#IEP program

[batcavescolony]

I know Teen Wolf is just a show but it bugs me that Natalie Martin was so adamant on the pack getting good grades and keeping up with school but she never got Malia an IEP or in Special Education classes! She had to know they exist and I think a girl that hasn't been in school for 8years and has a hard time in classes would be able to apply. Yeah yeah it's just a show but still it would have helped Malia!

[myapathyhaspeaked]

hey if there’s any first graders on here and you’re thinking about being disabled i highly recommend looking into the mild speech impediment guild. you get to skip class one to two times a week, and your teacher has to mark whatever assignment you were doing as complete or else it ✨violates the ada or whatever is in charge of iep’s idrk✨. and then you spend like an hour or thirty minutes idk i was 6-11 i had and still have no sense of time playing board games with several of your classmates, all for the low low price only your family being able to understand you and having to be real careful about any sentence that uses r, w, and l in quick succession (the first phrase of ballad of jane doe is like a qte for my mouth) because if you fuck up you will sound like a toddler and the group will stop to laugh because you said tliwight.

[illnessfaker]

brendan depa, a diagnosed level 3 autistic black teenager (also with PTSD+ADHD and a number of other diagnoses, including ones that are highly racialized) who has been subject to racist peer abuse/assault, has previously been placed in multiple institutions, grew up homeschooled due to his support needs but was basically forced into public school so that his day program would be covered by APD, and was triggered by an incident in class that involved factors going against his IEP and resulted in him assaulting a teaching aide.

he is being charged with a first degree felony, being tried as an adults, and faces up to 30 years in prison.

media is sensationalizing this as a student beating his teacher because he got his nintendo switch taken away, framing him as a spoiled brat instead of a very traumatized, autistic teenager (who only very recently turned 18) with high support needs whose disabilities significantly impact his emotional regulation and (i'm assuming) his understanding of consequences.

other peers who have similar impairments and who have also assaulted staff were not punished anywhere nearly this severely.

prison could kill him, a punishment for being failed repeatedly by the medical/legal system and placed in an environment that didn't properly meet his support needs, and people are frothing at the mouth to put him there.

[dreamescapeswriting]

In His Arms, the World Pauses

‧₊˚ ☽ ⋅WORD COUNT: 1.8K (this came out so short im so sorry)

‧₊˚ ☽ ⋅GENRE: established relationships, talks of stress, Felix being a comforting baby for us, we love to see 

‧₊˚ ☽ ⋅PAIRING: Felix x Fem!Reader

‧₊˚ ☽ ⋅Copyright: © DreamEscapesWriting - October 2024

‧₊˚ ☽ ⋅MASTERLIST

The door clicks shut behind you, and the familiar quiet of your apartment feels heavier than usual. The day you had felt like you'd spent it in hell and all you wanted to do was crawl into your bed and cry.

You let your bag slide off your shoulder, followed by your jacket, but you don’t move any further, you just stand there for a moment, staring at the floor, unsure if you even have the energy to take another step.

The world around you felt as though it was moving at a million miles an hour while you were standing still unable to grasp at anything to help you catch up with anybody else around you. 

"Babe?" Felix called out. He'd heard your car pull into the drive but you hadn't come straight through to the living room as you usually would. You heard Felix move from the couch, and within seconds, his arms were wrapped around you from behind, pulling you close. For a moment, you’re too stiff to relax, your muscles still tense from the day, but as his warmth sinks in, you release a shaky breath and lean into him. 

“Hey,” he whispers softly into your hair. “Rough day?” He whispers already feeling how tense you were in his arms and he wanted to do everything he could to make you feel better. The tenderness in his voice undoes you, and before you can stop it, a sob escapes your throat. You bury your face in his chest, clutching at his shirt like it’s the only thing keeping you from falling apart. 

“It’s… it’s just so much,” you manage to say, your voice cracking. Everything you'd been holding in finally escaped into a ball of tears as you shook your head at him.

“I feel like I’m drowning, Felix.” You admit, your eyes blurry with unshed tears. Felix's breath caught in his throat but he just held you tighter, rocking you gently in the hallway as he nodded his head. While he didn't know the stress of your job and studies he was always going to be there to listen to you, whatever you needed. He was your rock.

“I’m here, baby. Let it out.”

“I had three IEP meetings today,” you murmur into his shirt, your words thick with frustration and exhaustion. Remembering the meetings you'd been in and the stress you'd gone through with every single one of them.

“None of them went well. I’m trying so hard for my students, but I feel like I’m not doing enough. And my thesis…” You laugh bitterly, but it comes out more like a sigh. You'd been putting that off for so long it was now becoming impossible to ignore. It was due soon and you hadn't even written your fucking name on the paper yet. How did anyone ever even manage any of this?

“I haven’t even started the paper I need to write. I’m so behind, Felix. I don’t know how I’m supposed to do it all.” His heart beats steadily against your ear, grounding you, but it doesn’t stop the flood of emotions swirling in your chest. This job was everything to you, and being a special needs teacher is what you love to do, but it takes everything you have some days. Balancing that with your master’s program… feels damn near impossible.

“You’re doing so much already,” Felix says, his hands rubbing slow, comforting circles on your back, the act soft and gentle as you looked up at him. 

“You give so much of yourself every day. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed.”

“But if I fall behind, I’ll be failing my students…” Your voice trembles as you pull back to look at him, your eyes brimming with tears. The last thing you wanted to do was fail yourself but your students meant more to you than anything else sometimes and you never wanted to feel like you were letting them down.

“And myself.” You whispered defeatedly. Felix smiles weakly as he moves his hands to cup your face gently, wiping away the tears that spill over with the pad of his thumb. Your heart hammering roughly against your chest as you look up at him,

“You’re not failing anyone, least of all yourself. You’re one of the strongest people I know, and you’re doing everything you can. It’s okay to be tired. It’s okay to need help. It's okay to ask for help,” You close your eyes, leaning into his touch, letting his words wash over you. Sometimes you liked to try and push yourself so only you could do things but he was right. You knew he was deep down.

“I just… I don’t know how to make it stop. It feels like I can’t catch my breath.” Felix presses a kiss to your forehead, his lips warm and refreshing after the day you'd had and he smiled a little as he felt your body relax a little.

Felix pulls away slightly, just enough to look into your eyes, his hands still resting on your shoulders.

“Why don’t we just forget everything for a while, yeah?” he says, his voice soft but full of warmth. 

“Come on, let’s get you comfy. Tonight is all about you.” He taps your nose softly and you let out a weak smile and nod, feeling a little lighter already, and let him lead you to the couch. It felt good to finally let go of everything you'd been holding back for months even if it was just talking about it for a little while. 

The two of you sat down on the sofa and you let out a small sigh at the feel of the cushions, they felt just like a cloud beneath you as you sank into them, and before you could even say a word, Felix grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around your shoulders.

"Lix-"

"Don't. Tonight is about you and I'm not going to take another word about it," he warned you, pressing his lips to your temple as he slowly got up from the sofa and smirked at you. Before disappearing into the other room for a moment, you take the opportunity to close your eyes, exhaling slowly, trying to let go of the day. 

