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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 9:08 PM CDT
LETTER: Parents need options for special needs kids

MELODY SMITH, Mattoon

As the mother of two former special ed students and the grandmother of two special needs students, I’m writing to defend myself against the unwarranted attack by Jennifer Munro.

First of all, I am aware that not all special needs children are in separate schools. My grandson attends TLC in Humboldt and has aspberger’s syndrome. My granddaughter attends Armstrong and is autistic and has cystic fibrosis.

Second, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, if parents treat others with respect, their children learn to do the same. My family has been at the receiving end of ridicule and whispering from both adults and other children.

Third, for my family, the question of whether the Mattoon School District withdraws from EIASE and whether special needs kids are going to be integrated into the mainstream student population, is the issue. My grandchildren are comfortable where they are and my daughter is more than pleased with the treatment they receive and their placement.

Last, I am equally saddened that there are still people like you, Ms. Munro, that so completely misinterpret the written word and then quickly attack, without understanding, another’s point of view. I have been a nurse in this community for 28 years, worked with developmentally disabled adults and children at Graywood, volunteered as friend for a day at Special Olympics and have spent plenty of time at Armstrong and TLC both as a visitor and while working.

I want these facilities to remain open and operate just as they are now so that they may continue to provide the wonderful care and nurturing environment that they have given, since my now grown children, were students.

I want children and parents to have a choice and be happy to send their kids to school, not be forced to reintegrate and undergo major upheaval. If a cross-categorical class at Riddle of the Middle School is where a child needs to be that’s great. If TLC or Armstrong, in their own separate buildings is what works, then let’s leave that option open also.

MELODY SMITH

Mattoon

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Jim1969 wrote on Oct 14, 2009 11:29 AM:

" Do you know something Melody that everyone else doesn't? This letter and your last letter keep harping on the kids being reintegrated into regular classes, and yet no announcement to that effect has been made. The only thing the Mattoon school board has done is voted to terminate its arrangement with EIASE and bring the Mattoon kids back to Mattoon and provide services for those kids within the school district. "

devilishangel61401 wrote on Oct 14, 2009 12:24 PM:

" Melody I think sometimes its easy for any of us to "misinterept written words" I do know though from your letters and Jennifers letter that you are both very passionate about making sure all of our community's special needs children get the services they need and deserve!! My son was diagnosed with his autisim and his "mental handicaps" at the age of two, ever since then I have been his biggest advocate. My daughter had developmental delays as an infant but early intervention programs and services helped her to do serveral things she could not have done otherwise. I am also her biggest advocate. Every child is diffrent and every child needs to have the services best suited to them as an individual. TLC, Armstrong, Franklin DDC ,Graywood and CCAR, are all wonderful agencies and all provide excellant services. The staff at my son's group home have helped my son to gain tremendous leaps and bounds. My son's teachers have helped him to make tremendous progress. My daughter's teachers have helped her to make tremendous progress. When I think of all the things I was told my son and daughter would "never be able to do" and look at them today doing all of those things, proving their diagnosing doctors wrong it just warms my heart! I happily thank each and every one of you who have helped my children to live up to their fullest potential.
Melody I think you and Jennifer could form a powerful committe of parents, grandparents , teachers, and caregivers that could present various sides of why we need these services in our community, the committe could attend school board meetings and let our school board know why these things are important. If there was a committe such as that I'd be among one of the first people to sign up to be on it!! "

medic57 wrote on Oct 15, 2009 6:50 PM:

" the question of whether the Mattoon School District withdraws from EIASE and whether special needs kids are going to be integrated into the mainstream student population, is the issue

Melody, you can send your kids to ANY private special ed school and send the bill to Mattoon School District, the Supreme Court ruled that this year. "

melody wrote on Oct 15, 2009 9:26 PM:

" YES, JIM 1969 I DO KNOW SOME THINGS THAT PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE KIDS IN SPECIAL ED, DON'T KNOW. FOR INSTANCE,MASSIVE REINTEGRATION HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE, IT'S NOT IN THE FUTURE.THERE USED TO BE 2 BUSES FULL OF STUDENTS FROM MATTOON, NOW THERE IS ONE ELEMENTARY STUDENT WHICH IS MY GRANDSON & 8 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS & THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS YEAR IS ABSOLUTELY IT.I KNOW MANY OF THE REINTEGRATED KIDS & MANY ARE HAVING MAJOR PROBLEMS. "

melody wrote on Oct 15, 2009 9:37 PM:

" MEDIC 57 YES, THERE WAS A SUPREME COURT RULING, BUT EACH CASE MUST GO THRU DUE PROCESS, THEN HIRE YOUR OWN ATTORNEY IF YOU DON'T WIN DUE PROCESS. "

devilishangel61401 wrote on Oct 15, 2009 10:59 PM:

