1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,360 Welcome to Unlimited Parenting, where we discuss having children with disabilities or special 2 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:12,880 health care needs. 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:28,700 I'm Allison, and with me today is a very special and esteemed guest, Jen Johnson. 4 00:00:28,700 --> 00:00:35,540 She's here with us today to share some of her experiences and part of her journey. 5 00:00:35,540 --> 00:00:38,840 So thank you, Jen, for being here. 6 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:40,320 Thank you for having me. 7 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:46,640 Jen is one of the few people who opted to come and join me in our little podcast studio. 8 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:48,440 So that's exciting. 9 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:54,700 First time ever having a guest in our office versus on Zoom or on the phone. 10 00:00:54,700 --> 00:00:55,700 So thank you. 11 00:00:55,700 --> 00:00:56,700 I'm special. 12 00:00:56,700 --> 00:00:57,700 Obviously. 13 00:00:57,700 --> 00:00:58,700 Obviously. 14 00:00:58,700 --> 00:01:07,600 So I guess I kind of wanted to start by asking you to share a little bit about your son's 15 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:12,560 story, how he got diagnosed and a little bit about that journey. 16 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:13,560 Sure. 17 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:19,680 So I always say I think my journey is not typical, but maybe it is. 18 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:21,960 I have got twins. 19 00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:24,640 So I've got baby A and baby B. 20 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:31,400 And during my 20 week ultrasound, baby A was diagnosed with a heart defect. 21 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:35,560 And so I had prepared for that for the second half of my pregnancy. 22 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,920 And I remember kept thinking like, how is this going to be having one child that has 23 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:45,280 a serious medical condition and another child that doesn't? 24 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:50,120 Little did I know baby B was going to be more of a struggle. 25 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,080 Surprise. 26 00:01:52,080 --> 00:02:00,560 Baby A actually helped me to get early intervention services for my other son. 27 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:09,720 So my son's first open heart surgery was when he was seven months old. 28 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,400 So it was right when he should have started crawling. 29 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:18,000 In fact, baby B started crawling in the hotel room the day before the surgery. 30 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,880 So I know what to put on those sheets of winded baby B. 31 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:26,360 I remember that one. 32 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:32,220 But anyway, so he didn't crawl because for heart surgery, they crack your sternum. 33 00:02:32,220 --> 00:02:35,600 So obviously it was too painful to crawl. 34 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,320 And the pediatrician said, oh yeah, call infant toddler. 35 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,560 They'll get you in for physical therapy. 36 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:46,200 Never said a word about all of these behaviors I was seeing in my other child about infant 37 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,260 toddler being an option. 38 00:02:48,260 --> 00:02:50,440 So it's like, okay, great. 39 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:51,560 So got my son in. 40 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:53,120 It's an automatic qualifier. 41 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:54,840 You've got this physical disability. 42 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,480 So we didn't have to do testing. 43 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:04,800 And then I don't know, a few weeks in to the therapist being in my home, I jokingly said, 44 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,680 can you help this other kid who's got this crazy behavior going on? 45 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:13,120 And she said, oh yeah, actually, I think that you need an occupational therapy evaluation. 46 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:15,440 And I was like, oh. 47 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,160 Do you think that she was just waiting for you to at? 48 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:20,680 Maybe she couldn't say. 49 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:22,400 I have no idea. 50 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:24,600 She seems like she had a really prepared response, right? 51 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:26,360 Actually, we can help you. 52 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,280 So yeah, I mean, it was interesting that the pediatrician hadn't told me this was an option. 53 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:31,600 This therapist had known. 54 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:36,840 And it was only because I jokingly wanted somebody to help with this crazy kid. 55 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:37,840 And I hate that word. 56 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:38,840 He's not crazy. 57 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,480 He's got some disabilities. 58 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:43,440 But at the time, that's what I thought. 59 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,120 He's just bouncing off walls. 60 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:47,120 He never felt pain. 61 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:52,760 I remember telling the pediatrician like he would fall and it wouldn't phase him. 62 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:54,880 And she said, oh, he just has a high pain tolerance. 63 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:59,080 And then occupational therapists came out and said, that's because he has sensory processing 64 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:00,080 disorder. 65 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,120 There's no such thing as a high pain tolerance. 66 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,280 It's about how he's processing the feeling. 67 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:08,280 Right. 68 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:15,080 So that was how I got introduced really, really early on into early intervention for him. 69 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:16,480 Falling into it by luck. 70 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:17,480 Right. 71 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:19,000 Like had me by a literal joke. 72 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:20,000 Yes. 73 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:21,000 Right. 74 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,920 And if my other kid hadn't had this heart defect, who knows how long this would have 75 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:25,920 been. 76 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:27,080 That's a good point. 77 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,040 Before I would have gotten any services. 78 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:35,120 And it was not much longer that we were because of behavior asked. 79 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,680 I mean, he was like a year old and we were asked not to return to daycare. 80 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:40,680 So at one. 81 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:41,680 Yeah. 82 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:45,840 So I got early on experience with, okay, what do I do? 83 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:50,260 I was lucky at the time I had an amazing job with a great income. 84 00:04:50,260 --> 00:04:57,240 And so I was able to just, I hired a nanny is what I did because that was my only option. 85 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,560 Again as luck would have it, this nanny that I hired was going to school to become a behavior 86 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:02,560 interventionist. 87 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:03,960 Oh, wow. 88 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:09,320 And had previously worked with kids with autism and she kept saying, he's autistic. 89 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:15,000 And I was like, no, no, I've, I've seen the screening, the doctors never, he's not autistic. 90 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,240 Because at this point he's like 18 months, which is when you do that first screener. 91 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:20,240 Right. 92 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:24,480 And, and he, and he didn't have the stereotypical first screener kind of things either. 93 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:31,000 So in my head, I was really thinking of the stereotypical, like he spoke, he walked, you 94 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,760 know, developmentally, there was a lot going on. 95 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:37,220 He just had a lot, a lot of behavior. 96 00:05:37,220 --> 00:05:40,280 So I kept saying, no, this isn't the deal. 97 00:05:40,280 --> 00:05:43,900 He's just got all these behavior issues. 98 00:05:43,900 --> 00:05:50,720 So jump ahead to three years old when you're ready for developmental preschool screening. 99 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:58,240 And baby A with a heart defect also had a speech delay, which I later found out was 100 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:00,600 just because he couldn't hear. 101 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,680 But again, I didn't know that was the issue. 102 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,040 And he passed his hearing, his newborn screening. 103 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:11,340 He had, so he had constant fluid in his ears. 104 00:06:11,340 --> 00:06:13,340 And then he also has auditory processing. 105 00:06:13,340 --> 00:06:15,960 So you pass some of those hearing screenings. 106 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:21,240 Um, and, but then you tease out the other issues later when other things present. 107 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,520 So he didn't really know. 108 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:27,220 And like every time before heart surgery, cause he had multiple, they would always say 109 00:06:27,220 --> 00:06:31,180 he had an ear infection, but there were no signs, but it was like, okay, well antibiotics 110 00:06:31,180 --> 00:06:33,240 before the surgery. 