You weren't sure how long your eyes had been closed but it wasn't until you heard the familiar theme song of the TV show you love playing. It was the show Felix knew you'd seen almost 12 times already but it was your comfort show, the one you watched once a year to make yourself feel better. 

“You don’t have to do all this,” you start to say, but he waves you off with a gentle smile. He knew how much you loved the show and he knew that no matter what you were going through it had always been there to help you.

"You don't even like the show-"

"Yn, I'm doing this," He smirks at you,

“I want to. You deserve it,” he says, grabbing the remote and settling beside you, his arm immediately finding its place around your shoulders. 

For the first time all day, and maybe in a few weeks, you feel a little bit of peace and you melt into Felix's side, watching the show as your favourite characters said the lines you knew off by heart at this point.

After a few minutes, Felix kissed the top of your head, making sure the blanket was still wrapped around you tightly before he got up. 

“Stay right here. I’m going to make you something to eat.” You glance up at him, 

“Felix, you really don’t have to—” He places a finger on your lips, playfully shushing you as a smirk tug on the corner of his lips. There was nothing he wouldn't do for you tonight. 

“I insist. You’ve had enough on your plate today. Let me take care of you for once.” You let him go this time, watching as he heads into the kitchen. You can hear the sounds of him bustling around—pots clanging, the soft sizzle of something on the stove—and it makes your heart swell. You know he’s not the best cook, but he’s trying, and that’s what matters most to you. Usually, it was always you that was forced to look after everybody else and you had to admit it felt kind of good to have someone else do the looking after for once.

Soon, the smell of something warm and comforting fills the air, and Felix returns with a tray. There’s a simple dinner—pasta with your favourite sauce, a little side salad, and even some garlic bread that he must’ve heated up. Your stomach growled at the sight of it and you licked your lips, you'd barely had time to eat all day and you were almost sure you could go for a second portion of this.

 He sets it on the coffee table in front of you, then disappears again briefly. When he comes back, he’s holding your favourite snacks: the chocolate bars you like to keep hidden in the pantry and a small tub of ice cream, then there were savoury and sweet treats, everything you could think of was lying there.

"You’re spoiling me.” you laugh as you slowly sink onto the floor in front of the table. Felix grins at you and sits down beside you again, placing a soft kiss on your temple as he nods his head. 

“That’s the point.”

You eat together in comfortable silence, Felix occasionally offering to feed you a bite just to make you laugh. The weight of the day has faded now, replaced by the warmth of his presence and the delicious simplicity of your favourite foods. When the dinner is done and the plates are set aside, he pulls you closer, his arms wrapping around you securely.

The TV show plays in the background, but you’re barely paying attention now. Felix’s hand moves in slow circles along your back, lulling you into a deeper sense of calm and your eyes start to get heavy. The day’s stress feels distant, a memory you no longer have to carry for the night.

“You’re too good to me,” you mumble, your voice heavy with the beginnings of sleep. You can feel your eyelids drooping, but you don’t want to move from his lap. Not now, when everything feels so perfect and safe. Felix smiles down at you, as he runs his fingers over your cheekbones and shakes his head.

“I’ll always take care of you,” he whispers. 

“Now close your eyes. You deserve some rest.” You don’t argue. You didn't even have the energy to argue with him, you couldn't even move from where you were sat. Instead, you let the sound of his heartbeat beneath your ear and the steady rise and fall of his breathing lull you into sleep. You can feel his hand gently tracing patterns on your arm, his touch so soft and tender.

And in that moment, everything else melts away. The stress, the deadlines, the pressure—they all dissolve, leaving only you and Felix in the quiet of your home.

"Goodnight angel," he whispers as you finally fall asleep in his arms.

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[asapart]

Help Support my BPS Classroom!

Please help me by filling up my empty classroom with supplies, books and games. After a decade of teaching I moved back to the Boston Area and in the move donated everything I had at the time to the schools and kids in the area. Now that I’m back in a classroom in this fun late-stage capitalist hellscape I am back into an empty classroom full of needs...and even after spending over $200 in the first week, the classroom is still largely empty. Please support in any way you can, even if it’s just sharing! Amazon Classroom Supplies List: Amazon Classroom Book List: TPT fundraising:

FAQ Below

It’s summer WTH?: Yeah, it’s summer! But fun fact, most kids are 1-2 years behind academically after the pandemic (awesome) so therefore more and more programs are running summer school. My program is part of BPS (Boston Public Schools) and focuses on ESL and Math for 2 hrs a day, with art, STEM, and Nature programs coming in the rest of the time to expose them to more things. However we are just in random classrooms in random schools in Boston, and have very limited supplies... What’s your class like: Chaotic Fun. They are 12 kids aged 9-11, half of whom are ELL, a third on IEPS, and all living around or below the poverty line. They love art, hate math (except for 2), and are neutral on ELA (depends on what we’re doing). I have 2 who cannot read at all, and 1 who reads at a 7th grade level. Most of them would be quite happy if I just always let them play with supplies rather than actually use them in any academic sense. You know, typical kids. What supplies do you have?: Upon arrival I was given 1 pack of 25 pencils, 6 packs of 10 markers, 1 ream of colored paper, Popsicle sticks, graphing paper, measuring tape(?), tissues and lysol, and two board games...Basically, what was donated to the program. Here’s a photo.

If it’s a summer program what will you do with the supplies after the summer?: Pencils, markers, crayons, notebooks...that stuff I’ll give to the kids at the end. Extra larger supplies I’ll give to the program if they want them (they run after school programs during the year) or keep for the work I do during the school year (intervention work and contracted tutoring) What if i just want to give you money? What if things are too expensive? For legal reasons, classroom aren’t allowed to ask for just money. That’s why we do supply lists instead, or raise funds for something specific (the TPT fundraiser). We are allowed to get gift cards though, so that is why they are on the amazon list. If there is is something else you’d want to donate, please ask! I have another question. Ask me!

[p-h-a-n-t-a]

I tend to fixate on evan as a character at times because his whole shtick is that hes mysterious and has issues tm, but also because i have also been the haunted (literally spoke to ghosts as a child) ass white kid (white) suffering from food insecurity (yall ever have a mustard sandwich, its bread heels with mustard on them. Thats how i learned to like mustard.) So i relate to him quite a bit.

But, i cant help but be deeply curious about the other misfits and their lives, struggles, and their mysteries.

I frequently work with kids like Jammer (ive been christened with a nickname by middleschoolers. Its Shawty DooBop. Im glad its that and not "that mean ass librarian") and I wonder what his life is like on a day to day basis. Did he pick his sister up from her after school program? How long has he been writing? A lot of kids I know, no matter how much they like the sports they play, were originally put into them by parents hoping they could be something great, but what would he want to be if he wanted to be something different? Did he ever read the maximum ride series? Does he actually like dragon ball Z or is it more of a cultural osmosis thing?

