I have to correct my statement that her grown son has diabetes. My husband left the house and went to the school to talk to her because he didn’t hear her side. She clarified that a friend’s son had diabetes. So that made her knowledgeable on diabetes and what we were feeling.
I will update this when I know more. I thought about the media outlets. One of my neighbors is a reporter so I’m debating that angle. We have calls into the 504 coordinator, ADA, and the school district.
You might want to suggest she ask her “friend” how she’d feel about her son going to those parks, essentially alone, at that age. So frustrating…
Spoke to the school district 504 coordinator and she is standing behind the principal. Because the 504 states Mom or Trained Designee they are arguing that they will have a trained designee. We are still waiting for help from ADA as we filed a request for help with the advocacy group. Still waiting for the area superintendent to call.
Ugh!! If they’re going to an amusment park, couldn’t you just go on your own, buy a ticket and keep an eye on your son? I think that’s what I’d have to do. Just force your way along to let them know they have no say in the matter.
I really hope they come to their senses though and realize that it’s ridiculous to tell you no.
Good luck and keep fighting for him!
You bet we would. It’s Universal Studios, how would they keep me away from my child? It’s totally absurd the stance their taking. I’m not finished with them.
Well, spoke to the ADA Legal Advocate and unfortunately we don’t have any legal right to attend. It’s backwards, the school can decided when I attend, it’s at their discretion. If I’m going to take care of him I would have to do it all the time, during the school day, all field trips, etc. I can’t just decide to take care of him during field trips.
As of right now the “trained designee” isn’t really fully trained. They don’t know anything about the pump. So we will definitely demand training on that, plus a full itinerary, and anything else we can think of. And then we’ll be in the car behind the bus and also be following during the Universal trip.
So, we will continue pushing the school and do what we can. For next years 504 we will talk with his middle school and see if we can’t agree in the 504 for it to be at my discretion.
The school was so uneducated on the 504 when we started in kindergarten that I could have put anything in the 504. Now they’re more educated and knew that I didn’t have a legal right. So advice, especially for new kindergartners, put everything in the 504. I took it for granted that it would always be my choice.
Once it’s in the 504 they have to follow it.
Thanks for all the support and I wish I had a better result.
Ok, well today is field trip day. We met with the school on Tuesday after they reviewed my 4 page letter describing a day at Universal. We had the district 504 coord, school nurse, principal, 2 designees and 2 other that I was not quite clear on their role. So we had their attention.
Bottom line, we couldn’t go on the bus but the teachers had no problem with us following and hanging out at the park. The principal didn’t like it. The teachers also said we could check him out early if things weren’t going well, boy she didn’t like that either. So we’re happy with the results, happy we got our way even though it wasn’t on the bus and happy the prinicpal didn’t get her way completely.
My husband and daughter are up there at the same time and have already run into each other. Now wouldn’t you know he forgot to bolus after breakfast this morning. He was over 500 on the bus. That was after we asked him if he bolus’d and he said yes. That just proves our point on why the parents should be there.
He’s down at 180 now and having a ball as is my daughter and husband.
The school said we’d have a follow up meeting to see how things went and what needs changing for the other 2 field trips planned for this year.