111 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:42,160 Um, so we go to the screening, um, and I assume baby B is going to get in. 112 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:43,160 No problem. 113 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:45,800 Cause he's got these huge behaviors, right? 114 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,840 Baby A with speech gets in no problem cause of speech. 115 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:50,840 Sure. 116 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:51,840 Yeah. 117 00:06:51,840 --> 00:06:55,360 And baby B because developmentally he was meeting a lot of those milestones. 118 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:56,640 It was a struggle. 119 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:58,480 And I said, I don't know what to do. 120 00:06:58,480 --> 00:06:59,480 What are you going to do here? 121 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,800 And they said, well, there's this other behavior screening we can do. 122 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:04,120 We don't normally do. 123 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:05,120 Okay. 124 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,680 So parents, there are more screenings they don't normally do. 125 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:10,720 Do you hear that bonus screener? 126 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:18,280 So it's a, it's a purely aggression behavior based and he was off the charts on aggression 127 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:20,520 and they were like, oh yeah, qualifies. 128 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:21,520 Here we go. 129 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:22,520 Wow. 130 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,320 But otherwise would not have qualified. 131 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,600 He wasn't one and a half standard deviations away in two categories, right? 132 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:34,680 Um, but because he was so off the charts on that one, he qualified. 133 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:42,760 So we get into developmental preschool and then a few months later we find out about 134 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:48,040 the hearing issue and my son gets air tubes and his speech is night and day difference. 135 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:49,040 So that I'm panicked. 136 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:50,040 Wow. 137 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,000 What's going to happen if he gets kicked out? 138 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:53,840 Oh, oh, right. 139 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:58,880 Cause now he's doing really, really well cause he can hear. 140 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:03,360 Um, but I think they took pity on me and I said, I have twins, please help. 141 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:09,020 And they both continued through developmental preschool, which was amazing and wonderful 142 00:08:09,020 --> 00:08:10,020 for me. 143 00:08:10,020 --> 00:08:15,220 Um, at this point, baby bees only diagnosis is all mental health. 144 00:08:15,220 --> 00:08:19,760 So they're just saying, we don't know what's wrong with him, but it's mental health of 145 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:20,760 some sort. 146 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:22,720 We can't tell until he's older, right? 147 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,460 So we don't label anything. 148 00:08:25,460 --> 00:08:27,640 We just try to start, we medicate. 149 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:28,640 He doesn't sleep. 150 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:29,800 So I medicate for that. 151 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:33,720 We, you know, we started on the journey of medication with no diagnosis. 152 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:34,720 Right. 153 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:35,720 Right. 154 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:37,680 So it was like, I don't know. 155 00:08:37,680 --> 00:08:40,120 Nobody knows something's wrong. 156 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:41,120 We don't know. 157 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:43,320 We're just going to keep trying until we find some of that works. 158 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:44,320 Keep trying. 159 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:54,080 Um, kindergarten rolls around and I had, I lost my job right before kindergarten started, 160 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:59,160 which again turned out to be a blessing because I got Medicaid. 161 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:00,920 It opened up the door to more services. 162 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:05,920 I wasn't even aware of like behavior intervention. 163 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:11,000 So we started down kind of that path again, still with no real diagnosis, but more people 164 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,440 saying this looks like autism to me. 165 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:18,120 So we went, we had an initial screening. 166 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:23,360 I won't say the provider's name, but it is a well known provider who said, no, I think 167 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,840 this is just early onset bipolar disorder. 168 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:28,140 He's in kindergarten. 169 00:09:28,140 --> 00:09:30,520 So five, five or six. 170 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:31,520 Yes. 171 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:32,520 Um, I guess he was five. 172 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:33,520 Yeah. 173 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:34,520 Five. 174 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:35,520 Cause his birthday is April. 175 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,400 So, and it was somewhere mid year. 176 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:42,120 Um, I was like, okay, well that's what it is. 177 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:45,040 So I go back to his psych and she says, really? 178 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:49,600 That's an psych doesn't want to actually label at that point, but we medicate and treat 179 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:50,600 similar. 180 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:51,600 Okay. 181 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:59,320 And so we just kind of keep working and then, um, over the first few years of elementary 182 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:00,880 things got really tough. 183 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:05,640 Um, educationally, he was falling way behind the development side. 184 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:07,480 Now as I'm seeing it. 185 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,620 So the physical development was not a problem for him, which is what they're screening 186 00:10:10,620 --> 00:10:11,960 for initially. 187 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:13,120 Okay. 188 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:15,880 But that social starts to become obvious. 189 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:22,520 Like he's not developmentally at the same point of other kids his age and I'm seeing 190 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:24,960 it and it's like, there's more going on here. 191 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:25,960 This isn't just mental health. 192 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,360 Um, and at this point we're adding more mental health diagnosis. 193 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:36,280 I think we add oppositional defiant disorder, ADHD, ODD, you know, and these are in his 194 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,400 chart on paper, right? 195 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:42,480 So we're labeling all of these and I, and he does have his dual diagnosed at this point. 196 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:47,200 I mean, he does have mental health, but we just keep adding mental health diagnosis. 197 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:51,680 And then I kind of, you get into the world of knowing other parents, right? 198 00:10:51,680 --> 00:10:57,200 Cause he's on an IEP or another parents had started coming to eye poll trainings. 199 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:01,800 I'm learning like, Hey, I think there really is something else going on. 200 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:07,200 So I approached the doctor again and I said, I think this guy actually could be autism. 201 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:08,600 And it's like, well, it might be. 202 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:10,800 It was like, is this the same? 203 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:11,800 This is his med manager. 204 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:15,760 So it's like, um, his pediatrician, I love her. 205 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:16,760 She's great. 206 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:18,240 Uh, we're kind of beyond her. 207 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:23,080 Um, so we see her once a year at this point and she keeps trying to send referrals to 208 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:24,480 anywhere and everywhere. 209 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:26,880 Um, but so we're doing that. 210 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:28,360 And so we get on a wait list, right? 211 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,080 And we all know those wait lists. 212 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:38,480 So I'm on, I don't know, a couple of your wait list to get more testing done and things 213 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:40,500 really start to blow up. 214 00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:43,440 And so I'm in the office crying and I'm like, we got to do something. 215 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:44,880 And she said, you know what? 216 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:45,880 Call this other place. 217 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:47,800 I think they can get you in quickly. 218 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:49,240 So call the other place. 