K is deeply relatable to me on a number of levels (nonbinary tumblrina) but also deeply alien. Do they talk to their family at all? Do they feel remorse for cyber bullying people over steven universe? Do they get mad at themself when they have to remember people cant just be tropes, they also have to be people? Even themself? When will they go to therapy????

Sam black, britain, butler my beloved. Fellow child of divorce, how much did that influence your comunication? How long has being an influencer been her focus? Does she actually want to inluence, or does she just want friends? She struggled in school, did anyone ever try to help? Would it have been better or worse to be on an iep plan? Does she still talk to her family much now that shes famous, is it out of love, or out of that family wanting her support and her energy? How has T2 stayed a teacup pig? Those usually grow into potbelly pigs of some sort. Does she feel like her magic has actually hampered her ability to connect with others because she is so easily liked? What were the sailor moon forums like, what happened after your pink pal stopped liking pink?

Also to the magic mommy of all time, what was Bombini's life like? A 600+ year old wizard who seems to have lost everything dear to him and is upholding the memory of people long lost built on foundations that were crumbling from the start. Dudes middle name is kyle. He seems like a paralell to our sad ass white boy, if they had decided to uphold the nature of magic and the old ways, would evan have become like him? A shuffling, sad, impossibly old steward? Also whats happening on tadershacourt. Whos the shadow man with Khan.

God i have so many questions, im deeply glad misfits and magic got a season 2 but i do think it has just given me more to be insane about. I managed this with only 4 eps and a holiday special, im gonna explode. Truely the tumblr coded series of all time.

[scarlettshazam]

So I got laid off from my dream job due to budget constraints. I’m not actually sure what my following is on tumblr anymore, since I recently migrated back, but I think it’s worth a shot to ask for help here — not for myself, but for the school. I was an academic coach at 5280 High School, which is the largest recovery high school in the United States. The student body it serves is made up of kids recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, eating disorders, and mental health crises. I was one of seven who was laid off, which aside from being a devastating blow means that these kids won’t be getting the care they need.

My position was a part of the Special Education team, and I worked closely with kids with IEPs to help them graduate while accommodating various disabilities. I affectionately termed my position “professional homie” or “professional opp” depending upon the day. Mostly I got to remind smart kids that they are in fact smart and listen when they needed me.

When the kids come back from their winter break, they’re going to need resources now more than ever, so if there’s anyone out here in this tumblr internet void who has something in their pocket to spare for these students, there is no one more deserving. They are down seven trusted adults. If we can at least get them some funding for programming and make sure my former coworkers get paid, then I know I’ve done everything I can to make sure that 5280 is able to continue to help its wonderful, messy, brilliant student body now and into the future.

If you can give ‘em something, would you?

Tell them Scarlett sent you or something, I don’t know

[windblume-wishes]

Ooh, the IEP/504 thing is really interesting! I’ve known what an IEP is for ages (always known lots of kids who had accommodations) and I personally strongly suspect/headcanon that Deuce has some sort of learning disability, but I’ve never thought about what an IEP for him might look like before.

Another student I think would probably require accommodations is Silver, due to his sleeping curse. What do you think an IEP for him might look like?

Hello, Dearie!

I’d definitely like to start off by saying thank you for your feedback and enjoying what I thought about Deuce! I’ve been sitting on that idea for a bit and finally thought I’d best share it now than never! Glad I did! Coming from experience, I can strongly say that Deuce would have a learning disability but that’s what is so cool about him, it shows the reality in TWST. This helps students who may feel uncomfortable with their own learning disabilities feel more comfortable and confident as they are seeing a character just like them walking in their shoes. Well done, Disney and Yana!

Without further ado, let’s dive into this!

For Silver, his situation is definitely one not many would come across but that does not mean it doesn’t happen. For starters I’d like to say that what he may require is actually the 504 Plan rather than the IEP, not saying he can’t have an IEP but if he gets one it will be for some small things.

Let’s refresh on what an IEP really is first:

Provides specialized instruction and services to help students access the curriculum

Includes annual goals and progress tracking

Requires a certified special education teacher or IEP case manager

Includes interventions like reading programs or speech therapy

Silver’s situation would technically fall under narcolepsy even if it’s technically a “curse” it still is narcolepsy in that sense so let’s dive into how this would work for him.

For Silver’s Plan:

More time on tests/quizzes. He is a sleepy guy, he needs to have some extra time to complete his work, whether it be within the class period itself or after school he should be given the accommodation to be able to do this.

Copy of the teacher’s notes. Silver is known to drift off in the middle of a lesson and will miss things, if he does he will require a teacher’s copy of the lesson for that day. This will help him complete his assignments and study.

Ability to turn in late work. This will allow him to catch up on his assignments that may be marked “M” or “Missing” in the grade book and may be bringing his grades down. If this accommodation is in place then he can be able to do his homework and turn it in late given his circumstances.

Be allowed to go to the nurse for rest. If needed, Silver should be able to go to the nurse to rest if his condition gets unbearable. If he raises his hand to say he needs to step out and tend to his situation he will be granted rest in the nurses office without question. - 30 minute nap breaks to manage his exhaustion.

Speech therapy. Silver struggles with certain social cues and understanding certain things so this will benefit him in the long run as he will learn to understand what is being said to him.

Be allowed the opportunity to work from his room. Silvers could work from his room at certain times of the day or on specific days to help with his exhaustion, sometimes being in a comfortable place may be helpful for him.

I feel like he would also require these goals for an IEP:

Understanding when to communicate needs to the teacher.

(Silvers seems to have a difficulty with this, he usually falls asleep before he can communicate.)

Understanding when to advocate for himself in classroom settings.

(Silvers definitely struggles with this in the story… so he will need to work on this in speech therapy by working through scenarios with the therapist.)

Nothing too fancy, these were just two I thought of at the top of my head.

Hope this was good, @ladylolalilly ! It really took a lot for me to dig into all of this and go through my notes~

- Windblume

[mouchee23gamma]

USA students with disabilities and disorders: LISTEN UP!

In the USA, a huge issue has gone unnoticed by our government, despite the cries of my people. Since the creation and implementation of IEPs and 504s for students with disorders and disabilities in school systems, this problem has plagued school systems on a national scale.

‘What is this problem?’ Is what you may ask. Well, I shall tell you from my perspective (and other students) as a female who has autism, ADHD, and GAD.

The problem is that school systems are allowing staff to discriminate and ignore students with IEPs and 504s. When I was in 9th grade, I had an English teacher who wouldn’t follow my IEP, which is illegal to do. Even with my case manager and parents communicating to him that he had to follow my IEP, he wouldn’t listen and lied about his actions. My case manager reported him to the higher ups of the school and her supervisor, but they didn’t even reach out to him, nor did they ever get back to us.

I was warned by many students with IEPs about this English teacher, as they also experienced the same exact situation where he refused to follow their IEPs. He was (and likely still is) the only option for 9th grade English, besides the English class for those who may have things like dyslexia or those who struggle with English in general.

