As a parent of a child with ADHD, I am at a loss to understand the thought processes of the Education System. My child has more problems than just ADHD, he has Bipolar Disorder, Impulse Control Disorder and Oppositional Defiance Disorder. My son has been suspended from school to the point that expulsion proceedings are looming.

The school has tried very hard to handle my son, they have worked with us to try solutions, but this has all proven ineffective. The teachers spend all their time trying to rein my son in, the other students are missing out on vital teaching time and their parents are unaware of this situation.

I have asked to be allowed to take the pressure off the teachers, the students and the whole school environment by being present at school to oversee his behaviour, a simple solution. The school has come out in opposition to this, saying that it would be burdensome for both my son and the school in general.

Don't they see that the situation as it stands is far more burdensome for the whole school community? Don't they understand that every child in that school deserves equal time and attention from the staff, not just my son? Don't the teachers understand that I want to do this from a position of easing their load, relieving them of the task of constantly monitoring this child?

Doesn't anyone seem to understand that this child with so many problems will be tossed into the too hard basket, that there are other children with ADHD and similar, that are also being treated with the same attitude: not normal is not acceptable.

I'm trying my hardest to make everybody's time at school and my son's life more comfortable by taking responsibility for my son's behaviour. Or is it just that parents have spent so much time handing off their problems that when one parent stands up and wants to help the system has no place for this?

He's my kid, my responsibility - why can't they let me help him?

Congratulation Kathee I think what you are suggesting is very reasonable. You are taking responsibility for your child to the benefit of the entire school community and you should be applauded for doing so.

This subject really needs some solutions and you are trying to provide one for the benefit of all. Why would any school object to help from a parent? Is tuckshop duty the only worthwhile thing parents can do?

How many parents have had their children expelled because their child has one or several of these illnesses? If the illness is a medically diagnosed one then it is exactly that - A medical illness!

So is it right to expel a child because they are ill? Or is this prejudicial conduct towards disabled children and illegal under anti-discrimination laws? How do education departments get away with this?

I would love to see a law firm like Slater & Gordon, who do class actions, commence a class action for parents of these kids who have had their kids expelled for a known and diagnosed medical condition. Surely it must be illegal?

From my perspective I would like to thank all parents who have kids with these disabilities for their commitment, ongoing support and love to their kids. My kids don't have these problems - so on behalf of a caring parent - THANKYOU for doing your best in what I can only imagine are very very trying circumstances.

Hi Kathee, gee you must be having a hard time with your son. I feel for you, but at the end of the day I can kind of understand the schools point, where would it end. I dont know that it is really that practical to have every parent of a child with special needs in the class room. I would imagine that these kids also have to learn discipline from other sources other than their parents and that being in a learning environment with rules etc would be part of their learning.

You must have a hard time at home with him. Do you get home help or perhaps some help with school work at home.

I can understand what you are saying about children with special needs taking up most of the time of the teachers. But you should just use this time to put your trust in the school and time for yourself to refuel before he comes home. By the sounds of it you really are a strong female and you need to keep up that strength for him.

I hope I havent said anything wrong here and if I have I apologise. Good luck and I really do hope things work out for you.

kathee, first you have my sympathy for the place you are in.

I've been doing some research into options lately and can ask some questions and give ideas on what I've discovered - it may help you ask the right questions in your area. The stuff I've found is in Brisbane, other capital cities probably have similar (under different names) but regional areas may not.
- Does your childs school have a behaviour room (RTC - Responsible Thinking Classroom or BAR - Behaviour Adjustment room)? Not all schools have them and they can be an immense help. If not is there a nearby school that does have one. If it has one will the school let you help in there with your child rather than in the classroom?
- Is there a behaviour school within a practical distance? In Brisbane there is one at Tennison which services a fairly wide area. Before a child can be sent there the school and GO need to show that they have done everything they can do. Those schools are set up to deal with significant behavioural issues.
- Are you dealing with the Child Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS prounounced KIMS by some in the field)? Thats a Queensland Health service for kids with significant issues and it sounds like yours would fit their criteria. If your not in Queensland does your state health dept have a similar body?
- In Queensland CentaCare (a Catholic counselling service) do some programs with kids facing expulsion. I don't know how good they are. They are a fee paying service (not expensive) who don't seem to push their religion.
- Is your child being seen by a pediatrician?
- Have you had a meeting with the schools Guidance Officer, teacher, principle or deputy and set up a management plan and explored other options?

