Government Agencies vs. Pharma companies

A few years ago, the A-man participated in a study to determine how informed he (and I) were with respect to ADHD and the effects of medication. It was a government agency that was running this study. We drove to the city to participate in it because I knew they would be able to give us a bit of a snap-shot psycho-ed assessment.
The A-man and I were there for a couple of hours. At the end of the entire event, I think I received a cheque for $45 to cover the cost of parking and my participation in the study. The A-man received a cheque for $25. Now, we didn't do this study for the money - we did it because we thought it would help this agency.

This afternoon we had the marketing company come to our house to film us for an information DVD. Two guys - interviewer and cameraman - came to our house. They set up their camera, got the lighting situated just so, and interviewed each of us. Total time they were at the house was about an hour and a half. (That included all of the set up, each of the interviews, then the tear down.)
When we were just about finished, I had to sign some release forms for the interview portions, and to indicate that we knew we would be receiving payment for our participation. I was expecting a nominal amount - I had never asked about it, to be honest. I knew the information that was sent to us did indicate we would be reimbursed for our time - but again, I was expecting a nominal amount.

Yeah - here is the kicker:

• Government agency takes about 2 hours of your time, you pay for parking and make arrangements to get yourself there; $70.
• Pharma company meets you at the location of your choice, takes less than half an hour of your time and films you for a DVD; $300.

EACH!

(I just about fell off the couch when I read that on the form. The A-man and S feel like they are rich now... They want to film DVD all of the time!!)

Wow - ya think they have much money?

It went well!

The A-man is totally pumped about his "Hospitality & Tourism" class. The first cooking section they are going to cover is baking, and he is going to learn how to make an apple pie. I have no idea what other types of items they are going to be making, though - he was really focused on the pie! (lol)
Actually, he did tell me that they had an ISU (individual study unit) where they needed to learn a little bit about a country of choice, then present the information they learned while preparing a dish from said country. The A-man thought he would like to prepare sushi.
Yeah - not only is it a very expensive food choice, but also not an easy one for a beginner chef. Hmmm.... maybe this could be a Mother/Son experiment - we could learn together! I will have to suggest that to him.

S did very well for his first day. Well, at least he told me that he did - which for him is always the most important thing. He got to meet the new principal - he thought she seemed nice - and he has a couple of friends in his class, which is always a good thing.
After supper last night, we went through his agenda and wrote in the days that he has to pack his gym clothes, pizza days, that sort of thing. I told him I would fill in the month of September but it was up to him to do the rest of the months. I highly doubt he will do it, but my thought is that if I keep showing him the steps, maybe eventually, he will pick them up too. BIG maybe there.

Last night I started to read an article of executive dysfunction of the brain, and then after I had read the same paragraph at least three times, I realized I was simply too tired to be able to absorb anything. I slept like a log, but had odd dreams. Very odd dreams. This morning it was tough to drag myself out of bed.

Today is the day that the boys and I are interviewed for the ADHD Information DVD. I didn't share the details of the interview until last night. As I expected, the two of them got very excited and started acting a bit goofy. The A-man suddenly developed an English accent. I have no idea what country S was supposed to be from. I laughed when the producer called me and said they were just going to Google how to get to our house. Try explaining to someone from the city that although you really do have an address, it is simply too obscure for Mapquest to find. I really don't think she believed me.

I am working this coming weekend - another music event for a client. It is going to be really long days (13 hour shifts!!) but I think it will be fun. The weather is supposed to be really hot, but since we are going to be working outside until midnight each night, we are going to have to bring the gammet with respect to clothing. I will NOT be going in to the office on Monday.

Let the games begin...

Hubby and I discovered over the weekend, it was not exactly the best of times to start the reduction of S's anxiety medication. We will try again in a couple of weeks - once the 'excitement' of beginning a new school year is over.
He didn't exactly have a major melt down yesterday, but it was gearing up to be a good one. Hubby was able to head it off at the pass.

I think both boys are quite excited about the start of a new school year, all things considered. Yes, S did have a bit of a melt down yesterday (as we knew he would) but he was up early this morning -before I woke him - and he's been talking non-stop since. "8th grade privilege" and "on the first day of school last year..."
The A-man's alarm went off at 6:30 (!!) and he didn't take too long to actually turn it off and start moaning about getting out of bed. He isn't a morning person - gets that from his Mom - therefore he realizes he needs time, at his pace, to do what he likes/needs to do in the morning. It has taken me a number of years to be able to relinquish control enough to allow him this time and space, but it really did work for him last year. I'm pretty sure his new-found maturity level also helped greatly with this.

Yesterday, when we were leaving the cottage, S told me that he and his brother and their three friends from the cottage had a big group hug as a way of saying good-bye to summer. Coping, learning and growing, I guess.

The start of another school year. I hope (and pray) it's finally a good one.

...and off again...

I am really looking forward to a full three day weekend of some serious R&R.

We will likely cut the day short on Monday, though, just to make sure we have all the 'back to school' hoopla taken care of. That's supposed to be the nicest day of the weekend, naturally.

Just got a text from Hubby - the waterskis I purchased (and then they broke!!) have been replaced, and he also purchased new running shoes for the A-man. Two more "things to do" that I can cross of my weekend list. This is a good thing.

I am working a bit later than usual today - have some press releases, etc. that need to get out - but then I will have a couple of uninterupted hours to finish with laundry, bedmaking with clean, crisp sheets, and general household tidy before my Mom comes to pick me up.