219 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,520 And they said, could you come next week? 220 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:53,440 Yes, I can. 221 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:54,440 Yes. 222 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,200 Why didn't anybody recommend this before? 223 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:58,200 Right. 224 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:05,640 Um, it possibly, it wasn't as thorough of an evaluation as some of the places do, but 225 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:07,360 they said, yeah, this is definitely autism. 226 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:09,840 I was like, okay. 227 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:10,840 And guess what? 228 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:12,640 That opens up even more doors. 229 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:14,800 So many doors. 230 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:18,840 So now we're into the developmental disability programs. 231 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:25,280 We're getting more therapies, more providers, and it's also, I'm not into labels, but boy, 232 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:26,420 it sure helped. 233 00:12:26,420 --> 00:12:31,120 Now when I'm telling people and sitting in these meetings at school and at doctor's offices 234 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:37,200 and I'm saying, not only does he have this mental health stuff going on, body has autism 235 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:43,080 and it's unfortunate, but society sees that in a more positive light. 236 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:46,400 It's like, oh, this behavior is because of that. 237 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:53,200 The behavior is also because of mental health, but that scene is like this negative, awful, 238 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,060 I don't know, he could control it somehow thing. 239 00:12:57,060 --> 00:13:02,160 Or even sometimes it's a parenting issue or this is just a bad kid. 240 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:06,680 But if you say, well, this is an autistic child, they're like, oh wait, okay. 241 00:13:06,680 --> 00:13:08,440 Well, we know more about that. 242 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:09,440 Nevermind. 243 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:10,440 We understand. 244 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:11,440 Yes. 245 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,600 So all of a sudden doors open. 246 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:17,920 We had a terrible, awful experience at school. 247 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:22,200 So I pulled him out of that school, got him in another program. 248 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:23,960 It was a self-contained classroom. 249 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:27,020 I had fought that for years. 250 00:13:27,020 --> 00:13:33,280 And I struggle now because I'm for inclusion except for getting him in that program was 251 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,160 night and day difference for him. 252 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:38,880 He dreaded going to school before he... 253 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:39,880 In the self-contained classroom? 254 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:46,600 No, when he was in gen ed, when I was just pushing for gen ed with the pullout. 255 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:48,880 And so every day I was getting a call to come pick him up. 256 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,200 And there were just police being called. 257 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:54,360 It was a terrible, horrible situation. 258 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:57,320 Can I ask how old they were at this point? 259 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:01,200 So this was, by the time I pulled him was fourth grade. 260 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:03,760 Police were being called on a fourth grade. 261 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:09,800 I think the police had been four times and two criminal charges pressed when I pulled 262 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:10,800 him. 263 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:14,440 The day that the criminal charges were pressed is the day I pulled him. 264 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:20,240 But yes, it was an awful experience. 265 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:26,320 But this teacher made the biggest difference in my son's life. 266 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:27,320 The first day was awful. 267 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:28,520 I will tell you the first day was awful. 268 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:29,520 It was awful for him. 269 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:30,880 It was awful for the teachers. 270 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,760 I was getting messages, but I said, do I come? 271 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:35,760 And they said, no, we're just telling you what's happening. 272 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:38,240 And I was like, oh, what do you mean? 273 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,560 No, I'm going to stay at work. 274 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:42,600 Okay. 275 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:49,600 So after that, after that first day, he started to thrive. 276 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:52,160 He's still academically way, way, way behind. 277 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:56,280 He's now going into ninth grade. 278 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:57,640 And he is way behind. 279 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,600 And that's, that's a variety of right. 280 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:01,960 He's got some intellectual delays. 281 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:03,920 He's got all this other stuff going on. 282 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:09,400 I also think the learning, the learning for him probably stopped in third grade. 283 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:14,000 I think when teachers gave up when you're not regulated, you can't learn. 284 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:15,000 Right. 285 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,620 And everybody gave up on him and they just heartbreaking. 286 00:15:17,620 --> 00:15:20,200 It was like, you know, we don't want him in the school. 287 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:21,400 He's scary. 288 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:22,400 They're telling another. 289 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:28,080 And there were times I admit, you know, like if I were another parent, I would not want 290 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,400 that child and with, I would be worried for my child. 291 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:31,400 I understand. 292 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:32,740 I do. 293 00:15:32,740 --> 00:15:36,720 But it was also difficult because my child does deserve to learn. 294 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:37,720 Right. 295 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:38,720 Right. 296 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:41,440 And he didn't get that opportunity. 297 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,680 So he's, he's making up for that now. 298 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:49,040 And he, but he's enjoying when the accommodations are correct. 299 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:50,040 Right. 300 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:52,740 So reading is a big struggle for him. 301 00:15:52,740 --> 00:16:00,680 So if we can provide curriculum auditory for him and make that, then he's going to do better. 302 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:06,400 So just learning what those accommodations are is huge. 303 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:10,040 Getting the right diagnosis is huge. 304 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:15,440 At this point, we still have almost all of those mental health diagnosis as well. 305 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:21,440 I always, I tell people now when we go to doctor's offices or we do the IAP, autism 306 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:26,840 and bipolar, I think are both going on and are both huge impacts on his life. 307 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:27,840 Which one is bigger? 308 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:29,440 I mean, every time we go to write the IEP, right. 309 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:33,440 And you got to put diagnosis one, diagnosis two. 310 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:38,080 We have a long conversation about, well, this year, which one do we think is number one? 311 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,580 We put both. 312 00:16:40,580 --> 00:16:42,460 But which one is number one? 313 00:16:42,460 --> 00:16:48,120 And it's important because those gen ed teachers that are using that to say, how do we help 314 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,880 this child need to know which one's number one, right? 315 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:55,280 And it's unfortunate, but that is the way it is. 316 00:16:55,280 --> 00:17:00,600 So kind of figuring out what's number one, how do we help him? 317 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,200 How do we go through? 318 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:04,880 Is huge. 319 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:08,200 But today he's 14. 320 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:13,280 And when I came here today, he was out riding his bike with the neighborhood kids, enjoying 321 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:14,440 his summer. 322 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:16,620 We're not doing extended school year. 323 00:17:16,620 --> 00:17:18,800 He does extra tutoring. 324 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:23,520 And I said, if we continued that through the summer, our deal was no extended school year. 325 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:28,080 So he's doing tutoring. 326 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,200 It's kind of already introducing supported decision making. 327 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:32,200 Right. 328 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:34,720 Because here's the deal and it's your choice. 329 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:39,000 Do you want to do extended school year or do you want to do some extra tutoring? 330 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,000 You make the choice. 