Part 1 of 2

R0bert

Part 2 of 2

I asked a very good friend about parental involvement in the classroom and her response was that the schools can only allow it in very specific circumstances (reading groups etc). It raises a whole bunch of legal risks for the schools if not very carefully managed and also creates the situation where parents who could cause chaos in the classroom might have to be allowed in if other parents were. Imagine the grief if an overprotective parent was excluded from the classroom for being a pest while other parents were allowed in.

On a general note in response to Opinionated2's comments it is my impression that the schools try very hard to help kids rather than expell them. Expulsion seems to be an acknowledgement that they can't have a reasonable level of confidence in ensuring the safety of the child and or the safety of others. In one sense expulsion is no more discrimination that not allowing a seriously vision impared person to drive on the roads. If it it occurs because of a medical condition it is an unfortunate consequence of the condition, not an attempt to discriminate.

Best of luck getting through this.

R0bert

Robert,

Please don't think I am criticising the schools, teachers or parents. I am outlining a system fault in possibly all education departments and questioning whether it discriminates against disabled children and the families of those children on the basis of illness. If it does - is that discrimination illegal?

This is an illness diagnosed by Drs where often medication is given. The kids are being suspended and expelled for an illness! To compare it with a vision impaired driver is just wrong. It begs the question - How many kids in Qld have been expelled or suspended for the effects of an illness?

The fact is that Schools have a duty of care to educate children, and, education departments and Govt have the duty of care to provide the necessary resources for all kids in those educational institutions to be safe, irrespective of disability. It is not the schools that are at fault it is the financing from the departments.

Here is a lady who is taking the personal responsibilty to assist her school, at no cost to the system or other parents, and yet the system says no. Why? Parents help kids with reading difficulties at schools, they assist teachers on excursions, they work in tuck shops, why can't a mother work within the school and with the school for the best interests of ALL the children.

Sometimes it takes a court case to get bureaucrats to understand that they are obligated under "Duty of Care" rules and that discrimination in any form is probably a breach of those rules.

It seems people bandy around words like mutual obligation, and bad parenting, and yet when someone steps up to take what she sees as her obligation and responsibilty, she is prevented from doing it by the education department. Once again congratulations and all power to you Kathee!

Firstly, thankyou for your support everyone.

The whole plan was never to be in the class or glued to my son's side, but more to be available at the times that he was most vulnerable and likely to get into trouble, ie. recess and lunch. My idea was just to keep him in sight, and me in his, to give him the pause to think of what he wants to do, whether it was a good idea. No more than the school asks of the overworked teaching staff.

I can understand their perspective, and can appreciate. My situation is that I have a child who doesn't fit into the neat little box a majority of students do, so what would work for them doesn't work for him. Suspension is no solution for him. Kids with his problems learn only when radical outcomes affect them - radical problems that require radical solutions.

I just want to help my son learn that he needs to stop, think and make good decisions that will impact him in a positive way. Expulsion from school will only teach him that the system gives up when it gets too hard. I don't want him to think his parents do.

While I respect that the Victorian education system must consider what is in the best interests of the child, is it in the best interests of this child to give up on him and throw him on the rubbish heap?

Once again, I so greatly appreciate the support of all of you and respect all of your points of view.

Opinionated2, mostly agreed. I tend to think that litigation is part of the problem rather than a solution. Sometimes life if hard, things are not perfect and that's just the way it is. Lawsuits just seem to result in yet more rules to minimise exposure to potential lawsuits. Possibly one of the reasons Kathee is being stopped from doing what she wants to do to help is that the school would be placing itself at risk of legal action if they allowed her to do so.

The lawyers get richer and the rest of us don't seem to have better lives as a result. There must be a balance somewhere in that where seriously negligent people are not protected but real people can do the best they can with what they have.

From my understanding Education Queensland has provided some resouces to help and seem to be doing some good work in this area. I guess like everything there are only so many resources and they have to determine how much is aportioned to different needs. Maybe not perfect but I've been impressed with what I've seen so far.

R0bert

Kathee,

I’m not sure I have much to offer here except my support, and to back RObert’s suggestions.

One other thing: diagnostic labels are only useful when they result in helpful strategies. Your son appears to have accumulated at least four of these labels. Don’t be afraid to peel these off him if they’re not helping.

RObert,

Litigation is always part of the problem unless you make it part of the solution. I don't want Education Departments to be sued... I want money spent on the kids, not lawyers ... but I also don't want kids to be discriminated against based on illnesses.

It seems to me its the obligation of us whose children do not have these illnesses, to stand with our fellow parents whose kids do have these problems, and to solve it the best way for all children. If it takes a court case to do it - so be it.

