Tag Archives: Special Education

Playing Chicken
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Posted on August 25, 2016 by

The school district and I are playing a high stakes (at least for my daughter) game of chicken. They want me to sign an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)—read annual contract—committing my daughter Katie to the generic, for-profit, non-public school (NPS) … Continue reading →

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Running Out of Time and Options
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Posted on August 18, 2016 by

I am now in a place that I’d hoped at all cost to avoid. There is no available space in any of the five non-public schools (NPS) focused on autism spectrum disorder that I visited. Nothing. We have been waiting … Continue reading →

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Summer School Surprise
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Posted on July 28, 2016 by

Summer school. What can I say about summer school? In a word: amazing. I’m serious. After three agonizing months of what can only be described as a horrible in-home “school” experience, summer school has blown my mind. Quite possibly, it … Continue reading →

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Our Introduction to Rapid Prompting Method
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Posted on July 14, 2016 by

Remember when I said I needed to free my autistic daughter’s brain? (If you don’t, you can read that here. Don’t worry, we’ll wait.) Well, I think I’ve found the answer. Her name is Lenae Crandall and the technique is … Continue reading →

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Another Twist on Our Autism Journey
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Posted on July 7, 2016 by

Back in February, when I was scrambling to set up an in-home school program, I was invited to an open house at The Friend Tree Autism Center in San Ramon, CA where I ran into fellow autism mom Annette Musso and … Continue reading →

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Saying Goodbye
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Posted on June 30, 2016 by

Katie and I are on vacation this week, getting some much needed rest and relaxation on the Sonoma Coast. This place has never failed to provide both of us with much needed solace and sanctuary. I am grateful that we … Continue reading →

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Just When I Thought It Couldn’t Get Worse, Part 5
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Posted on June 9, 2016 by

The female investigator from Child Protective Services (CPS) surveyed the broken items around us and asked whether my daughter received behavioral support. “I had a great in-home team who had been with us for years, but I lost them in … Continue reading →

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Just When I Thought It Couldn’t Get Worse, Part 4
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Posted on June 2, 2016 by

I didn’t have long to wait. The investigator from Child Protective Services (CPS) arrived the next morning. She refused to enter until I put the dog outside, then paused at the door while she took in my new decor. The … Continue reading →

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Just When I Thought It Couldn’t Get Worse, Part 3
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Posted on May 26, 2016 by

Without Caroline, there could be no “school.” We’d been given an afternoon off. It was unexpected, but I wasn’t about to complain. Neither was Katie. Free of the usual afternoon chaos, I went to my office and jumped on a … Continue reading →

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Just When I Thought It Couldn’t Get Worse, Part 2
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Posted on May 19, 2016 by

After Katie broke the wooden office supply organizer, she pretty much lost it, throwing pieces of wood and handfuls of office supplies. Caroline handed Katie a garbage bag and instructed her to clean up the mess. I could tell that … Continue reading →

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