331 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:41,000 So yeah. 332 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,680 And he told me Monday, we were walking into tutoring Monday morning. 333 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:46,600 He does it Monday, Wednesday mornings. 334 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:49,080 And he said, I'm really glad that I decided to do this. 335 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:50,080 That's one. 336 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:51,300 I'm glad that you're glad. 337 00:17:51,300 --> 00:17:55,600 And today he came out and he is working on words. 338 00:17:55,600 --> 00:18:03,240 Now I'm trying to remember that and in L E because it's common for people to think, oh, 339 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,140 here in O sound, which I didn't. 340 00:18:07,140 --> 00:18:10,040 But the tutor said that's normal. 341 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:13,640 And he asked to bring the sheet of words home so he could practice reading them. 342 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:14,640 Oh my gosh. 343 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:16,680 It's like now the sheet is still in my car. 344 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:20,200 He didn't get out of the car yet, but the thought was there. 345 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:21,840 He asked to bring it home today. 346 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:27,040 So and if you're talking about even comparing to typically developing peers, I can't think 347 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,320 of any kid that age. 348 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:31,720 He's like, I'm bringing my reading list in. 349 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:33,440 I want to work on it. 350 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:38,720 So it really is huge. 351 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:44,920 So my long, huge drawn out story is to say you're not necessarily going to get the right 352 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:46,040 diagnosis. 353 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:53,080 The first diagnosis at this point, I think he's had three or four neuropsychs, you know, 354 00:18:53,080 --> 00:19:00,120 and all of them were kind of slightly different, but also necessary for services. 355 00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:01,400 Exactly. 356 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:07,880 And, and so just keep trying, I guess, and listen to your gut. 357 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:08,880 Right? 358 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,400 Like, or don't, because in the beginning I was like, no, this isn't it. 359 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,920 And all these people were saying, yes, it is. 360 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:17,360 But it was the hard thing is it was outside people, right? 361 00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:21,680 The medical professionals, they're like, no, that's not what we see either. 362 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:23,240 It was the people living the life. 363 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:24,520 It was the other parents. 364 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:25,960 It was the interventionists. 365 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:27,960 It was, you know, it was nanny. 366 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:34,300 It was these people who were seeing him that were saying, hey, this is what we see. 367 00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:40,400 And then when I finally got involved in the world and started seeing it, it was like, 368 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,080 oh, yeah, I see it. 369 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:46,560 And then knowing to go to the doctor and say, actually, I see it. 370 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:51,080 Do you think that your team now in school is, is better? 371 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:52,080 Is it working? 372 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,640 Do you have a positive partnership with them? 373 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,560 Um, yes and no. 374 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:01,120 Junior high has definitely been much more difficult. 375 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:05,800 Those last couple of years of elementary were, like I said, that teacher was huge, amazing. 376 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:10,880 We had the same teacher for the end of fourth grade and fifth and sixth grade. 377 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:15,200 And I have still messaged that teacher to say, oh, you made a difference. 378 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,800 In fact, I'll brag a little to seventh grade. 379 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:21,000 He was student of the month, a couple of months into school. 380 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:25,400 And so it was like, you know, we made a big difference. 381 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:33,840 But it is harder because he, so he's in the self-contained classroom two to three periods, 382 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:37,920 depending on the semester and what classes were, because we have to waive classes, right? 383 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:41,040 So you have to pick what do you want, what do you not want? 384 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:44,960 And I want him to always have one elective that he likes. 385 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:49,000 But to do that, then he misses an extra. 386 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:54,220 He has to then we have to pick a gen ed one to not take. 387 00:20:54,220 --> 00:20:55,640 So it's harder. 388 00:20:55,640 --> 00:21:01,180 And then when he's in these gen ed settings, these teachers, I mean, I don't blame the 389 00:21:01,180 --> 00:21:02,180 teachers, right? 390 00:21:02,180 --> 00:21:06,160 I don't know how many students a junior high teacher has, but a couple hundred. 391 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:11,640 I mean, you know, and so of those, how many of them have IEPs and 504s? 392 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:13,880 How many do they have time to read? 393 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,240 They don't. 394 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,160 Funding is short, right? 395 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:22,440 So he's supposed to have a one on one aid that helps him because he needs things like 396 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:25,080 he can't read the curriculum, right? 397 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:26,080 Right. 398 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:29,200 But the schools can't hire. 399 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:30,200 They don't have funding. 400 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:34,560 And even if they have funding, they can't find anybody to hire for shortage. 401 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,200 So they've got one para that's working with three kids. 402 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:43,920 And if my son's in his elective class, right, he's the only one because they all try to 403 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:47,680 bunch the kids up then so that at least it's the same classroom. 404 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,040 But in those scenarios, or one of the other kids is an elective, right? 405 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:57,680 That one para jumps between three classrooms to try to provide that support. 406 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:02,120 And sometimes because we've because we figured it out right. 407 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:04,680 And luckily his behavior is under control now. 408 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:09,480 So, so they also see like, well, he doesn't need that behavior support anymore. 409 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:13,560 But kid down the road needs our behavior support. 410 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:14,840 And it's a safety issue. 411 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:18,060 So that kid gets the para. 412 00:22:18,060 --> 00:22:22,600 It's like a triage triage situation in the schools right now. 413 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:23,600 Yeah. 414 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:25,320 So, so that's the tough thing. 415 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:32,720 Oh, what where he really needs the support now is academically, which is amazing because 416 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:35,100 behavior got in the way of academics. 417 00:22:35,100 --> 00:22:39,720 But now that behavior is not in the way, he also then can't get the para support that 418 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:41,400 he needs. 419 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,320 So that's. 420 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:48,640 It's unfortunate that it's this way, but it's working for right now. 421 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:49,640 Yeah. 422 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:55,560 And and I'm lucky I supplement with outside tutoring, have a scholarship that they provide 423 00:22:55,560 --> 00:23:01,360 and then grandma provides the other scholars. 424 00:23:01,360 --> 00:23:05,600 Shout out to you, grandma. 425 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:10,240 So yes, so we were just supplementing however we supplement. 426 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:14,920 Because even you know, I know this is really cliche, but at the end of the day, you're 427 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:19,720 still the you still have to figure out a way to support in the home in the community, no 428 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:25,080 matter what services they're eligible for being provided or if there's a workforce shortage, 429 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:28,840 you're still going to try to find ways to support and you use whatever means necessary. 430 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:29,840 Yes. 431 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:30,840 Thank you, grandma. 432 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:31,840 Yes. 433 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:39,040 Now, if we could also just find some BIs and CSWs and you know, if you're listening, we're 434 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,820 putting that into the universe. 