Govts and bureaucrats will bring up all manner of gobbildy goog to twist the solution and sometimes it needs legal documentation through a court to make them see reason. Surely there are lawyers who read these pages ... Is it legal to discriminate against a child in education due to illness?

Kathee is presenting a sensible well thought out solution to a problem. She is taking responsibility and yet she is still unable to get help. Should parents take responsibiliuty or not? Seems to me politicians want to have it both ways... Well I'm a voter and I say they can't.

Fund education properly so that kids with illnesses and disabilities are catered for properly, to benefit the entire school community. Pollies crow about huge surpluses and yet when a kid needs help they can't find the money.

It's in the surpluses... you forgot to spend it on the education of our children

Kathee, you certainly have a big problem, one that's growing in our world. In my work over the years, I've seen what it does to families and those suffering. Medication either suppresses the child or makes matters worse, when the child's system become used to medication. Few take into account the long term effect pharmaceuticals have on the biological system of humans. Giving young children medication, only increase problems later from side effects already documented in medical literature.

By dietary change and elimination of foods containing additives, preservatives and colour dyes, your son may get some relief. Children being more sensitive, have reactions to common additives in their food, dairies are one most people miss as they're in every processed and prepared foods. With increasing air and noise pollution, add a sensitive child and you have a toxic chemical combination.

I know diet doesn't cover every aspect of these problems, but with the right approach you can make dramatic change to your child's life and find out what's actually effecting their bodies making them react as they do.

Our brain works on chemical and electrical balances, when you add non biological chemicals, the make-up of the brain changes. Remove the chemical imbalance, by dietary change and you may have most of the problems solved. The amount of opposition they'll display when their diets are changed, can be quite traumatic for all involved, but the results at the end are always beneficial for all.

Pharmaceutical companies provide not only the drugs used for these problems, but also the additives that cause them. A win win situation for drug companies and a lose lose situation for consumers and children of the world.

I know of a lot of kids who've improved dramatically with this approach, and none who haven't.

Hi Kathee, I think that in Victoria students badly affected by ADHD can be allocated a teachers aide who sits beside them in the classroom.
The teachers aide helps explain the work and encourages them to keep at their work.
The student doesn't have a teachers aide for the whole school week.
I am not sure how funding is made available for the teachers aide's salary.

I have been most impressed with peoples views and their efforts to try and help Kathee. Kathee, have you tried the dietary solutions presented above? I have heard that Omega 3 fatty acids can also assist children with these problems. However, I bet Kathee has tried all the above methods because she is obviously a person who would do almost anything for her disabled child.

I know some parents with kids with just ADHD ... that is if you can ever use the word "just" in front of such a medical condition. They have tried all these things and yet they still are constantly in trouble. Their brains are effected by the chemical inbalances beyond their control, they have a medical condition!

Not so long back people with manic depresion (bi-polar), were institutionalised because we just didn't know that these people had - a chemical inbalance that could be assisted by a treatment regime.

The problems Kathee has are very similar ... and yet in todays modern world of educational understanding these kids lives are ruined by suspending or expelling them from schools. Amazing! They expel the sick kid and take away his future prospects in doing so.

Kathee is proposing a sensible, viable and responsible solution that helps the teachers, the students, the parents of the students, the school and the education system and the system says no!

So in these cases a more robust regime is needed. Who better to enforce a robust regime than a loving mother? Where are the so-called experts on this subject? Wakey, wakey a mother needs your help!

All you parents who have been harshly treated by the Education system as a result of your child's disabilities please state your case in this thread. Kathee needs to hear from all of you ... she is pleading for a fair go for her disabled son from a system that is flawed where her child and children like him are concerned.

alchemist, annecdotal evidence I've heard agrees with your comments. My former neighbours son was having ADHD issues and a change of diet made a big difference to his abaility to manage the behaviours.

ADHD managed can be something that can provide an edge, an abilty to push a bit harder than most. Same with some of the behaviour related conditions. It's not all bad news.

R0bert

RObert, I am a fitness instructor and deal a lot with diet. I too believe that Diet plays a huge roll in the behaviour of children. Additives and colouring etc can have an incredible impact on the way a child behaves. Having said that I think diagnosed ADHD is a different thing here.