I could’ve taken him to court, unfortunately though, I only found that out after I moved schools.

The next year, in my new school, my new case manager ignored my concerns and refused to talk about making a few changes to my IEP. She brushed me off by saying that I would be fine.

I wasn’t fine.

I ended up switching to online school, where I would be at home, yet still receiving the proper education through online meetings and programs.

Those of us who are students with IEPs and disabilities or disorders, especially under the age of 18, are oppressed and our cries for help are ignored.

We are SUFFERING. IEPs are NOT a privilege, they are a NECESSITY for those of us who have it!

My best friend who also has an IEP keeps me updated on the happenings of the school I went to (the one with the English teacher mentioned in the first paragraph) about how those of us in special education or/and have IEPs are being treated.

I have researched and read of so many incidents and situations like mine.

There is a HORRIFYING amount of mistreatment of my community, my people, with disabilities, disorders, and IEPs among schools across the nation.

How could schools claim to treat everyone fairly and that consequences for discrimination will ensue, when the teachers are the ones who discriminate more than most of the students and get away with it?

We need to change, and we need to revolt against schools who let staff get away with discrimination of those of us with disabilities, disorders, and IEPs!

WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED! WE WILL FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHT TO EDUCATION!

To my dear readers, please share this post across social media platforms to spread the support we so desperately need. Please share this among family and friends, coworkers, and even teachers and school staff.

[ottiliere]

read the first chapter of the grief complex a few days ago and i can't stop thinking about it. i love how much characterization was packed into just the first chapter-- yr usage of colors is also sooo unbelievably gorgeous. i really like cam and lynn both, i'm very interested to see more of them (i have listened to both their playlists several times and i must say.. excellent song choices. pinback!!!) does lynn make any friends at raves? what does he do for work?

Thank you! I keep seeing iterations of the "can't stop thinking about it" kind and it's so exciting that this has resonated with some people so much. The playlists were all dane, though! I only suggested two of the songs that wound up on Cam's playlist (Eels + Guided by Voices). You didn't ask, but those playlists are diegetic. Cam's was a present (he's not really the music type...) and Lynn's was self made.

Lynn considered many professions before going to college. He was talked out of most of them by both his therapist and father. These include:

Nursing: Lynn is too temperamentally sensitive for it; poor outcomes would drastically affect him in a way he'd take with him outside the workplace, and besides that... belligerent patients would hurt his feelings too much! Nursing also requires too much quick-thinking + an ability to adapt to/perform in high-stress situations. Lynn is not smart, nor is he the type of guy you should depend on in case of an emergency; he doubts himself too much. Patients would have loved him, though. He is very sweet.

Programming/SWE: while comparably more knowledgeable in computers than his peers at the time, lynn has always been very poor with language/grammar and would not do well in a job that requires writing, even if it was conceptually understood as "writing with (a lot of) math." he has been in remedial reading classes from when he finally got an IEP in elementary school through college graduation.

Joining the Clergy: lynn is not incredibly religious, but he did briefly consider being a priest. this was more of a passing thought for him. it seemed like it would be nice, helping people like that. his faith has fluctuated and changed throughout his life, largely depending on who he's spending the most time around, but he's always been fond of the social aspect of religion.

Lynn makes tons of friends at raves! He's very social online, especially for his era, and he has a little long-distance friend group that he often links up with at raves. He's also been known to DJ on occasion...he's quite good at it.

By day, though, he is a junior accountant at a local oil company. A little less "cool", possibly morally debatable, but his bills are paid and his apartment is quite nice.

[herpartnerintime]

Max's IEP - Inattentive ADHD and Social anxiety

I wanted to talk about Max's IEP, the possibility of inattentive ADHD and Max's social anxiety. In the files in Principal Wells office we discover Max's student file and discover she has an IEP (Individualized Education Program) given to students who may need extra help and support in school.

We learn here that Max is considered a quiet attentive student. We learn her GPA fluctuates and she has acknowledged she should be doing better. Her teachers back up her quiet intelligence but she gets some complaints about being to nervous or nosey. Some would like her to speak up in class and be more assertive, others want her to be less so. I've been thinking a lot about this and what Max may have struggled with to get her an IEP. I've seen many fans discuss this and had many discussions myself. Some fans may think she has a learning disability that has her needing extra help. Some have thought autism. Some have considered ADHD - the inattentive type. I've been thinking a lot about this myself after beginning to realize I may have the inattentive type of ADHD, though I am not yet officially diagnosed, learning about this has also made me notice some similarities in Max's behavior.

Inattentive ADHD is very common in girls but underdiagnosed. I started noticing Max has signs of it. Her student file describes her as attentive, but people with inattentive adhd can seem attentive even if there mind is elsewhere. Inattentive ADHD is 'a subtype of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that often manifests as limited attention span, distractibility, forgetfulness, or procrastination.' "Sidetracked by external or unimportant stimuli: No matter how much you want to tune into a task, it’s common to get sidetracked by a thought, topic, or event that suddenly demands your internal attention. For instance, you might be attending a show by your favorite comedian and find yourself zoning out for 5 minutes to think about what pandas eat."

"Inattentive adults are dreamers, doodling on their notes during a big meeting or studying a fly on the wall while their spouses are asking about bills. Often nicknamed “space cadets” or written off as flaky, many people misinterpret their lack of focus as lack of interest — and can get frustrated by their inability to pay attention, especially when it’s important that they do so."

We see this happening the very first episode. Though granted, Max is in a bit of shock from her storm dream. But as Jefferson talks Max can get distracted looking at her bag, at her journal, her pencil case, she can look at everything on her desk and lose herself in thought. She even ends up taking a selfie as Jefferson is talking!

"I haven't kept up with my journal as much as I should." "Look at this crap! How can I show this to Mr. Jefferson? I can hear the class laughing at me now." "I can't believe I still have this pencil case. I should upgrade to the 21st century. But I like it old school." "My little camera bag is battered, but still kicking."  "I do love my analog camera. I should take a quick picture now." After selfie she can look at camera as Jefferson is talking: "Sorry, Max. No more selfies right now." In Jefferson's class in episode 1 we can see Max also has a bunch of doodles along with her notes, suggesting she can lose focus.

In Jefferson's class, we see in episode 2 Max has paper out on her desk, which you can choose to doodle on, becoming unfocused on what he is saying.

When Chloe texts Max, Max takes out her phone to look, getting called out by Jefferson to put her phone away.

Given everything going on in Max's life from her storm dream to her super powers it makes sense Max would be extra distracted in class, but Jefferson makes comments that also suggest this is a pattern with Max.

Jefferson says to Max in the Dark Room Stupid bitch! You just don't listen, do you? (threateningly) In fact, you never did hear much in my class; if you had, you might have seen all this coming.

When Max returns to the dark room in episode 5 after having escaped and she doesn't hear Jefferson, he says

Jefferson: Jesus. It's like you're back in my class. You're still...spacing...out. It might be cool if you took one of your patented selfies now... This suggests Max's struggle to focus in class wasn't just because of everything happening with her powers and Chloe.

