You had to peel me off her! Puh-Lease... (insert middle finger here)
I went to pick up Sam from Enrichment (you know, the extra 1/2 of kindergarten) that we pay for. He goes a few days a week to get the extra o/t and p/t so they don't take him out of kindergarten class.
Anyway, he has been having lots of trouble going. Digging his heels in. Telling me he doesn't like it. He doesn't want to go. I know, but it is good for him, and he gets his services. He has resorted to asking me to drive him to and from school on Enrichment days telling me the bus is too loud and chaotic..so yes, I do this to help make his day a easier.
He actually would NOT get on the school bus for hubby one day last week. I had to drive him... and then he wouldn't get out of the car... then he wouldn't walk to to building... then he wouldn't go into the school. After 15 minutes of trying to get him into the school... the teacher came out.. She couldn't get him into the school, but after 10 minutes, she finally did. It then took him another 40 minutes to "start" his day..where he was happy and adjusted.
Now, you all know Sam is on the spectrum.. as does the school. We are in the process of all these eval's to have him put into an integrated class for 1st grade where he will get the support for o/t, speech and p/t that he needs. He is in a regular ed K class.
Anyway... the Enrichment teacher pulls me aside today as I am picking him up. And proceeds to tell me that Sam had a melt down today over having to cut out hearts for a card in Enrichment. (He HATES o/t. It is HARD for him. It makes him feel bad when he sees the other kids not struggling. It makes him feel bad when he sees what they can cut out... and how his is nowhere near as neat or together).
Anyway.. then she tells me that the lunch I packed for him was not sufficient and she thinks the melt down was because he was hungry and maybe that is why he is having so much trouble at school... maybe his blood sugar is too low.
Yes, low blood sugar and ASBERGERS you IDIOT! I packed him a bagel with butter, carrot sticks, whole wheat nacho chips, apple slices (or was it grapes?) and a lemonade. He didnt eat the bagel-- well.. I wasnt there... I cant make him eat the bagel. I can ONLY pack it!
but I am OUTRAGED that she thinks it is the low blood sugar that caused the meltdown...and NOT the O/T.
They had some left over cupcakes from Valentines Day and she said after he ate that, he was a joy... so, it is definitely the food issue and maybe he isn't even autistic! RIGHT.
WTF? Im fairly certain if any kid was having a melt down they would be happier after they ate a cupcake.
I mean.... an insufficient lunch?!
snack in K class at 11:00 was 15 grapes and a fruit juice
Lunch at 11:40 was 1 mini bagel with butter, 8 carrot sticks, 10 natcho chips and apple slices.
How is that insufficient?! !
and really... we are going to blame his not eating the bagel as to why he melted? I think it was the pushing him to do the o/t.... even if MAYBE he was hungry from not eating the bagel-- added to the frustration of having to cut... created the storm--- the melt down was HER fault. REALLY. I mean, she was talking to me like I needed to punish him for his behavior.
His lunch was NOT insufficent, it was fine... if he *needed* it he would have eaten it!
Pushing him to do the OT that they know is difficult was what caused it.... in children (my Garrett to be specific), low blood sugar issues are noticed first thing in the morning (before breakfast) and if he goes and extended period of time without eating.
Up until Garrett was 7 or 8 he would have a "high carb" snack right before bed. I would need to make sure that his blood sugar was maintaned overnight.
My advice, sugar coat it with her: Seeing how Sam's urine was good at his last well child exam (they tested it, if it was off they would have called), you will happily mention this at his next appointment... HOWEVER you don't notice such behaviors first thing in the mornign, when blood sugar is normally the lowest, but when pushed to do something he struggles with.
Feel free to message me here or email if you need to vent..... or more info/suggestions....
My take: an Asperger's issue, not sugar....
I love when teachers think they know better than the mothers! Of course bribing a small child with a yummy cupcake will put him in a better mood, hell it puts me in a better mood as well. I dont know that I would have been so calm with her. In your other posts you often mention Sam is a very picky eater so I am sure there are tons of times where hes had less food in his system but didnt have a melt down over it. Not all teachers are bad, but it seems to me that there are 2 kinds for the most part, those that are just there for all the days off, and the ones that think since they have an education in child related areas that they are experts. NO ONE is more of an expert on a child than that childs MOTHER!!!!! If it happens again Id call the office and lodge a complaint about her. good luck
In all fairness to the teacher, I do think she was trying to help. But, it is like NO ONE believes me that Sam acts ASpie-ish as he presents so well-- UNTIL (add forboding music here) and then everyone is shocked... and it's like they dont want to believe his DX and tell me; oh, its the food... he needs more protein like this teacher.. or he needs less carbs, most likely acts like that from Celiac... or he needs more sleep. It's like I tell them he is on the spectrum.. and they think they can explain these behaviors... ok, yes, MAYBE he was hungry-- BUT, what about the stimming, the flapping, the rigididy...all those other "spectrum-y" clues...
This particular teacher told me I shouldnt take him out of enrichment cause that would mean I was "giving in."... OK, in a normal kids world I could see that as giving in... when someone on the spectrum is losing it as often as Sam is these days it is cause he is feeling out of control and overwhelmed... I'm not "giving in" I am modifying things that I can to help him thru a difficult time... and going to school for 20 hours is too much for him right now... he is telling me so.. and he doesnt HAVE to go... it is supposed to be ENRICHING..and it isnt.
I still say only you truly know whats best for him. If you think its too much for him then stop. If you know its not just diet that causes his melt downs, then dont listen to others opinions. Were they at the Drs with you when he was getting tested?? Are they the ones who have to deal with the melt downs when he doesnt want to go?? They have him a few hours a day 5x a week, you have him a hell of a lot more than that.
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May Randoms
- SamMom912
on Feb. 15, 2012 at 4:38 PM