mainstreaming and potty training....

[Ericsmomma]

Sorry, but I have another school related question...

I was calling different schools to check on possible options for Eric's placement for kindy. Our local public school district has a program that allows Eric to be mainstreamed into classes he can handle, and then spend the rest of his time in a classroom with a special needs teacher. They have a part-time aid, but she is spread very thin. When I commented that due to his bowel surgery a few years ago, potty training has been
very slow and that he was still in pullups. She said this is unexceptable, and that for him to be "mainstreamed"
he need to attend to his own bathroom needs. There was nobody there to "change diapers". I never really thought this would present a problem. I'm sure there are children who are mainstreamed and
have disabilities that may prevent them from using the bathroom. She seemed to suggest I keep him at the special needs school. Has anyone ever had any experience with this? I'm very frustrated and sad right now...running into roadblocks every way I turn.

[Debi]

Write his own aide into the IEP Dolly. That's what I would do.. frankly from your description they don't have enough staff as it is so this would be a good thing for everybody I would think.
You can use medical rationale /safety issues/ instructional needs (or all three !!! lol).
Eric's lack of toilet trainning (as I don't have to tell YOU lol) goes back to medical issues and you are right ; kids w/ medical needs are mainstreamed all the time. If a student was in a wheelchair and needed toileting and or mobility assistance that would not prevent that student from being mainstreamed.
Good luck.. legally you are in the right.. hope the school sees it that way too.

[kwisteena1021]

That is bologna that kids in diapers don't get mainstreamed! I had a friend who's daughter was going into 1st grade fully included that was still in diapers. She had an aide. Sounds like the school just doesn't want to deal with it. Push for the aide.

[Chris]

Debi is right, all he needs is an aide or parapro. I worked at a school where a child with spina bifida was fully included and she had an aide just for toileting.

Chris

[Monique]

Already went through that too. Jameson is 5 and still in diapers and they tried to tell me if he wasnt potty trained he couldnt go to the public school. I cited the same example as above , about a child in a wheelchair, that physical disabilities have nothing to do with his academic situation. So, they got him a one to one aide just for that purpose (god forbid a teacher should have to change a diaper and he was in a special inclusion class with a special ed teacher). So for the first time in Jameson's short 3 year school career he got an aide just to change his diapers (of course they said it was for his safety too but i know it was just for diaper change).

So absolutely do not let them tell you that he cant go til he is potty trained. If that were true, Jameson will probably be in Nursery school for the next 4 years!!

monique

[Emilysmom]

FIGHT this Dolly!!! Emily spent all day in a regular kindergarten class (after her year in a private kindy class) at age SEVEN and wasn't totally potty trained!!! She didn't have bowel accidents, but had to have her pull up changed about once a day. It was never a problem at all! In fact, I was the one to get a bit frustrated with the whole situation because the school seemed to LIKE the fact that she wore pull ups and they were less motivated to take her to the restroom as often as she needed for effective potty training. She did have an aide, who usually took care of her restroom needs. I believe it was by the middle of the kindy year that she was totally trained. NEITHER of the kindy classes Emily was in had a problem with potty training issues.

If you want Eric to be included in a "regular" kindergarten class, this issue can be taken care of somehow.......most easily if he has an aide. The bowel surgery has slowed him down, but he will be potty trained, and the time to begin inclusion is NOW. Tell them you want to start him out with an aide, and they can pull her out when she is no longer needed. Because they only have a 'part time' aide now doesn't mean that's all they'll ever have. They need to write one into Eric's IEP and then FIND a full time one.

Susan

[CC]

DOLLY, GRRRRR to whoever told you that Chris was not fully trained till he was 6 almost 7 years old and we had it put right in his IEP that help with toilet training was necessary and honestly without their help, as he was in school most of the day it would have been tuff for him to train. Chris did have a one on one for other reasons BUT the teach and the aide both worked with us exactly as we were doing at home and it was very successful ;D Chris was not fully included but was very much mainstreamed into many areas and not being fully toilet trained was never an issue. I do believe they are just WRONG on that and this would be one area I would push. Its sad that these people come out and say what ever they want when it just isn't so

Sorry you have to deal with such silly people and this person for sure gets the SHAME ON THEM award

CC ~

[ALLISA]

As you can guess I am here to repeat and echo what eveyone else has said.....no way can potty training issues keep your child from mainstreaming.....

But I also wanted to suggest a friendly meeting with the Speical Ed Director. You never mentioned who the person was that said this was unacceptable....was she jsut a secratary who may not have fully understood ? Or a teacher who really has no say ?

Go directly to the top to find out options and always always ask, suggest and discuss. I have found that when you come in with "guns blazing" then a fight will usually ensue, when you ask, pause, wait and work TOGETHER it goes much smoother.

Now....there are certainly times when you need to fight and fight hard....but NEVER at the beginning !!

Good luck

[TriciaF]

Thanks for the question. Patrick (turns 6 in April) is in an all day inclusion 4 year old class this year and is the only one not potty trained. However, I know I am going to face this issue for next year and this thread helps lots.

[Gina]

We had a long struggle with potty training for Ashton. She is 10 and has been potty trained for a little under 1 year. She went to school for about 4 years in pull ups. If I am not mistaken, the public schools get additional funding when they have children with special needs. The school should be able to provide an aide to assist your child. Maybe not a full time aide, but at least part time. I agree with what others have said, you need to voice what you want. I know they can't stop your child from going to school because they are not potty trained. This makes me really sad just thinking about this. Good luck.

[Alice]

When I hear that "we do not change diapers" it means "we do not want your child" for me.
So sorry....

[momofrussell]

Alice. you are CORRECT!!!

Norma Rae chimming in here LOL... I don't have much else to say..it's been said... this that she said to you is ILLEGAL as heck.. tell her to put THAT in writing!!! There is NO such "law" or whatever that says kids w/spec needs HAVE to be potty trained for inclusion or mainstreaming!!!!

They'd be crazy to fight you... that is what aides are for.. aides are for all sorts of things.. Russell had one years ago for "health" reasons.. which, this too could fall under.

Go get 'em girl!

Norma A.

[Alice]

I just got an email from the preschool teacher, that we will have a meeting at the school because my son is starting his kindergarten this fall. During the meeting they want to discuss all Luke's needs and so on to make his success at school.

I had sent and an email with the question about diapers...
Here is the answear: "Don’t worry- they will change his diapers at elementary school. They will also help him work on his toilet training skills." Our school district is very good to the special needs children. Thanks, God!