When Jefferson asks her his question in class her responses are Max: I did know! ...But I kinda forgot.

Max: You're asking me? Let me think... Um... This fits how those with inattentive ADHD can be very forgetful. Homework is kicking my ass. I bet the teachers grade harder just to stop you from feeling special. I have an assload of homework already. So much bullshit. At least give us noobs a day to acclimate. Like a dork I couldn't figure out what to wear, so I chose what was on the floor. I'm no good with names and faces right away, but I picked up some names like KateBrookeTaylorAlyssa... Max seems pretty overwhelmed by her school life too. She can also be disorganized, writing about choosing an outfit off the floor, likely because she got distracted and didn't put her clothes away. She has trouble remembering the names of her classmates. I relate to all of this!

Even Max's classmates have noticed... Juliet: Uh, why do you care? Why are you even asking me? You never talk, just zone out with your camera.

Max: That's why I'm talking to you now.

Juliet: What's my last name?

Max: Juliet...Juliet...Olson. (you have 4 options)

Juliet: That was truly sad. Thanks for your concern, "Max Caulfield". By the way, Juliet Watson.

We see that Max is known to be spacey, forgetful, distracted easily in class and often finds her mind drifting to other things, or getting distracted by her journal or other items around her. Max even displayed doodling behavior in childhood too. When she and Chloe were kids, this was left on Chloe's homework Great job as always Chloe. Now PLEASE try to pay attention in class instead of drawing pictures with Maxine. Max's thoughts: Chloe and I were doing a lot of drawing in Ms. Shelley's class.

We know from Max doodling in class she does this even without Chloe around as a distraction. When Max looks at Chloe's report card, Max thinks, "As usual, Chloe's grades are better than mine. I still kick her butt in PE, though." I wonder if perhaps for Max, who was the inattentive adhd type and could get restless, if PE was good for her focus since it involved getting up and moving around. Max having inattentive ADHD might explain why she struggled in school and wasn't able to go to a school like Blackwell Academy like Chloe for grade nine but was able to for grade twelve by getting the extra help needed in Seattle to be able to make the grades for Blackwell.

Max even procrastinates for her favourite subject!

The winner gets a trip to San Francisco and lots of publicity. He wants just one photograph from each student. This is exactly why I wanted to come to Blackwell and of course I'm scared shitless to enter. At least I have a couple weeks before the deadline in October. So I have plenty of time to stress and procrastinate. Sigh.

Max having inattentive ADHD along with social anxiety could even help understand further why she was ignoring Chloe. Max was in shock over William's death and she didn't know how to be there for her friend, with the inattentive ADHD also playing a role perhaps in Max forgetting to say, respond to Chloe's texts in Before the Storm or just remembering to text which created this cycle of guilt where she kept putting it off and forgetting as she let herself get distracted by other things and then would remember and be eaten alive by guilt and put it off. I know myself I can forget about texts sent to me so easily as my mind finds other things to focus on. It's especially easy to forget the world when you hyper focus on other things, and people with inattentive adhd can have intense hyper focus on things that interest them. "Hyperfocus, a common — but confusing — ADHD symptom, is the ability hyper fixate on an interesting project or activity for hours at a time. It is the opposite of distractibility, and it is common among both children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." "But whatever holds the attention, the result is the same: Unless something or someone interrupts, hours drift by as important tasks, and relationships fall by the wayside." It is also interesting that Max's phone has no texts from her Seattle friends, and she only writes about them once, as her mind becomes consumed by Blackwell life. Once she reconnects with Chloe, she no longer struggles with communication and is even very fast answering her texts. She can take time to answer others though! Max seems to display a lot of behaviors of inattentive adhd but ultimately with the game only taking place October 7-11 and Farewell in a day it is hard to really know for sure. But she does display all of the signs in different ways throughout the game and other characters remarks suggest it is a pattern for her. Social Anxiety? Hannah Telle, who I highly enjoy hearing her thoughts on Max on, has shared some thought on Max's social anxiety and IEP.

Hannah Telle: I think that Max was in shock over William's death and the fact that she was leaving her life in Arcadia Bay to start all over at such a difficult age. I also think she was afraid to reach out because she wouldn't know the right thing to say and thought Chloe would be mad at her for leaving and not want to talk to her. I think both girls eventually assumed the other didn't want to talk to them and then they fell apart. Also, I'm sure Max was overwhelmed with being all alone in a big city when she suffers from social anxiety. Maybe she just withdrew even further and wasn't really talking to anyone. I can definitely relate to that.

Hannah Telle talking about Max: Her timidness, her introvertedness, her desire to NOT be so introverted and not be so timid but she doesn't even really know at the beginning of the game that she needs or wants that, she can't even imagine what life would be like on the other side of her own withdrawn boundaries and just sometimes I feel like Max might feel like she's got a glass wall between her and everyone else around her and like when she's with Chloe maybe she doesn't feel that wall, that glass wall so strongly and I really relate to that it's like some kind of psychological thing that I experience feeling like I'm separated from the other person I'm talking with unless it's like a very certain person

On Max's IEP

Hannah Telle: I was never made aware of any inside information about Max's Individualized Education Program but I do have some thoughts. I do think that Max is highly intelligent and overly self-aware. I find her extremely introverted nature at the start of the game to be a bit concerning. I think maybe Max struggles with some kind of issue where she is incapable of believing in herself or using her voice. I definitely can relate to that. I think her sudden onset of power interferes with this problem and ultimately solves it for her without the need for therapy or medication because it forces her to come out of her shell and speak up. When Chloe asks Max what she likes to do now that she's all grown Max, Max can say "Not much. You know me. I like to observe the world more than participate." After rewinding, Max can share this.

Max: I take photos. Of me, the world, everything. It may sound sad, but I have a blast. Chloe: It doesn't sound that sad. Max: I'm happiest when I've got a great image in my lens. I'm not lonely, not afraid... When Max is not taking photos she feels lonely and afraid. She has been without her best friend for five years and seems to have only made two friends (Fernando and Kristen and going from texts she hasn't kept in touch) Max even can say to Chloe of Seattle, "It was cool, but...I felt kinda lonely, out of my league." Max struggled in Seattle.

Max also tries to explain to Chloe why she didn't keep in touch.

Max: I wanted to. I was just so tripped out over leaving Arcadia... Chloe: Oh, please. I'm sure your phone and laptop were frozen in time. Max: You're merciless.

Max: Give me a break. I was going through changes...like you. Chloe: I guess those changes included dumping me from your life. Max: That's not true, Chloe. Chloe: Bullshit. You thought you'd hook up with all these art pricks in Seattle. Didn't happen, though. Max: You're merciless.

Max: I'm sorry. I know things were tough on you when I left. Chloe: How do you know? You weren't even here. Max: I didn't order my parents to move specifically to fuck you over, Chloe. Chloe: You've been at Blackwell for almost a month without letting me know. 'Nuff said.

Max: I just wanted to settle in first and not be such a shy cliché geek. I totally would have contacted you...

