A few months ago I went to my daughter Ellen’s annual review. Twice a year I sit with her caseworkers, teachers, house parents, OT and PT people and we discuss Ellen. Being Ellen has many disabilities, and needs an advocate, I act as that advocate, speaking in her behalf.
At the last review, we discussed the fact that Ellen was being taught how to handle money. Ellen can’t count, can’t manipulate either coins or bills, and can’t speak. Yet the good people at the state level think she should be taught to count!
Being a sport myself: I went along with it for a certain amount of time, then that time was over. The state however didn’t know that. My fervent hope is that Ellen doesn’t get a job with the agency that thought up the idea, as an accountant. If she is handling their money, then I will be her personal coach and we will have a grand old time counting the money together! One for the state, one for me. Two for the state, One, Two for me! And so it will go.
Anyway I inquired as her advocate, why they were wasting her time with the nonsense of teaching her to count.
“Well Mr. Del Broggolo, the state mandates it!”
“You mean to say, that the state makes you guys try to teach her to count, frustrate her, and then complain that she is non-compliant, and create a whole new program just to get her to cooperate!”
So I went to the Board of Directors of my agency to discuss this abnormality. Being things are done with the State, abnormality means all is normal with the state.
“I will write a letter to the head of the state agency (I won’t mention his name, because his mother may be still alive, and don’t want her to know she raised a stupid kid.), whoever that is.”
I get a name, and I write a letter. I write it slowly, because they may be slow readers. (Want me to repeat that?)
Finally after months, I get a response! In the form of two phone calls they assure me that they will correct the situation! For now on, since the father is questioning the sense of the individual service program, all individuals will be assessed of their abilities and then we will stop annoying these people, and their cranky fathers.
3 comments:
Laura learned with Ava that you never stop advocating for your kids. Doctors are basically good people, but sometimes their egos interfere with the reality that other people have intelligence too, especially parents who spend 24/7 with their kids and sometimes know what's better for them than the doctors.
Good for you and good for Ellen.
ss-i-l
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