Berkeley Unified School District Denies Rights of Autistic Boy

emediawire.com/releases ^

[BikePacker]

I remember when "mainstreaming" came into vogue.

[Bonaparte]

My, my. Those Berkeley commies, discriminating against disabled youth. Tsk, tsk. Don't they realize he has an equal right to be indoctrinated in their schools?

[teresat]

Does anyone try to figure out where his disability came from in the first place? I volunteer at my childs school, when I was in school their were not any children with autism or ADD, now each class has around three each child needing their own helper. I hate to say it but it drags down the learning process for every other child in the class just because we all need to be politically correct.

[freeangel]

"I'm a marketing executive and have my own business to manage"

In other words, screw the damn kids. I'm much too important to be learning how to work with them. They are the taxpayers problem and they damn well better give them priority before I lose any more money.

[jocon307]

"While this is encouraging and good news, it does not mean that BUSD or any other district has less responsibility to educate children like Gabriel in the most appropriate manner and environment. Berkeley has a long way to go before they can claim to be doing any such thing."

Strange comment here, who wrote this, maybe she's the kid's aunt or something. Sounds like a long litany of complaints, not a news (feature I guess) story at all.

[hocndoc]

Our Governor Perry was speaking about the cost of education in Texas, yesterday. He mentioned that one reason for the increase is what he called "mission creep." We do so much more than education, nowadays.

Do I read this correctly? The one boy requires an aide of his own, his teacher (whom he shares) and a specialist?

[Thoeting]

Well, one thing at a time

there has been no special training for his primary teacher or aide to assist them with understanding autism;

If the teacher is a certified elementary school teacher, no special training is required by federal law.

his curriculum has not been appropriately modified to offer greatest chances of success;

The state is required to provide an APPROPRIATE education--they must provide the "Ford" not required to provide the "Cadillac" Free and Appropriate

his curriculum has not been appropriately modified to offer greatest chances of success;

It sounds like he has a similiar commute to other children--again, does it meet the measurement of appropriate? not best, appropriate

It was the 2nd move in six months

I sympathize for the family, but the move was their choice, not the schools. We all make sacrifices for our kids--or we should,

“I would have expected with the University here and the reputation for education and community activism that Berkeley has to have found a wonderful school district.”

Berkely may have once had a great school district, but basically, California is a wasteland for education, with a few oasises of sanity.

Not only did the district take a month to put the children back in school, they said they had to commute five miles, or 25 minutes by car each way

Break my heart, kids commute longer and further than that all across the nation.

Gabriel would be put in a Special Day Class with nine other boys – and one teacher...Also, the SDC student/teacher ratio was way off.

Bull, the Ratio is 9-1 or 12-1 with an aide.

there was no room at Thousand Oaks elementary –

So...what did the mom want? to kick another child out? Schools are crowded, it happens.

I’m a marketing executive and have my own business to manage. Making multiple trips to the district offices and ferrying the kids back and forth was taking it’s toll,

Sucks to be the mom sometimes doesn't it?

Gabriel has made some progress this year, mostly re-gaining lost ground from last year when he experienced a regression during May and June.

There is an issue being skirted here--is the child meeting his goals as laid out in the IEP? If he is, then adequate yearly progress is being made. If not, how close was he? Sounds like he was at least close. But, I'm not there, tough to make that call

The primary instructor stated loudly on the first day, “He can’t be in my class, I already have too many students

Nice professional attitude. Makes me proud to be in the same profession

The early days were really rough. Gabriel was not very verbal and he tantrumed a lot

Bet it was rough for all of the kids in that class.

The integrated program of services paid off. With the exception of the two months when Berkeley mis-placed him, Gabriel has been successfully integrated in a regular school setting. His reliance on special services has decreased every year. For instance, he no longer needs O.T. He also requires less and less support from a one-on-one aide. His response to classmates continues to mature, and he now has a small circle of friends who he joins in playing with during recess.

So, what's the problem? Sounds like the little guy is doing great. Oh wait, $$$$$$, yeah, that's the problem I just bet.

Will she get any $$$, maybe. If the county properly notified her of all IEP meetings, then the county has won 1/2 the battle. If he made progress on his goals, then the mom is just blowing smoke and hoping for a quick cash settlement.

[Thoeting]

oops, made a mistake--Gabriel AND 9 others, yeah, they were out of compliance on that one. The article doesn't mention an assistant, guess there wasn't one.

[The Great RJ]

I have seen children in what could best be categorized as a persistent vegetative state, being mainstreamed into regular classrooms with a paid aide doing the school work for them. I'm sorry some of these kids aren't going to benefit no matter what type of program is provided.