I think Max isn't good at handling confrontation. She doesn't know how to explain to Chloe why she wasn't there, not sure how to put to words why she couldn't reach out. She also struggles with the social anxiety of Chloe seeing she hasn't changed much (Shy cliche geek) and is also using that embarrassed feeling to avoid her. She also doesn't know how to explain why she didn't reach out after a month. Max's social anxiety and fears about Chloe being mad at her were making her put it off. She thinks this looking at a photo of them. "...Max and Chloe: Best Friends Forever. Who even says that anymore? I'm going to have to call Chloe eventually and find out what she'll say. The longer I wait, the worse it'll be. Idiot." Her inattentive ADHD likely didn't help, finding it all to easy to lose herself in distractions.

Max apologizes to Chloe, but she never gives her an explanation in the game because Max didn't know how to explain herself. Then there’s Chloe Price. What do you say to your best friend after five years of silence? After finding out you saved her life in a bathroom? NOTHING. I feel so lame for not staying in touch… or even text. I have no idea how to process seeing Chloe like this again. For one thing, she looks so similar but so different… She’s all grown up now, but it doesn’t seem like she’s only one year older than me. Max also admits I feel bad because I wonder if I was happy to move away just to avoid the grief…

In Farewell, Max even worries about how often she should write. "It might be actually really fun to write Chloe letters after I move. Is writing once a week to often? Will I run out of things to say?" She sounds very worried at that last part. Hearing Max think that might feel strange, with how close Chloe and her are and how easy it is for them to talk now, but Max's social anxiety was making her over think and worry about how much she should write or fear she wouldn't know what to say. Many with social anxiety struggle with communication long distance when they can't see the person. Max also shares this fear to Chloe. Max: I'm so worried that I won't be okay without you.

Chloe: Hey, stop that. Of course you'll be okay.

Chloe: We're Max and Chloe, remember? We're always together, even when we're not.

Max: That's true.

Chloe: Cool. Let's find something fun to do.

Given she ends up lonely in Seattle and also tells Chloe something that suggests when she's not taking photos she is lonely and afraid, I don't think she was okay without Chloe, just like she feared. She was missing her best friend but unable to fight her social anxiety to reach back out, even after she returned. She didn't make many friends because of her social anxiety, and her inattentive adhd kept her to distracted to face anything. Max also shows her social anxiety in how long she waits to tell Chloe about moving. By the time she finally works up the courage to tell her after being a ball of anxiety, she's moving in 3 days. Max: Chloe?

Chloe: Max?

Max: I want to tell you...something.

Chloe sits on the couch next to her.

Chloe: Okay.

Max: I'm, um... My family's moving to Seattle really soon. Hey.

Chloe: In three days, right?

Max: What? You knew that?

Chloe: Our parents do talk, you know?

Max: But, they said I should be the one to tell you—

Chloe: They still told my parents. I guess Mom and Dad were trying to keep quiet, too, but they're bad at hiding anything. Don't look so worried Max, it's okay. (lightly shoves Max's shoulder) Come on, dorkmeister. It's not the end of the world.

Max: I should've just told you earlier. God, I feel so stupid. (She covers her face with her hands in anxiety)

Chloe: Max, I said it was okay.

Max: I was trying to tell you this morning, but—

Chloe: But I totally distracted you with the pirate tape! Success!

Max: Seriously?

Chloe: I didn't want this hanging over us all day.

Chloe: Plus I know you hate this kind of conversation, so...I just left it alone, you know?

Chloe takes Max's hand and pulls her off the couch and holds her hand.

Chloe: Come on, I want to spend every minute we have together having fun.

Max hasn't just been having these thoughts only this day, she's been anxious about telling Chloe for along time.

Max: (thinking) I've spent so much of my life here, every little corner is familiar. Comforting.

Max starts bouncing the ball against the drawing board.

Max: (thinking) These games we're playing...buried pirate treasure from our past selves.

Max: (thinking) Is this why I keep pushing off telling Chloe I'm leaving? Because I don't want to ruin this time together?

Max: (thinking) Is this all selfish of me? Why is this making me feel more guilty about leaving? (doesn't try to tell chloe) Max: (thinking) I guess now's my chance to tell Chloe I'm leaving. We might not be alone again once her parents get back.

Chloe: Hey, ready for something else? I've got a great plan for the rest of the afternoon.

Max: (thinking) Crap. I don't want to ruin the rest of the day.

Chloe: You're staying for dinner, right?

Max: (thinking) Would Chloe even want me to tell her?

"It's so hard to believe. This room, this house, this town... all in the past now. Or soon to be. Who even am I without Chloe? She's the one who's always starting things, pulling us into adventures. I can't imagine life without her. Maybe I haven't told her I'm leaving yet because I still can't believe it's real myself." "Chloe Price. My best friend. It's so weird being back in this attic after so long. I remember being terrified of this place. I think when you're a kid, you're only afraid of things that can hurt you. But when you get older, you become more afraid of hurting the people you care about. And spiders. Man, I'm gonna miss her."

[kndrules]

Sector V autism headcanons: their experiences with diagnosis and school

Nigel also does not mask and had very obvious autism as a kid, but because of how he acted out in targeted ways, he was labeled a troublemaker instead and diagnosed with ODD. He got less support in school because of this, but he did have some resource classroom time. His parents were the core of his support and advocated for him. Nigel saw a lot of specialists as a kid and that's where his distrust of doctors comes from, as most of them wouldn't take him seriously. His autism does eventually get diagnosed in middle school, but if he had more of a say he probably wouldn't have sought a diagnosis

I know I've said a lot of this before but Allow Me To Infodump

Kuki and Wally are a category of their own because they are the highest support needs of the group (medium support needs). They were both diagnosed really young, and started having serious behavioral problems early too. Wally in particular is demand avoidant, but both struggled with meltdowns. In school, they spent part of their day in a separate setting/ resource classrooms. Their academics lagged well behind their peers. As they grew up, Kuki started to mask more and more but Wally is never able to. Kukis academics improved sooner than Wally's did- Wally was barely able to graduate high school on time. He didn't find strategies that worked for him until halfway through his undergrad years. Both of them are AuDHD

Hoagie and Abby are also similar to each other in that they're both double gifted and didn't have IEPs in school. They both appeared to have it together, so they didn't get any support when they actually needed it. They didn't know how to ask for help. Abby in particular put a lot of pressure on herself to appear perfect.

Abby is a high-masking autistic person who needs a lot of rest and space away from people to recover. She absolutely is never officially diagnosed, but she's self diagnosed. She suffers from burnout frequently, but is good at hiding it.

Hoagie actually has huge deficits in certain academic areas that they don't have a special interest in, but because they excell in other places, teachers assume it's because hoagie is just being unfocused and lazy. They have learned that they can do better in subjects like English and History if they study/write about topics they ARE interested in. But they still struggle tremendously if they have to, for example, read a book for English class that isn't interesting to them.

