Dan. We've spoken several times about what your family is going through and the issues you have had to face with the public school system. I've told you in private how much I admire your fortitude and determination and that a weaker individual would have crumbled under the stress and pressure. Now, I can publicly state the same! You are amazing!!!

Raising children is hard, raising and teaching children with special needs is insurmountable for many families and certainly such for mainstream public education.

I dealt with learning disabilities with my son all through school. The schools kept passing the buck to me and loading my son up with more and more home work every night in hope that I can teach him, and they took less responsibility for his education. He was on an individual learning plan and the district was receiving federal money because of it. He was getting 'F'*' in most classes and yet they still passed him on to the next grade. Finally I had enough and told the school district that they need to hold him back to give him an opportunity to catch up. When they district told me that holding him back would be bad socially for him and would stigmatize him, I was pissed. When I insisted and the arrogantly told me that they know what'* best for my son, I went nuclear. At that meeting I slid a piece of paper on to the table and told all there to write down their names and addresses. When I was asked why, I said my attorney will need to know where to send the notices to appear for deposition for the suit. Amazingly they decided that need to look at this further and later that week I received a notice that they would be holding my son back. I later found out that by failing my son, the district lost that federal money and had to pay it back because they were not successful. Grrrrrrrrr

In my case the school district holds the responsibility for not educating my son, based on his needs. I have proof that they didn't, because I did enroll my soon in a private national tutoring agency (Sylvan Learning) and in a year, they got his reading and comprehension from a 4th grade level to an 8th grade level in a year!

Contacting an attorney worked for me....maybe it might work for you.

Thanks for the thread.....I've got your back!

One of the great things about Forums like ours is not only the engines and cars we learn to maintain and Mod, but the friends and support we find for dealing with the rest of our life'* interests and problems. Hang in there Dan and always remember it may only show on a monitor, but we're are here for you and each other.

We are now turning up the heat. My wife contacted the school director and informed her that they are no longer allowed to use CPI holds on our son. We are now looking in to getting a mediator from the disabilities rights group in to force the school to do what needs to be done and stop making excuses.

I informed them they don't know what they are doing. They insist they do. They wont listen or take advice form someone that spends 24/7 with the kid. The most dangerous people in the world are those that insist they are right, you are wrong, and never listen. I went to collage for this, I know everything, your just a stupid parent. I'm sorry, you never know everything. I've been working on cars for nearly 40 years, and I learn new stuff every day.

Dan, I am blown away after reading these posts. If you can excuse my ignorance, what is a CPI hold?
Schools now just want money, they don't care about the safety or education of our kids. I've never understood autism, and have probably had the "bad parents" thoughts when seeing the kids act out. As an HVAC tech, I am in alot of different homes and meet alot of different people everyday. I had a paradigm shift when I first walked in a home with an autistic child, after talking to the mom for well over an hour about Autism I left with my eyes opened. I personally don't feel I could be strong enough to deal with it and keep a level head, I guess you never know your character until it'* tested. Dan, I don't know how you balance Tristan and his needs with work and your shows and the needs of the forum. Good luck with the court dates. We are just a bunch of loonies that have a love affair with a grocery getter but I think the forum makes us alot more like a family

Siggy'd!

I don't recall what the letters stand for, but it'* a hold where in my opinion, they sit on you. Think of it this way, they grab you from behind, wrap your arms around you, then sit down with you squished up in a ball.

CPI refers to the Crisis Prevention Institute. They developed non violent means to deal with people in crisis, as well as training programs etc.

Ya, non violent, how freaked out do you think a kid is when a bunch of adults are preventing him from moving. There are a several kids that have died when in a CPI hold. Young bodies should not be held in a way the restricts breathing. Not to mention the post traumatic stress. They did this to my daughter last year and she still has problems. She will freak is you come up behind her. I was surprised to find out that a criminal in prison, or a person in a mental hospital has more rights protecting them from these holds then your kids do in school. They said they are trained. I informed them so am I, and my training is better. I was trained in felony take downs and restraint. we were trained that you never hold in a way that inflicts pain, the person can panic and make it worse. You also never keep a person face down because they can suffocate. The bruising I've seen on both my kids tells me they don't know how to maintain reasonable control. I've been training for 20 years, I'm sorry, a 2 hour course is not training.