I think I will do the big groccery shop on Monday afternoon on our way home from the cottage. This is the only good thing about living in a tourist area - all stores are still open even when it's a statutory holiday. Due to the whole listeria breakout, I am not quite sure how I will approach the whole lunchmeat issue. I think I will buy a roast and simply use my meat slicer to provide protein for the boys' lunches. No more processed meats for them. At all. EVER again.

Big shame, however, is that Cuz's son (the R-man's younger brother) works for the company that has been affected by this breakout. Still not sure if his actual plant has been affected, though, because he works strictly with chickens, not processed foods. Supposed to be seeing the R-man tonight so I hope to get more information then.

A good meeting

At lunch time, I went to meet the new Principal. She was younger than I was expecting. I have no idea why I was expecting an older lady, but for whatever reason, I was.

I was very pleased to see that she had S's student record on her desk, and as we sat and chatted, she went through various sections of the record. Every now and then she would ask questions specific to the section she was looking at - such as suspensions.
It was pretty obvious from the start of the meeting that she has some educational background in special education. She knew things about Aspergers that the average teacher wouldn't now - unless they have either taught such a child, or had some formal training. I wasn't sure which is was until she made a few comments about his LD's, and his ADHD. Then I knew.

YES! (It really does help with the Principal has a good grasp of the issues.)

I was able to address my concerns about the EA and how Hubby and I had our reservations about her formal training. I used the fractured thumb incident as a "for example." The very first thing she said after I told her about that was, "Well, that is the worst thing you could say to a child like S - it would have made him even more anxious."
My heart did yet another happy dance.

I was told that funding has been cut (typical) and she would see what she could do to move the EA's around. For now, though, S will have the same EA as last year.
I also asked about the French teacher - were we going to have the same one? Answer - No. (yippeeee!!)
The Principal then told me that the SERT has requested to offer a Social Skills class, and would I be willing to have S participate in that? (Hmmm.... child with Aspergers and a Social Skills class - would that be helpful??) Of course I said that I would be pleased to have him take such a class, and then I was informed that the class would be offered at the same time of day as French would be. HA!
The SERT couldn't get S exempt from taking French, but she has come up with a viable way to have him excused from the class! :o)

I left the school feeling very positive.

Tonight, I had a minor anxiety attack when I couldn't locate S's records binder.
This binder is over two inches thick, and has to be upgraded to the next binder size. It is full of information pertaining to S - complete with his pshyco-educational report, all doctors reports, reports from his OT, his Play Therapist, all report cards, suspensions, letters to the school...in other words, it is not something you want to lose. I checked two spots then found it in the third.
When I had started to reorganize the boy's homework cabinet - putting away all the new school supplies - I found a number of pieces that needed to be filed in each boy's binder. I knew exactly where the A-man's was, but for some reason S's wasn't where it should have been.
Crisis has been diverted - now I just need to get a big binder and more sheet protectors.

(yes, I am a geek, I know...)

My bully wish

The Bully Factor.
It would appear that it is a part of life, regardless of where you live. My dear friend Bear shared a blog excerpt with me today. It was written by a young man living with both bipolar and Aspergers.

In his blog he explained the vicious cycle whereby being a child with Aspergers caused the bulling, which caused the anxiety, which caused post traumatic stress, which then aggravated his bipolar, which then brought out even more Asperger symptoms. What a sad, sad, never ending cycle.
I'm not sure if his parents/guardians were aware of what he was going through when it was happening, but they must have been. How could they not? He was in a fight so bad that he ended up with a broken jaw!

If I could be granted just one wish, it wouldn't be that all bullying stopped - I think that would be next to impossible.
My wish would be that all people were educated about the seriousness, the full detrimental effect that bullying, teasing, and tormenting can have on a person. I do believe that the bully often times believes they are 'just having fun' and not truly aware of how their so-called 'fun' can be at the (very serious) expense of another human's mental well-being. If THAT awareness could be raised, I think the world might just be a better place.

If I could add an additional educational tag to this wish, I would also wish that all parents have the knowledge, the time and the willingness to do battle against a bully and the yeast that allows this spawn to continue to ferment.
Last Spring I spoke to the mother of a girl that was actually not in school for the last two months of the year because it was just easier than going through the proper channels to make the bully stop. I was so upset by this.
My feeling was that rather than showing her daughter that she was there to help her, she (in my opinion) was simply showing her, "Well, I can't do anything about it. Just stay home and avoid that group of girls."
I tried to educate this Mom in to the "proper procedures" that need to be followed within the board; basically how to work the system to her advantage. She listened to what I suggested, but I'm sure she was thinking, "That is just too much work." It was simply easier to keep the girl home.

Education. That is my wish.

Will wonders never cease?

I got an email from S's SERT this morning - wanting to let me know that she was going to do her best to ensure that S has a good 'transitional' year - year between elementary school and high school. She also wanted to get some information about the series of events that unfolded at the end of the school year when she was on jury duty.
The strangest of all - she sent that email at about 11 o'clock at night.

I am going to call the new Principal this morning to go over some things. I have resolved that S will not have an underqualified EA this year. There has to be one SOMEWHERE in this Board that has the qualifications the doctor so clearly defined. I want that EA in our school.
~~
I've been up since 5:30 this morning. Too much going on in this head of mine. Between work and the looming first day of school, my stomach is just in knots.
S deserves to have a good year at school. He really truly does. In my reply email to the SERT, I indicated that neither of my sons will ever "look fondly back at their years in elementary school."
How sad it that? 10 years they spent at that school, and neither will have any positive memories. I don't know that things would have been different had we changed schools... and it's too late now to ponder that. Of course, Mommy guilt will always make me wonder...