Hoagie gets diagnosed as an adult. Its like super obvious that they're autistic for their entire life, but their parents are definitely also undiagnosed autistic, so they saw how their kids behaved and thought "yep, seems normal!"

In general, I imagine when they went to school was in the 2000s, which is when I was also in school- special education programs were better than they used to be, but not as good as they can be now. And now, it still hugely varies from school to school. I don't think resources were very good for kids at Gallagher Elementary, since we see the teachers be terrible to their students and belittle kids who struggle academically or behaviorally.

[beardedmrbean]

Despite having put five of her kids in Chicago Public Schools, Blaire Flowers said once her eldest daughter graduates high school, she may have to make the difficult decision of moving her children to a school district in the suburbs.

“It’s not worth the fight,” Flowers said. “My son is missing out on too much. You want me to sit here and wait while (teachers) scream and holler about wanting more money, and I’m still not getting the basic services my son should be getting from CPS.”

Following months of turmoil that has consumed the district, some parents say they have had enough of the constant battling between the three groups leading the public school system. With district CEO Pedro Martinez’s firing in December, upheaval on the school board, and a four-year Chicago Teachers Union contract in its ninth month of negotiations, some parents say their students have become an afterthought.

The district has ignored various services her children needed, Flowers said, leading her to believe that contract talks have blinded the district and CTU. She believes it’s difficult for parents to have a voice.

Growing up in the Austin neighborhood, Flowers said the Chicago Teachers Union was trying to protect students and educators. Now, sending her children to CPS, she feels the district and CTU disrespect parents, and the union, whose contract expired in June, is attempting to make parents “obsolete.”

“It seems like CPS and the teachers union is like parents are down here … under our shoes, and everyone else is up here,” Flowers said, making it difficult for parents to have a voice in their children’s education. Her children have been asking for various services that have been sidelined because the district wants to solve the CTU problem first. Meanwhile, the union, she said, is “whining” only about what they want.

Her son, who has an individualized education program, or IEP, was set to begin receiving speech therapy through the district at the beginning of this year. However, she was told they were unable to find a vendor to start the service and no update has been provided.

With Mayor Brandon Johnson, CTU and Martinez fighting, “We don’t know what’s going on,” Flowers said. “Services are being canceled left and right for our children, and we are the ones that are being left to … keep moving forward while everyone else is just breaking down in front of our eyes. It just doesn’t seem like any of them care about the families that all of this fighting is affecting them.”

While these concerns mount, Flowers and some other parents said they are left wondering how long their children’s needs will fall by the wayside while the district and union continue their battles.

In a statement to the Tribune, the CTU said its members, many of whom are also CPS parents, are eager to settle this contract.

“We know that parents want fully staffed schools, the ability to teach the truth, protections for our vulnerable students, and a robust and rich school day,” a CTU spokesperson said Jan. 21, “We continue to bargain, while the CEO has been busy in court, they added, referring to Martinez’s lawsuit seeking to prevent the school board from stripping him of his duties.

CPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CTU and CPS have held regular press conferences with updates on the bargaining process, typically during business hours (and often within minutes of each other), available via live stream or televised live on local channels. CTU said it would hold a public update on their proposals on Jan. 22.

It goes to figure that emotions are running high among school district stakeholders — parents, teachers and administrators — nine months into negotiations, according to Eunice Han, Ph.D., an associate professor of economics at the University of Utah who has written extensively about the impact of teachers’ unions. “It’s so critical to have the support of parents and neighbors,” she said. “If the negotiation process is too long, it just becomes personal to everybody,” Han said, adding that the longer the process, the more pressure and mental stress for those involved.

‘We are being used’

Other parents shared a similar sentiment to Flowers’: Without a contract deal in sight and no clear idea of all of the sticking points, it appears the district, as well as the union, are attempting to push parents out of conversations they said they’ve been excluded from.

Norma Lopez, a CPS parent and longtime Local School Council member, said she disagrees with the union attempting to create teacher committees that she believes would essentially take over Local School Councils. She believes if the union is successful in creating this group, it will destroy local councils and remove parent input entirely.

The union has proposed a committee of teachers having a role in approving school budgets, weighing in on the school’s improvement plans as well and evaluating principals, all things that LSCs do.

“Parents who work on (LSCs) voluntarily and are committed to our students’ education, they’re taking our opinion and our work and our input out of the schools,” Lopez said. “This is the way I’ve been able to support my kids’ education, to support my family, and to know how to navigate the system … to help my kids. I think this negotiation will negatively impact my family and families like mine.”

After the 2019 teachers strike, the second strike she witnessed, Lopez said she was no longer able to support the union. While she was happy that they were able to win what they had fought for, she said she didn’t appreciate her children being used essentially as pawns to achieve it.

“I realized that while they are presenting to the public (certain) information, the negotiation between closed doors has information nobody’s sharing,” Lopez said. “We are being used for political purposes and I don’t agree with that.”

Since then, Lopez said she has been unable to trust the union. With what’s occurred in recent months, she said the current turmoil seems to be more for power over CPS rather than bettering education for students and meeting their needs.

Other parents raised concerns about the union’s listed contract proposals. Maria Owens, a Chicago native and grandparent to several CPS students, opposes CTU’s proposals to increase teachers’ preparation time, as well as ending the current method for evaluating teachers. She believes neither proposal translates to something more beneficial for students.

“Students are already not all getting the appropriate amount of rigor and attention to detail that needs to be done for them to be successful,” Owens said. “To not hold us responsible for their performance to me is a very big mistake. Our success needs to be tied to their success, no doubt about it.”

Having attended Julian High School several years ago, Owens said the current district is a “different world” from when she attended. As a student, she got the feeling that teachers cared about their jobs and that your performance as a student mattered.

Today, Owens’ perception has changed, and she’s frustrated.

“They don’t have the same vigor for the job,” Owens said. “It’s an us vs. them mentality with so many of them. It seems as though CTU is more concerned about their benefits than students’ outcomes. ,They’re always an afterthought.”

“If the students’ best interest so happens to align with the teacher’s best interest, it’s great,” Owens said. “But so many of the things that they’re proposing are opposite of what’s best for the kids, and that concerns me.”

With salary increases on the table, Owens said that teachers have to deserve it to receive a raise.

“If we’re going to give teachers a raise, which I firmly believe they deserve … there ought to be a connection to how well they perform to the raise you get,” Owens said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with rewarding really, really good teachers and holding those who are not meeting standards to account. I don’t think that the union is concerned with that type of system.”

While she understands what the teachers are fighting for, Katrina Adams, a mother of three, said if the union’s salary demands are met of a 5% raise annually for the first two years of the contract and 4% to 5% in the following years, she expects the students to reap the benefits. With higher compensation, academic test scores and student performance should improve as well, she said. “If you give (them) these raises … we can expect our kids to thrive … and expect more than 30% (of students) to be at grade level.”

