Science Camp at school

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Okay guys, I need some hand holding here, and maybe some suggestions on how to help my 11 yr old son, Chris with an upcoming sleepover camp the school has for 6th graders.

All the 6th graders go to Science Camp up in the mountains for an entire week. He will be gone from monday to friday. I'm a bit nervous as obviously everything will be a huge change for him and he's never been away from me this long.

I did call the nurse up there with questions. She was GREAT and got Chris and understood how my son can hold things together during the school day (internalizes) and lets it all out when he gets home. It really helped as her sister works for a Regional Center in Cali and identifies and helps to dx children 0-3 in the home. So she is quite knowledgable with Autism.

As we talked she reminded me tho that it will be very hard for Chris because he will be expected to have good behavior 24/7, which is something I never thought of. I know a few times we have visited a very good friend of Chris's back where we used to live and I have allowed him to stay there and I have always had to come pick him up early as he just fell apart after a few days. So of course this is a big concern to me.

He doesn't have an aide, or an IEP in place for him yet (the school refuses to see the Autism altho he has been dx privatly by two doctors with Autism.). I am currently working on this, but I do know he will have to have special support if this trip is to be successful for him.

He has some odd eating rituals and I know these are more of routine and needing things to be the same more than sensory. The nurse assured me they can accomodate this and I am expecting a call from the cafeteria up there soon. Yayyy on that one. I thought heck my child is going to starve because there are so many foods he just won't eat ya know? If they can feed him pancakes and sausage at every meal, he will be in heaven.

Anyway, should I call an IEP meeting to discuss these things? Should I call the nurse again and ask if she could be his go to person in case he needs extra help? I was thinking of driving up there before the camp begins so he will be more prepared.

I can tell he wants to go but makes little comments (like if I ground him from something he will say well you can take away science camp and I can sit in school for the week mom) which tells me he's somewhat nervous and kinda wants me to not make him go KWIM?

Anyway, any other suggestions will be a big help. It's hard as the school just doesn't get him and doesn't think anythings going on with him. (Ya, I guess the doc's lied or are worthless huh?) The teacher thinks he's more of a gifted student and thats his only problem. BIG SIGH
Thanks,
Lainie

Yes, you should call an IEP regardless of the camping thing.

TheZach,
I have been calling IEP's for months! They (the school) won't accept his dx and if I have to go to due process then I will. His latest dx was from the Regional Center in cali I spoke with them (The RC) the other day and altho they won't accept him because his IQ is 92, they are flabbergasted that the school won't give him an IEP with the report I gave the school.

I am really worried for my son. I want him to do this, but I don't know if he will be able to accomplish this.

I talked to my sister today and she said maybe it will be a good thing if he breaks down. Maybe the school will finally see this, but then I don't want to put my son under due stress ya know?

He told me tonight that if he has to brush his teeth (which is a sporadic problem with us) then he won't go.

Sigh.
Lainie

who can you go to that's above your school principal ? what about the district special ed dept ?......the school can't just write off a dx because they don't agree with it~

They can - a lot of schools do because they don't like the idea of having to expend resources.

Usually you have to go to mediation and due process when this happens.

Yep theZachs right Ster. I have been in contact with the Special ed director, and so far have had two advocates help me. Basically, they say he doesn't qualify for Spec Ed. His grades show the learning disability, but there eval's say he doesn't qualify. So my son is stuck in a stupid system.

And as for the Autism dx, they just don't see it. My son will rock back and forth on his feet, but it's so light that if your not looking at him at that moment, you will miss it. When a noise hurts his ears he just trys to take it and doesn't respond even tho at home he will cover his ears and scream that his ears feel like there bleeding.

All they think about is eye contact which is good with my son, but just recently the teacher noticed his flat affect when filling out a form for our pysciatrist. I said (to myself) DUHHHH thats on the DSM-IV... Hello!! !

Sigh anyway sorry, I tend to let it all out when I think about the school system lol.

Well one thing for sure is I am not giving up. But in the mean time, I just want to make sure someone is there for him if he falls apart. I want to make sure his teacher from last year doesn't corner him and make him cry like she did several times.

I am gonna put in another call to the nurse to make sure she can kinda keep an eye out for him.

Lainie

didn't realize that the school had done an eval.....
do they need chaperones for the trip ? and if so, can you go ?

Hi Ster,
Actually that would be a great idea, but I also have a 7 yr old at home that needs me too and I have no one to watch him after school.

I'm just gonna have to wait it out, and hope he eithers does spendidly well, or someone calls me before it gets too bad.

Lainie

my son had an incredibly difficult time at sleep-away camp....even though they were monitored, my son still got bullied~other kids put dirt and wet,nasty cereal in his saxophone ( unbeknownst to him) and then begged him to play .............i just hate for you to "know" that he's going to have a hard time, and not be able to do anything about it............
it's such a tough decision....it's possible that he'll have a wonderful time, and all your worrying is for naught.....

Thanks for the support Ster. I will definetly bump this after it's all and over with and relay on how he did.

I already told him about his special food he is bringing up with him so he at least can count on that routine being there for him. I also reminded him if he gets his "Mental Pain" as he often calls it when he's frustrated and confused, to ask to see the nurse and she can help him.

All I can do I guess is hope for the best. I don't think there's much more I can do because his teacher claims he doesn't have Autism, but instead he's just a gifted student thats immature. If I at least had the school on board with understanding him, I wouldn't be so worried.

Thanks for letting me sound off in a place where people understand. It means alot to me.

Lainie