This morning I had a 1/2 hour meeting with the principal, IS, general ed teacher, and Special Ed director. It was mostly just to brainstorm how we could help Jack worth through his anger, to avoid the issues we've been seeing since about the second day of school.
First off, I really appreciate the approach they seem to be taking with Jack. I don't yet get any underlying sense of frustration on the part of the staff. They seem genuine about their overall opinion of him as a kid. They enjoy his sense of humor, they appreciate his desire to be a part of school pride, they love that he's very knowledgeable about the school rules.. They also realize there are some bumps in the road, and they want to help him get over each one.
One of the interesting things I've learned is that Jack is pretty focused when he does his work. If this is the case, then he really doesn't need the Concerta right now, which the Pediatrician prescribed for focus. The Intuniv seems to work well enough for getting him through the day, it's just that when faced with a situation he doesn't like, Jack can't control the outburst response. Concerta isn't going to help with that. In fact, since it makes him grouchy all day long, this would work against that.. make him more wound up and ready for a fight. So not a good idea.
continued..
Another thing the teacher brought up was what to do if Jack continued to be physical- perhaps on a day when the IS wasn't there. Sending him from the room seems to create a situation in and of itself, because he doesn't want to be told to leave. On top of that, he wants you to know he's not happy, so he makes his exit loud and dramatic. They need to give him a cue to let him know that he is getting to a "bad" place, and that he should either take a quick break out in the hall, or go right to the IS's room. It needs to be something that doesn't embarrass him in front of his peers, since that also causes problems. As well, when he has gotten to the boiling point, the teacher needs a way to reach the office for help, without tipping him off. (Apparently covert operations are required to deal with my kid. Someone mentioned walkie-talkies, to which the Special Ed director asked "Do you feel you need a walkie-talkie?") It sounds like their current idea is to somehow get a message to the teacher next door, who will call the principal.
I'm not even sure what else to say right now..
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