Leonard Said:

Autism treatment expenses - tax deductible?

We Answered:

Yes, all of that can be deducted as medical expenses, if the expenses are related to your child's disability. For example, if he attends special classes designed to address his need, those are deductible as medical expenses. Don't forget to record mileage to all of these activities as well.

Medical expenses are deductible for taxpayers who itemize and whose medical expenses are greater than 7.5% of the adjusted gross income.

Victor Said:

What is the teacher's responsibility in the classroom?

We Answered:

Just so you know where this comes from I am a principal.
First off you should be proud to be so proactive concerning your daughters education. 2nd you should be mad as **** that your daughter was put on a list for special needs screening and evaluation without your knowledge. You have to approve any testing and evaluation above and beyond "normal" testing.

Has there been any stress in your daughters life? It could be social. An embarrassment maybe? Prior to the 2nd grade was she given high praise for completing assignments or doing them well? Make sure praise comes after proper completion. She could have ADD or she may be academically gifted and bored.

Joan Said:

I need some help from an expert in Special Education in the Public School system?

We Answered:

You keep mentioning that you were in our classroom. Are you a teacher? If you have connections with your district's autism specialist or with resource teachers, it may help you better understand what's going on & how you can get the best services for your daughter.

As far as the books, keep them & read! Often when the word "autism" is used it means on the autistic spectrum (ASD, autistic spectrum disorder.) A lot of things that apply to autism apply to other conditions that are classified as being on the spectrum, so you should still get use from your research.

Now comes the hard part: you need to learn to advocate for your child. That means maintaining a balance between politeness and a firm resolve that your daughter's rights be respected and her services provided. There will, unfortunately, be times when the school staff do not inform you for one reason or other. So you need to learn the law, locate the services, and know your rights. Don't be afraid to hire a lawyer or advocate, or even just to join a support group & ask a more experienced parent to come to meetings with you.

With reference to tests that are unclear or situations in which staff are unprepared, with all due respect to the other respondent, this is not acceptable. I don't care if it's the fault of the person examining the test, or if someone has taken materials out of the kit & not returned them. It's unprofessional to come to a testing situation and not be properly equipped. Inventories should be done again shortly prior to testing to ensure all materials are in the kit, if this is such a prevalent issue. Then the kits should be sealed or kept in the tester's custody, to prevent anything going missing. There's simply no excuse for this.

A test that is half complete is not going to give an accurate result. And your daughter's future rides, in no small part, on the results of that test. I would refuse to continue & ask that the test be re-scheduled when the tester is better prepared. I would also write an official letter explaining that this was not a lack of cooperation on your part, but a concern for the testing not being accurate as too many of the necessary supplies could not be located. Send everything registered. you need a paper trail, so you're going to be making friends at the post office.

I suggest you look for assistance, at least to clarify where you stand at the moment. I've recently met up with a special education lawyer, and she seems to have a lot of great information available on her web site. It's http://www.connecticutspecialeducationlawyer.com/

If you're not in CT she may be able to give you a bit of advice, or help you locate a lawyer close to home. A lawyer who specializes in special ed issues will be able to inform you and make sure you get off to the right start. This is not a matter of getting confrontational, but it is important to be informed of your rights.

It's going to be a long haul. Love your baby, and stay close to your husband. It can get tense sometimes. You need to stick together even if you don't always agree. Support one another, talk, nurture your marriage. The most important thing you can do for your daughter is to keep your family strong.

Best of luck!
Ruby

Ivan Said:

What is the teacher's responsibility in the classroom?

We Answered:

speech therapists often have a lot to do with teh eval--maybe the speech tehrapist is coordinating

the primary eval is school psychologist, social worker, LDTC

but then there may be evals done for speech, ot, pt, etc....

they can't evaluate her without your written consent (in teh US)

and they usually require a written request--adn then tehy have 60 days to complete the evlas

you may be jumping the gun here--

this was a problem that just suddenly appeared--it may not be a special ed problem.....you may be able to deal with it without going to special ed

is there any chance you can take her to a private psychologist?

teh school should have a behaviorist who can do a functional behavior assessment

my guess is that something suddenly happened that traumatized her--it may be something that may be trivial to an adult--or something very serious....

if you get a diagnosis form a psychologist--she may be able to get teh assistance she needs through a 504 plan

Carla Said:

When permanent orders are made regarding custody and visitations are they changeable??

We Answered:

Only way go to the child warfare dept in your area and tell them what and why you feel this way and they can get you help,otherwise you have to hire and attorney and thats expensive,the orders can be changed.