Krissa to Team 6-3:

I'm e-mailing to check in on Robyn and make sure everything is going OK while I'm out of town. I'll be coming back this weekend.

Robyn has reported no homework to me this week - I hope that's correct! She's also been showing her agenda to her step-dad, Dean, at home. She says she has a Math test Thursday. She reports that the only thing she's had trouble with while I've been away is taking care of her hair. I hope that's true, too!

If there have been any behavior problems or anything else you would like me to know about, please let me know by e-mail.

Krissa to Mrs. Mathteacher

Robyn never did bring home the math book CD for Dean to burn a copy of. I think that she, of all people, would benefit enormously from having a copy of this book at ready access. Did she return the CD she checked out? Is it still possible for her to bring home a copy of it?

Also, how are things going in Math class this week? Robyn has reported no homework -- I'm feeling skeptical about this. Is it true? How is Robyn doing in computer lab? Is she completing the sections she ought to be completing? Is there anything else I should know? (I'm feeling out of the loop this week).

Thanks for all your great work!

Robyn checked out CD #323 and it has not been returned.  It would definitely be helpful for her to have the book at ready access.

Robyn has not turned in homework two times this  six weeks.  The assignments were on September 28th workbook pages 21-22 and on October 5th workbook pages 27-28.  She has 3 components of the decimal module that need to be completed.

Krissa to Mrs. Mathteacher

Thanks for your help. Robyn has told me she didn't have any homework this week. She's been showing Dean her agenda and he has not seen any homework assignments.

Mrs. Finley suggested that we have Robyn turn in her homework assignments in an envelope prepared at home at the beginning of the day to help her get them in. If she's not doing them, though, that won't really help.

Mr. Socialstudiesteacher to Krissa

Krissa,  Robyn has been doing great academically.  Yesterday she had a bit of a meltdown.  She was telling students to shut up accross the class and it became quite disruptive.  I moved a few of the students and she continued to disrupt class.  She kept kicking the desks in front of her.  She removed herself and made a trip to talk to Ms. Jenkins in guidance.  I do not know what the issue was.  Thanks.

Krissa to Mr. Socialstudiesteacher

I so much appreciate your letting me know about this.When I specifically asked her yesterday if she had had any problems at school, she said, "No." When I repeated the question, she again said, "No." So you can see why I rely on you all to let me know what problems she's having. I'm sorry that you and the other students had to deal with this disruption in the classroom.

Apparently (or so I'm told) Asperger Syndrome is sometimes characterized by brief (but possibly frequent) periods of oppositional or tantrum-like behavior (meltdowns), which then seem to sort of "wear off" and the child goes back to a state of more or less passive compliance. Robyn has always shown this pattern of behavior (even as an infant), and though it doesn't make it OK and I'm continually working with her on ways to avoid this behavior, it helps me to know it's part of a set of behaviors that have been observed in other children with autistic spectrum disorders.

When I talked to Robyn after school yesterday, she said she was very sleepy. I know that Dean has not had as much success getting her to bed on time as we'd like. I have noticed Robyn is more susceptible to these breakdowns when she's low on sleep.

I'm glad she removed herself to Mrs. Jenkins. I wish she had done it before she melted down. I will speak to her about this and impose some consequences when I get back into town.

Mrs. Guidancecounselor to Krissa

I just wanted to let you know about a situation yesterday.  I think Mr. Rausch already emailed you about what happened in class.  She calmed down fine and we talked some.  I sent her on to lunch and then she came back, we talked some more and then she went to the next period class.  She did not go back to the class where the problem occured.  After school I was told there was another incident.  She must have just been having a bad day.  She was
blowing her trombone in kids faces in bus hall.  She also released her spit valve on the floor.  I think she was encouraged by the other kids to do this.  I wasn't there so I'm not exactly sure of the chain of events but I think that was mostly what happened.

Then today she came down on her own to tell me about a boy she is having issues with.  I think we got that worked out ok.  It didn't seem like too big of a deal.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Krissa to Mrs. Guidancecounselor

Thanks for letting me know about these events so that I can speak to Robyn. Yesterday I asked her twice if she had any problems at school and she said, "No." Apparently, she's also failed to hand in homework twice already this six weeks, even though every time I've asked her about homework she's insisted unequivocally that she didn't have any.

Yesterday when I spoke to her on the telephone (before I knew about all these other things) she talked about being exceedingly sleepy and tired. She does seem more susceptible to these breakdowns when she's tired. Also, it's getting to be time for her period again, which she has every three weeks (2 weeks off, 1 week on) -- I'm not trying to excuse her behavior, of course, but to give you the heads up on some conditions that may make it more difficult.

This morning, though, after a good night's sleep, she told Dean that all the other kids in her school were "idiots." We do not let her say such things about other people. There's no telling what's going on inside her head or outside of it in the social environment. I'm very dismayed to hear about her misuse of her trombone. It's not like Robyn to do things like empty the spit valve in an inappropriate place, but because she's so naive in certain ways, she would be very vulnerable to pressure from other kids to do something like that. She'd like the payoff of the attention from the other kids. I do think she's doing the blowing of her own volition, and that's not acceptable. We will certainly impose some consequences for that behavior. She knows how dangerous it is.

I hate to have to be away. The truth is, though, this kind of thing happens whether I'm in town or not. I've been stuck on my dissertation for years because I've not been able to leave her alone long enough to go to the archives and to my research. Cornell has given me two more years to wrap it up, and then they're cutting me loose. So I've got to go away some. Dean's a fantastic step-dad, but he can't order her around a lot without compromising the quality of their relationship. She needs me to stand there and be the drill sergeant.

I don't think any of her teachers have yet recognized how really very bright she is. Her oppositional temperament and her resistance to doing and handing in homework have made her abilities invisible. She's also really very sweet, though it's sometimes hard to see that. I fear that to her teachers, she just looks like a bad and sloppy kid. They must think I'm a terrible mom.

I appreciate everything you have done and are doing - your presence and openness to Robyn has helped her tremendously. Still, her mama (me) is feeling very discouraged at this point. Until this year, I've hoped and tried to believe that we could make her be normal enough to make it in the public school system. Since 6th grade started, I'm less and less sure. I spent the morning crying my eyes out over this child. I didn't go to the library to do my research today because I'm so upset about this. I care about it far more than she does. She wants to have friends, and she wants to have straight As, but she doesn't want to conform to anyone else's standards in order to have those things. At least that's how it seems to me.

Thanks for listening to Robyn and me,

Krissa