Alchemist and Robert,

Thankyou so much for your comments, most of which I wholeheartedly agree with. Yes, my son's diet is very regimented - we have cut out as much sugar as possible, any red, yellow or orange food colourings, any additives such as msg, processed foods like white bread and white flour, any caffeine (cola drinks, chocolate, carob, etc.) and sauces such as tomato and soy. While we cannot eliminate these things totally, he has as little of these as is humanly possible to regulate! And opinionated, we have thought of the fish oils, but right now, until this battle is sorted, I don't know whether I could throw another variable into the mix!

We live in Victoria and have been refused funding for a teacher's aide so far. It is not class time tht seems to be the worst, although we have had our share of dramas there too. Having spent the weekend going over things with an advocate, we have come to the conclusion that there is a definite pattern to the behavioural issues, and that there may be other solutions that we can present to the school.

Thankyou so much everyone for your comments...please keep them coming because they are proving to be a useful way of making the ideas continue to flow!

katheedavis

Kathee...Snout is 100 percent right..labels are useless..
He is your son 1st and foremost and he has a problem..and like any problem can be worked thru..

Labels objectify and dehumanise..im sure you know that and maybe its just as simple as finding a nutritional expert and beginning there..
Medications do more harm than good and exacerbate the problem in many cases..

But I can only think that eduacting yourself in a wholistic manner, being open to alternative medicine(not quackery) and dieatery measures would go an awful long way too the path to recovery..

Wholistically speaking there is homeopathy..safe ,simple and not expensive.It works.
Naturapathy,acupuncture, Reflexology etc theres so much out there..and the safest options for your son..

Respite care?Occasionally so you can recharge your batteries?

Deborah58, I was hoping that I'd hedged my comments enough on that but maybe not. Part of the reason I asked about pediatric involvment initially. The anecdotal stuff I'm hearing suggests that many think some diet related issues may be being diagnosed as ADHD. In my friends case their son had been diagnosed with ADHD and had been on medication (I'm not sure which one). A change of diet changed things enough for him to manage his behaviour.

Having said all that I'm also aware that some of the medications can make a massive difference to a childs ability to get this stuff under control. It will probably remain one of those issues where parents have to find out what they can, listen to the advice of the professionals and make the best decision they can.

Kathee, my experience at my sons current school has been quite different to yours. His new school has bent over backwards to help and seemed overjoyed that I'm wanting to work with them to address some issues. Are there other schools nearby who may be better equiped to work with your child?

Can you afford to contribute towards the cost of a teacher aid (probably not viable over a sustained period but it might be worth asking what it would cost)?

I considered that at a critical period but the school was able to obtain funding. The headmaster indicated that they would be able to accept a contribution if necessary so I'll keep that option in reserve in case it is necessary later. I can't really afford it but the alternatives could be worse.

R0bert

In regard to diet, we all need a large number of minerals and trace elements to keep our bodies working properly. Many Australian soils are notoriously deficient in many essential minerals. If these essential minerals are not in the soil, then they're not in the plants which grow in the soil and they're not in the animals which graze on these plants.

These minerals need to be in a form which the body can assimilate. For instance, if a doctor tells you that you need iron, you know it's no good just going home and sucking on a nail. In many cases, the best form is colloidal.

It's great that you are limiting your son's intake of harmful and suspect food ingredients, but this does not, in itself, address possible deficiencies.

OK now I feel I have to say something which is not meant to be unkind to anyone... but I feel needs to be said.

From my experience people who have ADHD kids have usually tried nearly everything suggested. Whilst we are offering advice, the problems are still getting worse regarding these illnesses. Parents with these kids have dealt with the situation whilst the child was a baby, a toddler, an infant, a Primary School student and now whilst at High School. They probably have tried just about everything! Sure make suggestions but that isn't really the whole solution.

God, parents of ADHD kids would walk "backwards to Uluru naked" if they thought that would work.

What is needed is a whole of Government approach working together with the parents of these affected kids to find solutions that work. These kids are unwell. They are crying out for help!

Education departments and all areas of medical and non-medical expertise needs to get together and find ways to assist thes children & families. The kids are sick or disabled and you have a duty of care to help them.

I congratulate RObert for offering to help finance services for his child, HOWEVER, this to me as a tax payer is unfair and just not reasonable. RObert whilst there are Govt surpluses you should never have to finance assistance for your child within the school system. No doubt you have paid far more than the average parent with healthy children, without having the extra burden of financing a teachers aid. It is wonderful that you offered and I admire you for it - but it just isn't right that you felt you had to offer it.

Congratulations to all parents who have kids with these disabilities... I salute you ... and I appreciate and respect your efforts to work with an underfunded system for the benefits of your adored children.

