violent ticks he has developed since tuesday. He scruntches his face so tight and then flings his head back (as if there was hair in his eyes) violently. So much so that he has hit me (hard) in the nose and caused a nose bleed.

What does it take for folks to realize that, again, he might have appeared "fine" on the outside, but now he suffers the consequences. Last time it took about 3 to 4 weeks to calm the tics - with alot of relaxation techniques (mom as therapist) and well as deep breathing, and some talking (again mom as therapist).

How can we continue to subject our children to this stress and even thought we had a letter from his physician indicating that it was expressely against medical advice to have him participate in this test - he still had to take it.

I sit here on this Saturday morning watching my beautiful child ticcing violently across the room from me. All I want to do is wrap him in my arms and not let go. I want to protect from this world, all the while knowing that I can't.

Hug someone you love, right now!

And another thing...

Ok, remember the fox drawings. I just thought about the meeting in which we brought up the drawing issue. The teacher actually had the drawings with him and claimed that my son was upset not with the fact that he couldn't draw foxes (only immigrants), but the fact that the fox he drew was fat.

I woke up at three in the morning and this thought ran through my head.

He took my son's drawings and brought them with him to this meeting as "evidence".

Who does that? Obviously someone who feels insecure with his actions...

Maybe we should ban Starbucks from the classroom...

I am always amazed at how teachers who take a class in SPED suddenly become experts in the field. My son's teacher claims that he understand Autism and the "Spectrum", yet he insists that have the entire class move all of their desks around every 4 weeks or so with no warning "doesn't freak out" my son.

Hello, maybe he isn't "freaking out" on the outside, but inside - God it sure explains a lot of his behaviour at home. The teacher in this case is supposed to be an enlighted, forwarded thinking, changing the world one kid at a time kind of a guy. He appears that way - I was fooled. Now we know the truth about this very popular elementary teacher. My son adores him and we would never malign him in front of our child, even thought he sometimes makes my child cry on a daily basis.

The lastest had to do with drawing. Part of my child's coping mechanism is drawing. Right now the interest of the hour is Foxes. Yes, those red, furry little creatures that steal chickens. My son's class was watching a movie on "Immigrants". The classroom was about 95 degrees, the lights were out and my son's desk is at the back of the classroom (contradictory to what his IEP mandates). As is with many kids on the spectrum, it's difficult to hold my son's attention - so he draws. This teacher actually sougth out my child in the back of the classroom and told him he couldn't draw foxes. If he wanted to draw he HAD to draw immigrants.

WHAT!!!

What difference does it make. It wasn't like the other kids were drawing and this was a classroom assignment. No my child was using a proven coping mechanism to deal with a situation where he might otherwise not have been able to participate.

No, this teacher insisted until my child broke down crying.

Here we are 4 weeks before the end of school - and this teacher insists that my child has to draw only pre-approved subjects.

I kept thinking to myself as this teacher was defending his action. Hey Mr. X, what if we took away your coping mechanism, your Starbucks coffee? How well would he cope...But what can we really expect from a genX teacher who wear a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops to class.

I'd had high hopes for this teacher (as last year's teacher was FABULOUS) but alas I was wrong and now my child suffers on a daily basis.