[RightOnline]

Educrats, by and large, are drooling liberals with the IQ of your typical tomato. Place that set of folks into The Peoples' Republic of Berkeley..........and you get the most moronic, idiotic, autocratic, "we don't give a DAMN unless you cater to our beliefs" set of droolers you'll ever come across.

[Spyder]

I have seen children in what could best be categorized as a persistent vegetative state, being mainstreamed

That was where we were heading when I worked in the school system in California in the late 70s. It never did make sense to me to "mainstream" most of our kids. In the special schools they had a whole team of specialists - PT, OT, speech, special ed teachers, etc. etc. ad infinitum plus equipment that couldn't be transported easily from school to school in the trunk of the therapist's car. But the feel-good liberals, so bent on what "felt" right rather than what worked insisted on mainstreaming.

Parents continued to demand cadillac services from travelling therapists and it just isn't possible. And if the kid isn't walking it must be the therapist's fault, right? Never mind they can't even hold their head up for 5 seconds, we were supposed to teach them to walk.

/rant

[arjay]

My wife is a special ed teacher and is responsible for teaching some autistic children. That is a very difficult and demanding job.

Mainstreaming is simply not for all special ed children. It does work for some. My wife has a student who is old enough for 6th grade but is mainstreamed into 2nd grade where he is doing very well.

For some of the children, even special ed is above them.

Who knows what we should do with those children. Do we warehouse them, or try to help them? It is not an easy question to answer.

Unfortunately, the "educators" in charge of these things are usually folks who are high in college indoctrination and low in actual teaching experience. I think many, if not most, of the administrators do not have a clue what they are doing nor what should be done.

In addition, there are many parents who make such unreasonable demands on the schools that it is impossible to satisfy them. Many of the parents have totally unreasonable expectations of their children and of the schools.

There are no easy solutions or answers. I do believe that there are many more children in that situation today because of fetal alcohol problems as well as being crack babies etc. It is also true that schools do a better job of identifying some children who need special help who would not have gotten that help in years past.

[ServesURight]

But...but...Berkeley is a model for liberal compassion and caring. This article isn't true.

[Heyworth]

Favorite detail from story: He's being bused to Rosa Parks Elementary.

[tessalu]

I am an operator on an internet chat room, and I am a nurse, but with no special training in autism.

One day a woman came to the chat room and told me that she had a daugher with autism and aspergers syndrome, and she asked if her 14 year old daughter could come to our room, and I agreed that she could come, and I told her that I had a special room where she could be protected if needed.

I had a lot of lessons to learn about autism and aperbergers syndrom, but this girl has turned out to be just differnet, and a real joy for me just to be around.
She does have the symptoms of repeating, in writing and verbally, and she does not make eye contact, or want to be touched she does not like noise, bad smells, or to be touched. But God has given her so many special gifts that these little things do not bother me at all. She really excells in poetry, math, and bible studies. I am happy indeed with her, and thankful just to have known her.

Understanding is really really hard to find. Best wishes to these parents.

[Bonaparte]

She's not alone. And Dr. Lehman is right. Berkeley used to have a fine educational system. Then back in the early 70s, the far left BCA (Berkeley Citizens Action) swept into office and the city (including the school system) declined rapidly, as the BCA indulged in its thievery and bizarre social experimentation. I was there when they were sworn in at City Hall. When the oath got to the part about "all enemies foreign and domestic," they all laughed. Oh, the stories I could tell you...

[merry10]

I also have a special needs daughter. She is deaf which to some may not be special needs but it is. She requires american sign language and auditory/speech therapy and our district does not handle that. Speech therapy for deaf kids is usually 25 minutes twice a week. Whatever else is supplemented by insurance or out of pocket. Her bus ride is 1 hour each way, although the school is 25 minutes away. She is in a Special Day Class becuase that is where she needs to be. As to the "marketing executive" big whoop. Change your hours and make the kids the priority. I do work (for DoD) and am lucky to have flexihours What the schools can't or won't do...do you wait around for years to get it implemented in the IEP or take action while the child falls further behind? Whatever is beyond free and appropriate must fall on the people responsible - the parents.

By the way arjay, tell your wife "Thank You" from me. It is not easy to do what she does.

[whereasandsoforth]

This child is of no use to the leftist scum. He can't be properly trained to vote democrat. They aren't going to waste resources on him. He's human waste. An aborted breather.

[merry10]

I think the whole total education system in California is screwed, from pre-school right up thru college. I don't think Arnold will do much to fix it either.