435 00:23:41,820 --> 00:23:44,120 Can I ask about baby A? 436 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:45,120 Yes. 437 00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:51,800 Are they are they being supported by special education or so he's had his own kind of weird 438 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:52,800 road as well. 439 00:23:52,800 --> 00:24:00,120 So he has ADHD, but otherwise and that is still a diagnosis that causes issues, right? 440 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:06,760 Oh, but I but it's funny because I'm like, but it's just ADHD and it's just a heart defect, 441 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:07,760 right? 442 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:13,160 Because if you live in this world, ADHD does kind of become, oh, it's just ADHD. 443 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:14,880 So it I feel bad. 444 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:19,980 But he so he's bounced actually on and off IEPs. 445 00:24:19,980 --> 00:24:22,840 He's not currently on one. 446 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:27,880 He he's been interesting. 447 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,960 Elementary school, kindergarten, when we did the three year. 448 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,000 Yeah, revised after the developmental preschool. 449 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,640 They said, oh, I don't think he needs it. 450 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:39,760 And it was like, OK, yeah, I think he's good. 451 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:44,400 By the way, twice they said that and didn't provide testing. 452 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:46,920 I didn't know then that they should test. 453 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,320 So just a heads up parents testing. 454 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:54,120 But took him off. 455 00:24:54,120 --> 00:25:02,480 And then it was a couple of years later that we got auditory processing diagnosis. 456 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:03,960 And he was struggling. 457 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:07,320 And so I went back to the school and they said, oh, let's just do a five or four. 458 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:09,960 It's like, OK, well, that that'll be fine. 459 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:11,240 And so we do that. 460 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:12,680 But he's still really struggling. 461 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:13,680 So go back. 462 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:15,640 I'm like, let's let's do this. 463 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:21,360 So not even sure how somehow we like agreed because I don't even know how much testing 464 00:25:21,360 --> 00:25:22,680 they did some testing. 465 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,160 But OK, yeah, let's put him on the IP. 466 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,740 Oh, I do remember I had outside testing done. 467 00:25:28,740 --> 00:25:29,740 That's right. 468 00:25:29,740 --> 00:25:30,740 I got a neuropsych. 469 00:25:30,740 --> 00:25:31,740 Oh, like an IE. 470 00:25:31,740 --> 00:25:36,800 So I went and got a neuropsych and the neuropsych diagnosed him with a specific learning disability 471 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:37,800 and written language. 472 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:42,600 I took that to the school and they were willing to accept that. 473 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:43,600 Wow. 474 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,240 That's I remember now. 475 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,040 Memory unlocked. 476 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:51,440 So they put him back on the IP. 477 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:52,800 That again. 478 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,960 And so at that point, I also had him in outside tutoring. 479 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,800 And a year or two later, they said he's doing really, really good. 480 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:01,840 I don't think he needs an IP. 481 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:03,920 And I was like, well, that's what you think. 482 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,760 And so I go to the outside tutoring agency and I said, this is what they said. 483 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:07,760 And they're like, really? 484 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:09,880 Because that's not what our testing shows. 485 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:10,880 But can we look at their testing? 486 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:11,880 And I was like, sure. 487 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:12,880 Why not? 488 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:17,560 So I went back to the school and I said, hey, outside agency wants to see your testing. 489 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:23,320 They went, oh, testing. 490 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,360 So we did testing that they hadn't done. 491 00:26:26,360 --> 00:26:33,520 And lo and behold, not only did he still qualify for an IP, but he was previously on a written 492 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:34,520 language. 493 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:38,400 He now was on a reading, written language and math IP. 494 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:40,400 Oh, for goodness sakes. 495 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:44,680 So testing, testing parents, testing and documentation. 496 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:45,680 Yeah. 497 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:48,280 Ask for the data. 498 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:54,400 So he continued on that until this past year or so, eighth grade. 499 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:59,960 And he really, once you get to the junior high level, there's not a lot. 500 00:26:59,960 --> 00:27:05,320 If you're not in a self-contained classroom, the IP gives you the resource room for one 501 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:08,000 of your electives to do homework. 502 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:09,000 Okay. 503 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:10,000 That makes, yeah. 504 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,080 So it's not providing a lot. 505 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,040 It's not like in elementary school. 506 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:15,040 Right. 507 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:20,840 And he was doing summer school so that he could still take an extra elective. 508 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:25,280 So we had a conversation with him as well and said, what do you think? 509 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:27,280 Is this helping you to have this extra class? 510 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:30,280 And he said, no, I'm bored and they don't help me. 511 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:32,800 And I said, nice self-advocacy skills. 512 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:33,800 Okay. 513 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:35,080 Then I'll go ahead and just wait. 514 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:39,220 So I waived the IP without testing at that point. 515 00:27:39,220 --> 00:27:41,600 And he's, he really is doing pretty well. 516 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:45,760 So good for him, but I can tell when he's not medicated. 517 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:49,720 I've said that so many times. 518 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:52,400 Is he on a 504 now or nothing? 519 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:54,440 No, we just have nothing. 520 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:55,440 Yeah. 521 00:27:55,440 --> 00:28:01,280 Because there aren't, there aren't really a lot of supports that he needs at this point. 522 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:02,280 So. 523 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:03,280 Wow. 524 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:04,280 Good for baby A. 525 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:06,000 So yeah. 526 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:07,000 I'm curious. 527 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,860 This is a little bit of a pivot. 528 00:28:09,860 --> 00:28:13,120 Can you share a little bit about how you found iPoll? 529 00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:17,480 Because I have heard a very specific story and I want to go straight to the source to 530 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:18,960 see if it's true. 531 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:23,240 Well, so, so my initial finding was just doing a couple of trainings. 532 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:24,240 Okay. 533 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:25,960 So that's not the story you heard. 534 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:31,480 So I, I will tell you another parent when I was in kindergarten said, Hey, you should 535 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:32,760 go to this training. 536 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:37,880 And that was pre COVID when everybody went in person and I came in person and it was 537 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:38,880 kind of fun. 538 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,080 And there was a snack tray. 539 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:43,080 There was snacks and drinks. 540 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:46,280 And but anyway, so I'd come to a couple of those, but yes. 541 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:53,000 So like I said, when things were exploding at school and police were being called, my, 542 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:57,360 I was picking up my son on a, on a daily basis. 543 00:28:57,360 --> 00:28:59,720 And I mean, I couldn't work. 544 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,960 I mean, that was, it was, it was very difficult. 545 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:04,960 It was every moment of every day. 546 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:05,960 Yes. 547 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,560 And every time the phone rang, I still have PTSD, right? 548 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:13,240 When I see a school name on the, on my caller ID, cause it's like, we just talked about 549 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:14,240 that in a webinar. 