Pollies get off your backsides and do something... lead, follow or get out of the way... You are paid to serve the public... and people like Kathee need your support! NOW!

Kathee..I fully agree with Rex..

Trace elements are dificient in soils fruit and veg and so onto our meat..

A lack of iron for example can have a terrible effect mentally on a child emotional development,.

Zinc, magnesium and on it goes..I firmly believe that consulting a highly qualified Naturopath and have all your sons blood levels crtitically evaluated would be a huge step to get his brains cognitive functions somewhere near normal.

As with any treatment it could take a few weeks but could at least give you a calmer less anxiuos child in not to long a time at all.

My sister had a goitre in her neck...quite large and she was so ill because of it..thyroid.
Conventional doctors wanted to irradiate it..cut it out etc..
She went to the local homeopath got the correct remedy and her goitre and her health problems dissappeared.

Conventional doctors dont refer to or even acknowledge alternative practitioners and this is because it would not be economically viable for them to do so.
They are however aware of the great treatments that are out there not provided by them, and yet the monetary bottom line wont allow them to do whats in the best interest of their patients..greed.

I have used refexology on myself and had some amazing results for a condition doctors wantd to hospitalize me for so they could get to the bottom of it..intensive care no less at one stage....I went home liftd my foot..did some therapy and cured myself thru massaging reflex points related to different bodily organs.

There is help Kathee..A naturopath specialist will be a great 1st step. Good luck:)

Everyone,

Thank you for your suggestions. We have tried everything short of electroshock therapy in our quest to bring some relief not only to ourselves but also our son.

Thankyou for never saying it is our poor parenting that has gotten us here. It is a fact that our son has ADHD. It is a fact that he has Bipolar Disorder. It is a fact our son has ICD and ODD. He was born with these conditions. We cannot change that, and in some ways if I could, he would not be him.

We have followed all directives to modify his diet, and yes, it does help a little. We have medicated him as directed and believe me, without it I would go totally insane. We have tried reflexology, kinesiology, tough love - anything we thought might help. I wish I could afford private school or pay an aide, but we're not wealthy people and Cal is not an only child (although I think he wishes he was sometimes!)

The point that I am trying to make by doing what I am doing is this -I don't blame the school, I don't blame us, I don't blame Cal. I see that there is a problem, I see what has worked for us here at home, and I want the chance to try the same process at school, to give my son the chance to get an education. He will learn to behave if he's put in the position where consequences are evident and enforced. He needs time to mature in his brain, not his personality.

The Education System fails to see that he is still a CHILD, and children need boundaries and consequences that they understand. All I want is the chance to try, without draining the system of precious resources, without expecting the staff to drive themselves into an early grave, without depriving other students and their parents of their rightful education.

Again, thankyou for your thoughts and suggestions. I am beginning to feel as if I am not alone.

Personally I think we all should be saying THANKYOU to you, Kathee.

Your explanation of giving your son time to pause and reflect before taking an action is a wonderful concept. We all take that skill for granted and yet we do it every day. ADHD kids don't appear to have that learned skill as early as other non-affected kids.

I just can't see any losers in what you are attempting to do. You are taking your responsibility as a loving parent in a very responsible way.

The teachers benefit because their time will be freed up so that they are not continually watching your son.

The other students benefit because the teachers get more time to assist them.

The Education Department benefits because it saves costs and knows that the best person for the job, YOU, has the job. And whats more it is FREE to the system, so the bean counters are happy.

But mostly your son sees that he is important and in time will absolutely respect that you gave of your time so that he may have an education and a career.

Finally the parents of the other kids benefit because they see a responsible person, taking their love and responsibilities honestly and openly for the benefit of not only your son, but for their children's benefit as well.

Whilst everyone is looking for a cure you have gone one step further.... you have found a solution.

Thankyou... you are an inspiration!

A very good overview of ADHD. What to use and what to avoid:

http://www.newstarget.com/ADHD.html

Lots of informative links.

Kathee..tell me..is it all that bad?

Do you have good days and memories with your son as a family?

Does it sound worse tha what it is or can you reflect on happy times in your history with your preciuos boy?

Kathee, if you've tried dietary changes and still have major problems, have you looked at electromagnetic fields and the detrimental effects they are having on people. They're currently coming into the radar of medical science and it appears they can be strong contributing factors in biological stress situations. ADHD is certainly associated with stress within the body. The overall psychological pain people feel having this condition, has yet to be fully understood, as its hard for them to explain.