Meanwhile, the University of Utah’s Han said data shows that there’s a strong correlation between teachers’ pay, teachers’ morale, and student performance. Teachers’ raises should be at the minimum in line with inflation and the rising cost of living, making a 4% annual raise “the minimum you should aim for,” she said. “It’s very reasonable to pay teachers more if the goal is to keep those teachers in the long term,” Han said. “We have a teacher shortage now and we’re going to have teacher shortages in the future.”

Yet, in recent months, Adams said she feels politics has taken over the district.

“I feel like politics is taking over our children having the best education (and) things just flowing smoothly in the school,” said Adams, adding that the students are the only ones suffering.

“Everything is about Pedro being fired … about the CTU contract, but I don’t hear anybody talking about how 30% of the students are reading at grade level,” Adams said. “I don’t hear any talks about plans on bringing them up academically, plans on preparing them to thrive for the future. That has just been put on a back burner … and that’s not fair.”

[klck4pres]

Oh, so what do you think should happen to students who are in a similar situation as Ragh? Y'know, a kid raised by a single mom who has become disabled because of a quest Aguefort sent her on, so Aguefort has been helping their family out for a while because if she actually dies it'll cause a major disaster? Because surely there are other students going through hardships like that. You think students with disabled parents should have a harder time at school because people whose parents have never been harmed by magic or adventuring, like yours, should be given advantage?

No.

This is a blatant misrepresentation of my ideas.

I understand disabled students need help. I understand there are many different kinds of students that need help.

The redistribution of adventures is a specific kind of help for another group that needs it, first-generation adventurers.

This redistribution would be on a case-by-case basis as there will always be extenuating circumstances where having biases from familial relations is no where near as important as having that family solve the adventure despite said biases.

Similarly, Aguefort specifically has programs and options for students that need specific help. We have things like IEP’s.

Redistributing adventures doesn’t mean people like Ragh with familial relations will have a harder time at school, it just means they’ll have a different time. He’ll go on different adventures than he might have.

I hope my points are now more clear.

[theworldoffostering]

The director of special education did not show up to our IEP this week. It made the meeting a whole lot less contentious. It didn’t hurt that they assigned a much more experienced teacher to DS and our advocate showed up and kept everyone in line. Should it take that much work/effort/stress? Absolutely not! I will never understand how anyone is getting services if we cannot with all of the privileges we have personally been afforded.

DH and I talked to Ms. 6 this week. It could be worse, but it’s not great. She bought herself a car or someone else did, but it seems no one cares if she has insurance (legally required). I told her to call and get some quotes. She has not.

She has a boyfriend she met online that no one has vetted. He’s older (no idea how much older) as he has his own place. He lives three hours away in a neighboring state, but Ms. 6 couldn’t remember which city he lives in. She goes to see him on the weekends despite the fact that no one has met him or vetted him. It’s killing me! She was very vague on the details regarding what he does for a living.

Her car seems some basic repairs. Her grandpa has been a semi truck driver for decades. Hasn’t helped her with the repairs. Boyfriend is maybe some kind of mechanic but is unable to help with repairs. Mom is driving Ms. 6’s uninsured car and teaching Ms. 6 how to do donuts in it.

Ms. 6 said she applied to a PA program. When I pointed out that the PA program she applied for is a masters program (aren’t they all?) that cost $109k for the 28 month program, she seemed shocked and unimpressed. I did do a conference call with her and the high school this week to try to sort out her graduation.

Ms. 6 had knee surgery last week. I offered to be available and make the three hour drive to take her. She said her mom was taking her. The night before surgery her mom said she had to work and couldn’t take her. Grandma said she couldn’t take her because she had already take a sick day that week. Mom’s BF drove her, but apparently doesn’t like hospitals so he didn’t sit in the room and wait for Ms. 6 to be taken back to surgery. Surgery was pushed back several hours. Now mom doesn’t want to take her to the post-op appointment because the dogs have a vet appointment.

Post surgery, Ms. 6 was prescribed narcotics. Mom is an addict. Is she currently using? I have no idea but she used for at least a decade and has a conviction for cooking meth with the intent to sell. Kids were removed for many reasons including heroin use. Ms. 6 said the “oxy” isn’t managing her pain so she asked the nurse for something else AND an oxy refill. The pharmacist wouldn’t give both to mom. Mom told Ms. 6 it’s because they don’t have the same last name. I pointed out that I also don’t share the same last name as anyone in our family, and we were also recently denied a narcotic at the pharmacy. It is clear that no one that she has contact with lives in their thinking brains—they are all convinced that they are victims of one system or another.

Ms. 6 also quit her job. She said it was because they were making her do too much work.

Ms. 6 really wants contact with the other kids, particularly NB at this point. We have withheld that so far but can’t really articulate why. I think because it doesn’t feel healthy or good, and things don’t necessarily feel stable with her between DH and myself and her. I’ve talked to her a handful of times in the past month which are the first times I’ve spoken to her since she left in August. Anyone have experience in this area? Is it wrong for us to feel it out as parents before we open that relationship back up to siblings? It’s not my intention to use them as pawns, but it probably feels that way to Ms. 6. The kids here have not asked to see her, and DS and DD are actively continuing to say that they don’t want to have contact.

I’m trying to be something for her but that all feels very temporary and complicated right now. I sent her a small care package today via mail and am going to offer up some services for her like connecting her with colleges, but am trying to hold tight to a lot of boundaries at this point.

[foster-the-world]

Just as crazy

A tweet motivated me to google Project 2025 page X.... and lots of crazy shit came up. The funny thing is Project 2025 would reply and be like that's not true here's what page X says. And that shit would be just as crazy.

Trying to teach the girls about the electoral college. It is confusing.

The girls school has two classes per grade. One ICT - with two teachers because there are a few kids who have IEP's. The girls have always been in the Spanish class with one teacher. They didn't learn that much Spanish but they've had the same core group of (great) kids so I've never been motivated to change them. I guess they could not find a Spanish teacher for 3rd grade so they aren't offering the program. For unknown reasons they moved most of Bee's class to the ICT group. The other kids went to the one teacher class. A Mom from that class stopped me at drop off to discuss. She's upset and worried her daughter may fall behind without two teachers. She doesn't have an IEP but is used to two teachers. Both classes only have 16 kids so its not overcrowded. They told her she could change her daughter to our class. But then she's giving up the friends in that class she's had since PreK. Not really sure how to help her. Two teachers is not a guarantee. Bee's always only had one and is always ahead of grade level. With the exception of Spanish which she just never really picked up. Not sure why. I guess the Mom had stopped a few of the parents in our class to discuss. I think she was hoping we would also be upset and be willing to change the teachers. Not sure how that would even work and also no. Why would we want to do that? I only expect one teacher but am happy she has two this year. If she's back to one next year - that's fine.

She said her next step was to look at our class list and then decide if she should move. It's kind of odd to me to judge a list of 7/8yos. For all I know a kid I think my kid won't like could turn out to be their best friend. I was hoping my kid would have at least one of her good friends in her class but otherwise whatever. Even if not she's knows most of the kids in the other class. She'd be fine.

Bee did already get moved from her seat for talking. Not surprised.