550 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,600 Like, yeah, it's real. 551 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:18,600 And so, yes. 552 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:24,440 So one of those days that I got called to come get him yet again, I'm not sure if that 553 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:28,560 day was the day they, they called the school lockdown because he got upset and jumped on 554 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:29,560 a table. 555 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:38,640 So versus a room clear, they did a complete school facility lockdown. 556 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:44,720 So I went and got him and I brought him with me to iPol and yes, I walked in the front 557 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:52,400 door and Bill, the wonderful it guy here was sitting at the front desk and I was crying 558 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:56,040 and I said, Oh, I don't have an appointment, but I need help. 559 00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:59,920 And Ms. Sarah, who's still here was sitting in her office, which was right by the front 560 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:04,160 at the time and said, send her in here. 561 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,240 And I had talked to her, I think a couple of times on the, I had emailed a couple of 562 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:11,440 times as things were, but it was like, I'm just going to iPol. 563 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:12,440 I don't know who they are. 564 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:16,840 I mean, kind of, but you know, I'm going to walk in the door and I'm going to ask for 565 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:17,840 help. 566 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:22,160 And I sat down and I said, so I just picked him up for the millionth time and I don't 567 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,200 know what to do. 568 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:30,160 And so that kind of started my journey on, okay, let's look and see what's been done. 569 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:35,680 Let's, you know, I did at one point, I did file a state complaint because the behavior 570 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:38,640 plan was not being followed. 571 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:41,000 We had facilitated meetings. 572 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:42,760 I didn't know about facilitated meetings. 573 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:46,600 Parents thought that's an option as well. 574 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:51,040 But it was just kind of walking through here are the steps, here's what we do. 575 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:55,680 But yes, I don't think it's normal to show up crying at the office, but that's what I 576 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:56,680 did. 577 00:30:56,680 --> 00:31:02,940 But I just have to say that people often aren't reaching out to iPol on their best days. 578 00:31:02,940 --> 00:31:07,340 So when we get and that it does happen, parents just come in. 579 00:31:07,340 --> 00:31:11,800 And when that happens, we never expect them to say, look at this report card. 580 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:13,980 It's so wonderful. 581 00:31:13,980 --> 00:31:20,120 So and I know you know this, but maybe if people listening don't we everyone that works 582 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:24,320 here is a parent of a child with a disability. 583 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:30,000 So when you come in like that, it resonates with us and we're going to just try to help 584 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:34,280 you the best that we can because we've all I've walked into this office crying before 585 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:38,800 I walked in crying and Angela's like, what what happened to her? 586 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,240 And she looks at Melissa, hug her, hug her. 587 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:44,600 And they're both like, we know we've never seen you like this. 588 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:48,240 And of course, it was over an IEP eligibility meeting. 589 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:49,600 So we get we get it. 590 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:50,600 Yeah. 591 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:55,760 So it was very but and no, my problem was not solved overnight. 592 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:57,480 But I knew the steps to take. 593 00:31:57,480 --> 00:31:58,480 Right. 594 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:00,440 So documentation, right? 595 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,240 I think you say that here, right? 596 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:04,040 If it's not writing, it didn't happen. 597 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:05,040 Isn't that your Oh, yeah. 598 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,560 I you know, we've heard that before. 599 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:08,560 Are you ready? 600 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:09,560 You ready? 601 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:13,200 If you didn't put it in writing, it didn't happen. 602 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:14,680 I may have heard that. 603 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:21,680 So so many times that I learned when I came to Ipony walked in the door was like, well, 604 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:22,680 what's in writing? 605 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:23,680 It was like, right. 606 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,480 Well, it's usually me walking in the office. 607 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,560 And and I will I really wanted I thought I was trying to be nice. 608 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:30,560 Right. 609 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:31,560 Like, I don't want to blow this up. 610 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:33,120 I just want to walk into the principal's office. 611 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,600 I got really good at going into the principal's office. 612 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:39,200 I just want to walk into the principal's office and have a conversation. 613 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:41,360 And how can we make this better? 614 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:45,520 And you know, I didn't want I thought putting things in writing, doing all that was going 615 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:47,520 to make it an adversary. 616 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:48,520 Adversarial relationship. 617 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:50,880 You didn't want that. 618 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:52,800 But that's what needed to happen. 619 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:53,800 Right. 620 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:56,320 Like, I needed to have that I needed to have. 621 00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:58,480 We needed to have those facilitated meetings. 622 00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:02,480 It didn't change anything about the outcome. 623 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:04,680 I don't believe to have a facilitator. 624 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,200 It changed the behavior of the people in the room. 625 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:08,200 Right. 626 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:10,080 So everybody was nice. 627 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:14,800 It is parents, if you do it, it's a little more scary because at that point, you've also 628 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:19,040 got the regional director and you got every person that's ever supposed to show up at 629 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:24,960 an IEP meeting, but never does has made themselves available there. 630 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:28,600 So I brought my mom. 631 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:31,200 I'm single and so I don't have a significant other. 632 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:35,880 And so I, my mom didn't have any experience with IEPs and didn't, but I was like, but 633 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:37,440 you can bring someone in a note taking capacity. 634 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:39,840 I would like you to sit. 635 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:45,880 And I still remember she actually, one of the comments she made is that one of the teachers 636 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:49,600 was saying that my son was refusing to do something. 637 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:55,200 And my mom, I still remember she stopped them and said, wait, that's not a correct term. 638 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:57,840 He doesn't have the ability to do this. 639 00:33:57,840 --> 00:33:58,960 This is not a refusal. 640 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:00,440 This is not a behavior. 641 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:02,240 This is an ability issue. 642 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:06,440 And I appreciated that she was able to say that for me. 643 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:07,440 Okay. 644 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:08,440 Are you ready again? 645 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:12,820 Because all behavior, all behavior is communication. 646 00:34:12,820 --> 00:34:13,960 It wasn't refusal. 647 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:15,280 It was communication. 648 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:20,280 I do not yet have the ability to perform the skill you are requesting of me. 649 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:21,960 There you go. 650 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:24,080 I said what I said. 651 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:26,280 I'm glad that she was there. 652 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:30,600 And I will just throw out for the record that sometimes facilitation can be more than one 653 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:36,600 meeting and sometimes that second meeting can have less members than the first. 654 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:42,360 Not that all IEP meetings in general aren't stressful, but sometimes that facilitated 655 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:46,680 meeting can be even more so because there are more people in the room, but they're just 656 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:48,920 there to make sure that the meeting stays on track. 