I have no idea where you live, but environmental factors also can make a big change. I've seen kids who with a change of environment, diet and removal of air and noise pollution work wonders.

It would he interesting to see the percentage incidence of this problem, in different environmental scenarios. The difference between kids in large population, box living situations and kids in the bush who don't suffer the constant bombardment of environmental and mental pollution can clearly been seen in children's attitudes.

There's been lots of research showing exposure to natural surroundings, has a big effect on ADHD. Its appears more and more that environmental and dietary control, are strong mitigating factors in this growing problem. Drugs are just that, drugs and come with very negative outcomes down the road.

http://www.adhd.com.au/downloads/ADHD%20news/summer%20over%20but%20kids%20still%20need%20time%20outdoors.pdf

I'm sure any caring parent would do whatever they could to relieve the pain these children are suffering, even to the point of changing careers and place of living.

Ozgirl, in answer to your questions: yes, I have good memories of my son and our family, but they are few and far between right now. No one can keep their child a baby forever in their minds, and right now the painful things far outshadow the pleasant.

Alchemist, I too wondered whether environmental factors could play a role, as well as family dynamics. So, I moved all my children from suburban Sydney to country Victoria six years ago. I instituted family dinners, all home cooked and as preservative and additive free as I could. My husband transferred his job to Melbourne. We got a bigger house with a larger yard to give Callan space to run. We got him pets to teach him responsibility.

We had genetic counselling done to see if there was a causal link. This we found to be the case in one aspect, not in others.

Whilst I appreciate and respect your point of view. The whole point I am raising is that the Education Department here has to stop sitting on their hands with the "we are the experts" attitude and concede that maybe they are with ordinary children, but quite obviously they are lacking when it comes to children who don't fit the mould. I want to help my son grow to be a responsible, respectful, loving human being. I want to teach my son that it doesn't matter where or when, I am here to help him and teach him and will always be, no matter the cost to myself.

I don't think they realise that if I can't do this now...in another ten years, everyone will be looking at my son as he is led away to jail saying "why didn't someone do something earlier?" Or should I wait for the day the police knock on my door to tell me he has committed suicide because he couldn't cope out in the world any longer?

I apologize if it feels that I am attacking anyone...I am not. I am just terrified of my son falling through the cracks at 14.

I know this has a whole set of obstacles attached..but have you considered home schooling your son?

This can be a very rewarding way for your son to learn and finish his education.
Of course it would mean, if you both work, that one of you forgo a job but thats nothing compared to the situation your in right now..

Schooling is done online and via teleconferencing etc and your son can see and would have daily contact with his peers and his teacher..not like the old days when I did corrospondence.

It would at least have the advantage of NOT haviung to fight the Education Dept(who really dont give a damn..im sorry..Ive had run ins with them,the school and found only when I actually did got the education dept. involved, did they even listen to me.)

I think sometimes we just have to accept as hard as it is and unfair that we just need to do what best for ourselves..the fight can be so soul destroying that it can seem to more harm than good and even if eventually you did have a small win, it would most likely be too little too late for your son.You can do this yourself..you know and understand him better than anyone..it will also take a lot of pressure of him mentally which is the last thing he needs with all the tension surrounding this issue..last thing he needs

I think it would be a good option and of course you can find other ways to socilaise your son..clubs..groups etc..family can pitch in and help.Even if eventually you do get somewhere it may well be too little too late for son.
Take the easier option..stop fighting pple who arent listening.Change what you can, have the grace to accept what you cant.

Oz Girl, Whilst I know you mean well and you have obviously had some problems yourself caving into the Eductaion Department is just not the way to go I'm sorry.

This is an issue for all Australians. Kathee, health permitting, should continue pressuring the Department to get results. If we all cave in all the time, we all lose, long term.

That is why I suggested originally that we need a class action against the Education System, run by excellent lawyers, with the kids at heart. If we allow Govts to get away with this mistreating of kids with illnesses we have failed these children. Is throwing unwell kids on the scrap heap part of the Education Departments brief?

Home schooling is an option but it has major draw backs for a child with these probelms.. plus it allows educators to take the out of sight out of mind position. The families of these kids need a break from the pressures of 24/7 care for these children and the Education Systems need to take their responsibilities.

To just give in is just wrong!... That is exactly what bureaucrats and Govts want... shifting the problems to the already underfunded and stressed parents.

I am sure Kathee has considered all options but she has drawn her line in the sand. Don't be disuaded Kathee ... get the media involved and shame the Education Departments into action. Afterall they are the experts on educating children ... or is that an illusion too!