" Melody I am sorry your grandson has to go through what he is dealing with. Reintegration does not always work the way school officials and such hope it will. As I said before, every student is diffrent and this is why its important to have options for all students. I have seen children with special needs do wonderful in regular classrooms with supports such as a one on one paraprofessional, and others like my children who just do not do well at all in regular classrooms but do better in self-contained special ed. Medic I had one of my son's preschool teachers tell me all about "having your child's needs met at another school even a private school" and Melody is right, as a parent you have to go through a long long process to prove that the school district is not meeting your student's needs ( the due process Melody mentioned) and if that fails, then you as the parent/guardian have to pay for the attorney and such yourself before it will go to court. It is all a very lengthy process. I know that when I did my very first Individual Education Plan known as an IEP I had no idea in the world what I was doing the paperwork may as well have been written in ancient Latin. Today I know what I need to do and how I need to go about it. I am always willing to help other parents and guardians with their student's IEP's as well. "

melody wrote on Oct 16, 2009 8:06 PM:

" DEVILISHANGEL YOU SEEM AWFULLY NICE FOR A DEVILISH ANGEL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING & FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH YOUR OWN CHILDREN. HOPEFULLY WE WILL ALL CONTINUE TO GET THE SERVICES WE WANT & FEEL ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE KIDS WE LOVE. THERE SHOULD ALWAYS BE OPTIONS, NOT SITUATIONS THAT ARE FORCED ON US. "

devilishangel61401 wrote on Oct 17, 2009 1:37 AM:

" Melody thanks for saying I sound nice. I am always happy to share about my kids, you know how people say that " you don't understand a sitution until you live it?" For me that is 100% true in the case of special needs students. I was always compassionate and kind to those with developemental delays and such but I never understood what parents of special needs children went through until my son was dianosed with his autisim. I hope there will always be options for all of our kids and I am willing to do whatever I can to make sure that those options are avalible. "

Rohn Gordon wrote on Oct 19, 2009 7:02 PM:

" melody says "IT'S NOT IN THE FUTURE.THERE USED TO BE 2 BUSES FULL OF STUDENTS FROM MATTOON, NOW THERE IS ONE ELEMENTARY STUDENT WHICH IS MY GRANDSON & 8 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS"
------------------
First loose the CAPS.
Second tell me why they would stop 2 whole bus loads of kids, and leave one grade school child. I can not believe they would have stopped all of the other grade schoolers but one. "

medic57 wrote on Oct 20, 2009 7:25 AM:

" Just do what Susan Humphries would have did, abort them all. "

melody wrote on Oct 20, 2009 5:44 PM:

" ROHN, FIRST LOSE THE ATTITUDE & DON'T WORRY ABOUT MY CAPS.
SECOND OF ALL, BELIEVE IT ABOUT THE BUSES BECAUSE IT'S THE TRUTH, THE REST OF THE MATTOON SCHOOL DISTRICT KIDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN PULLED OUT OF TLC & REINTEGRATED INTO THE "SPECIAL ROOMS" @ THE REGULAR SCHOOLS. MY GRANDSON IS THE ONLY ELEMENTARY KID LEFT BECAUSE WE FOUGHT LIKE HELL & WON A BRIEF REPRIEVE. HE RIDES THE ONE BUS WITH THE H.S. KIDS.
THIRD, MATTOON WILL BE OPENING THEIR VERY OWN TLC, NOT PART OF EIASE, @ THE
SITE OF THE OLD ADULT EDUCATION CENTER ON S. LAKELAND BLVD. THIS WILL BE FOR THE STUDENTS THAT THEY CAN'T MANAGE IN THE " SPECIAL ROOMS " WHICH JUST PROVES, IT WAS ALL ABOUT MONEY ALL ALONG & THE NEED IS STILL THERE. "

father bob wrote on Oct 21, 2009 9:45 AM:

" melody wrote on Oct 20, 2009 5:44 PM:
" ROHN, FIRST LOSE THE ATTITUDE & DON'T WORRY ABOUT MY CAPS.""""

i'm just observing, but melody, when one uses caps on the internet it's considered yelling.....and quite rude.

if you want anyone to take you seriously, you need to abide by simple internet courtesy.

carry on..... "

melody wrote on Oct 21, 2009 9:52 PM:

" FATHER BOB, HEAR MY CONFESSION:IF ONE MUST USE LOWER CASE LETTERS IN ORDER TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, THEN LET ME LOUDLY YELL, HOW DUMB, WHO CARES ? thanks "

The Shadow wrote on Oct 22, 2009 9:11 PM:

" Melody -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netiquette

"Another rule is to avoid typing in all caps, which is considered to be the equivalent of shouting or yelling." "