657 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:54,960 Did you get that impression though that they were a neutral third party? 658 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:58,120 The facilitator was definitely a neutral third party. 659 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:00,040 We did have more than one. 660 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:02,400 They also put time, really strict time. 661 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:03,400 Oh, really? 662 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:04,400 Yeah. 663 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:07,680 So we had a very strict, like it will end at this time. 664 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:11,680 And I knew there was no way we would get through our issues in that time period. 665 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:15,320 So I was prepared for more than one meeting. 666 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:23,400 I would say it felt more like though the school versus me as far as sitting at the table. 667 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:32,960 So the facilitator felt very neutral third party, but it felt more adversarial between. 668 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:37,000 But at the point that we had this, we were at that relationship, right? 669 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:38,880 The police had already been called multiple times. 670 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:41,000 You almost wish you would have done it sooner. 671 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:42,680 But there was a lockdown that had been called. 672 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:47,520 I mean, we were at that point. 673 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:49,840 Another pivot. 674 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:54,700 You are a member of the board of directors for Idaho Parents Unlimited. 675 00:35:54,700 --> 00:35:57,560 I'm curious if you could talk a little bit about that. 676 00:35:57,560 --> 00:35:58,640 How long you've been there? 677 00:35:58,640 --> 00:35:59,640 What do you do? 678 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:01,640 Are you hiring? 679 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:03,480 Sure. 680 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:08,320 So I am currently the vice chair and I am in my second term. 681 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:15,320 So terms are three years and I am I think a year and a half into that one. 682 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:17,440 So yeah, wow. 683 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,200 So it's been what, four and a half years? 684 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:26,000 And it was just it really was shortly after all of this happened. 685 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:31,360 And I will help me to get my son into a much better position. 686 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:37,260 I also own the sensory place here in Boise and I opened that again because of my son. 687 00:36:37,260 --> 00:36:41,840 And you know, I'm honestly partly was because holding a regular job when you got a kid with 688 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:45,000 a million stuff going on is really difficult. 689 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:46,000 Absolutely. 690 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:52,380 So working for myself, I now don't make any money, but I can take my kid to 20 appointments 691 00:36:52,380 --> 00:36:54,800 and be available if I need to run to school. 692 00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:55,800 Right. 693 00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:56,800 So we do that. 694 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:02,680 But it was shortly after I opened up the sensory place and I was no longer having to pick my 695 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:09,080 son up every day and I was reading all of the iPoll newsletters and everything that 696 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:12,680 came out because at this point it was like this is my source of information. 697 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:13,680 You were a groupie. 698 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:15,360 I was a groupie. 699 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:18,160 And I saw a thing that said, hey, we're looking for board members. 700 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:20,520 And I was like, that's what I'm going to do. 701 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:22,440 I'm going to join the board. 702 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:27,600 So I filled out an application and got a call and I said, sure, come join us. 703 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:29,720 I was like, well, that sounds fun. 704 00:37:29,720 --> 00:37:36,680 So then, yeah, and I kind of, I really have, I hope I've jumped in and tried to do a lot 705 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:37,680 because I pull is out. 706 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:43,600 I mean, it really was a night and day changer for me. 707 00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:44,740 Just knowing the steps, right? 708 00:37:44,740 --> 00:37:49,520 I needed to know those steps and learning. 709 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:54,200 I use all the acronyms now for both the Medicaid system and the school system, but I didn't 710 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:55,980 before, right? 711 00:37:55,980 --> 00:37:57,260 And it's really confusing. 712 00:37:57,260 --> 00:38:03,440 And so being able to reach out, I know what I put, we talk about that people become your 713 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:04,440 person, right? 714 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:05,680 So for a long time, Sarah was my person. 715 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:10,160 So yeah, I'm, I appreciate that you guys no longer use your personal cell phones because 716 00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:14,560 I was one of those people that would text her and be like, Hey, can you help me with 717 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:15,560 like XYZ? 718 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:16,560 Right. 719 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:20,120 And so I probably didn't give her the space she needed either. 720 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:25,200 But anyway, so I wanted to give back because I had, I had taken, right? 721 00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:27,920 And it was like, well, let me, let me give back. 722 00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:29,920 So that's what I do. 723 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:32,200 We did just recruit a whole bunch of new board members. 724 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:34,880 I'm super, super excited who just are coming on the board. 725 00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:37,320 We just voted them in the last meeting. 726 00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:40,160 So the next one will be their first like meeting with us. 727 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:42,000 Oh, I didn't realize that. 728 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,160 So we next one. 729 00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:50,760 So we are doing, so at this point we are recruiting, but we won't bring people on again until the 730 00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:51,760 spring. 731 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:52,760 Okay. 732 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:56,440 So I know people are, will are please send us your stuff. 733 00:38:56,440 --> 00:39:01,880 Just know that it, you wouldn't officially join for until the spring time plan. 734 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:05,040 We're trying to do that more on a regular basis so we can provide some training. 735 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:06,040 Oh, wow. 736 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:11,700 I know we're trying to get all official around here, but bringing, we were bringing people 737 00:39:11,700 --> 00:39:13,840 on sporadically and then to give training. 738 00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:15,000 You can't, it was hard. 739 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:16,720 So yeah, you got to do it in batches, right? 740 00:39:16,720 --> 00:39:18,640 So we're trying to make it a little more official. 741 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:24,480 If you're listening in Eastern Idaho, we could really use some Eastern Idaho and some North 742 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:26,280 Idaho. 743 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:27,520 We love all of you here. 744 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:31,180 I'm from the treasure valley and we love everybody in the treasure valley, but that's the easiest 745 00:39:31,180 --> 00:39:33,680 for the recruitment purposes. 746 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:38,840 And we really want representation from everywhere because situations differ. 747 00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:42,960 I mean, I've loved, I've, I've heard this before and it's always been lovingly about 748 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:45,200 the great state of Ada, right? 749 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:50,320 There are other places that have other barriers and other things to talk about. 750 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:53,400 And we need you here to express that. 751 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:59,720 So we know because the information that you as board members present and give trickles 752 00:39:59,720 --> 00:40:06,920 down to the staff and parent education coordinators like me who hear this and say, oh wow, that 753 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:12,400 is an issue that I've seen in this particular school district or in this region of the state. 754 00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:17,240 And I wonder if there's any, any training that we can do or anything that we can provide. 755 00:40:17,240 --> 00:40:23,560 So like I said before, people aren't calling us because they're happy, but we also, we 756 00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:28,460 also really benefit as an organization from knowing what's happening in these pockets 757 00:40:28,460 --> 00:40:33,520 in these communities because at I-Pole there aren't any remote staff right now. 758 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:36,040 We're all in treasure valley. 759 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:41,160 We're all here at the office so we don't have those dealers out all the time. 760 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:43,760 So the more support we can get, we're here for it. 761 00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:44,760 Yes. 762 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:46,840 And, and keep that in mind too. 763 00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:53,440 We I now say we as an I-Pole board member, but we are all over the state and I think 764 00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:55,700 sometimes people don't realize that. 765 00:40:55,700 --> 00:41:04,680 So just because our office is in Boise doesn't mean that you can't call us from, I'm trying 766 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:06,040 to think a name of a town. 767 00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:07,040 Bonner County. 768 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:08,040 There you go. 769 00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:09,040 Sammon, Idaho. 770 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:14,720 You know, and, and I have, I have had that also just to tag on real quick where people 771 00:41:14,720 --> 00:41:18,680 will say, well, are you, are you still doing in-person trainings? 772 00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:19,680 And you know what? 773 00:41:19,680 --> 00:41:26,140 We'll go, I would say 95% of the time we will always go if we can when we're invited. 774 00:41:26,140 --> 00:41:33,240 But if we just show up, even if we promote it, if there's not a need, you know, if we 775 00:41:33,240 --> 00:41:37,360 don't know about it, then we just show up and maybe people don't come and we've traveled 776 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:39,840 and we just want to make it way more purposeful. 777 00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:44,360 So if you're an educator or a parent and you're listening and you know, and you want us, we'll 778 00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:45,360 be there. 779 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:47,360 We're statewide, right? 780 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:48,360 Yes. 781 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:49,360 Yes. 782 00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:56,040 Any parting thoughts or anything you wish you would have known sooner or? 783 00:41:56,040 --> 00:42:02,360 Well, I think one thing just to add on most all of our conversation has been around the 784 00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:03,360 educational side. 785 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:07,860 And then, you know, I threw in a little bit on the Medicaid, but I didn't know initially 786 00:42:07,860 --> 00:42:15,480 that I pull also does all of the training for parents around healthcare, Medicaid, developmental 787 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:18,280 disabilities programs. 788 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:20,420 And I don't know that everybody out there knows that. 789 00:42:20,420 --> 00:42:26,620 So if, if say you go to your doctor, right, and your doctor says, Hey, well, your kid's 790 00:42:26,620 --> 00:42:32,680 autistic or X, Y, Z. And so you qualify for this program and you're like, I don't have 791 00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:34,640 a clue what you're talking about. 792 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:40,680 You can call I pull and they'll start you with, they can help you with both that medical 793 00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:44,920 side and the educational side that you're going to need. 794 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:46,000 Absolutely. 795 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:51,700 Thank you for that shameless plug because, and also I think another thing just tagging 796 00:42:51,700 --> 00:42:58,680 onto what you just said is that I've, people are often surprised when I say, well, everything 797 00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:00,400 that you tell me is confidential. 798 00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:05,760 It's, it's not, you would have to sign a release of information for me to talk to anybody. 799 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:12,720 So don't be worried or concerned that we are working with the school district or we're 800 00:43:12,720 --> 00:43:15,780 working with providers and not at all. 801 00:43:15,780 --> 00:43:18,400 We are our own nonprofit. 802 00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:20,240 We're part of IDEA. 803 00:43:20,240 --> 00:43:25,640 We're also the family to family health information center, but we're not in with any school districts 804 00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:26,780 or anything like that. 805 00:43:26,780 --> 00:43:31,480 So when you talk to us that that communication goes no further than this office. 806 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:32,480 Right? 807 00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:38,520 Well, and I think just to add to that too, when we talk about doing facilitation and 808 00:43:38,520 --> 00:43:42,920 calling the state department of ed to get that going, I've heard parents say, oh, obviously 809 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:46,840 they're going to be on the side of the school district, you know, and I don't, I hate sides. 810 00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:47,840 Right? 811 00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:48,840 Right. 812 00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:49,840 Because it's about the child. 813 00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:53,560 But that's not what the state department of education, they're not, when you call them, 814 00:43:53,560 --> 00:44:01,400 they're not like, oh, we're on this, you know, you might anyway, they're not the side of 815 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:02,400 the district. 816 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:03,400 They're not a side. 817 00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:09,560 They're this third party who helps facilitate things like facilitation and making sure that 818 00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:16,600 their job is to make sure that schools are being compliant with the legal requirements. 819 00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:18,640 So just keep that in mind. 820 00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:20,740 But it is also all local control. 821 00:44:20,740 --> 00:44:26,160 So the, and I know that not everybody knows that either in Idaho, every district gets 822 00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:28,040 to kind of make their own rules. 823 00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:33,040 They have to comply, but more on that later. 824 00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:34,040 Okay. 825 00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:38,480 Well, before we go, I just want to say sensory place. 826 00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:40,800 Uh, amazing. 827 00:44:40,800 --> 00:44:46,640 Every time I go, there's new stuff, stuff my children have not played with before. 828 00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:48,320 There's more than one bathroom. 829 00:44:48,320 --> 00:44:54,520 I don't know why that's such a huge draw for me, but it is, there's a small trampoline, 830 00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:56,800 a large trampoline slides, a zip line. 831 00:44:56,800 --> 00:45:01,040 You can have birthday parties there if you've never been. 832 00:45:01,040 --> 00:45:05,960 Oh, before also, can you talk a little bit about how you can use? 833 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:07,560 Oh, your family. 834 00:45:07,560 --> 00:45:08,560 Yes. 835 00:45:08,560 --> 00:45:09,560 Yeah. 836 00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:14,600 So yeah, the sensory places approved through Idaho's developmental disabilities program. 837 00:45:14,600 --> 00:45:19,120 If you have gone the family direct route and again, we use acronyms here. 838 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:22,120 So if you don't know what that means, give us a call. 839 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:23,120 If I pull a call. 840 00:45:23,120 --> 00:45:27,920 Um, but if you've gone that route, um, they do require that your child is currently in 841 00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:29,880 occupational therapy. 842 00:45:29,880 --> 00:45:34,720 And that's because we are seen as a supplement to occupational therapy, um, because everything 843 00:45:34,720 --> 00:45:37,960 you're going to find at the sensory place, you would find it your occupational therapy 844 00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:38,960 office. 845 00:45:38,960 --> 00:45:44,520 So we bring you all of that specialized equipment so you don't have to buy it for home. 846 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:48,560 And try to find a place to hang a swing in a trampoline and whatever else. 847 00:45:48,560 --> 00:45:56,600 Um, anyway, so as long as you have, um, occupational therapy, then you can put, um, we call them 848 00:45:56,600 --> 00:45:58,360 sessions cause that's like health. 849 00:45:58,360 --> 00:46:00,360 That's how health and welfare wants to see it. 850 00:46:00,360 --> 00:46:03,680 It just means every time you come right is a session. 851 00:46:03,680 --> 00:46:08,000 Um, then you can put how many ever annual sessions you want on your plan. 852 00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:11,720 And then I bill it quarterly cause again, that's a health and welfare rule. 853 00:46:11,720 --> 00:46:14,140 Um, but yeah, you can reach out. 854 00:46:14,140 --> 00:46:17,640 We have, I've set up a specific email for it. 855 00:46:17,640 --> 00:46:21,800 So it's family direct at the sensory place.com. 856 00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:27,880 Just remember places spelled P L A Y C E cause we like to play. 857 00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:32,680 And I will also put the link to that email in the description of this podcast too, so 858 00:46:32,680 --> 00:46:34,400 you can find it there. 859 00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:35,400 Well thank you. 860 00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:36,400 Thank you. 861 00:46:36,400 --> 00:46:43,000 I mean it. 862 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:46,040 Thank you so much everyone out there for listening in. 863 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:52,960 If you're in Idaho or planning on moving to Idaho and have any questions on systems or 864 00:46:52,960 --> 00:47:00,720 services for children with disabilities, please reach out to us on our website at ipulidaho.org. 865 00:47:00,720 --> 00:47:05,040 That's I P U L Idaho.org. 866 00:47:05,040 --> 00:47:10,560 Be sure to come back next time until then I'm Allison and this has been unlimited parenting. 867 00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:11,560 Thanks for listening. 868 00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:15,300 I'm nay