Special Needs and this area (Johnson City: 2009, renting, insurance)

[ljay42]

There always seems (to me) to be a large percentage of posts from people who want to move to this area that have somebody in their family that has "special needs". I don't read the forums for other parts of the country but is that the norm these days..? To have at least one family member with some type of special education, treatment, etc need? I'm not talking about retired people. I'm speaking of families with children of any age living at home.

Is there something about this area that attracts these families? I've seen this area touted as a good area for golfers, blacks, gays, and a few other groups (welcome one and all ) but is this area known nationally as being a good place for families with special needs?

And of course the bigger question is, are most of these special needs really special or that needy? 2/3'rds of the adults I know take some sort of prozac or other pill to get them through the day..if that wasn't available I suspect they would still be able to get through life but now they have a special need because of their "___________" - fill in the blank with whatever their reason is for taking prescription drugs. I don't take drugs..I don't care if they take drugs. I'm just not convinced they need to take drugs but I know most of them enjoy what they take and that's fine too.

Would we really have all these special needs if we didn't have pharmaceutical companies and psychiatrists and specialists telling us they can treat whatever we have even if it's not a real problem? Would kids need Ritalin if we kicked them outside to play and didn;t let them back in except for lunch and dinner? That's how we took care of nervous, can't sit still and focus energy, back in the day...I'd be willing to bet it still works. Got a speech impediment? Move to Rhode Island..you'll fit right in (that's a joke people). If it really came right down to it, couldn't we just "walk it off" when it comes to most special needs these days? Or perhaps this is all an extension of wanting some type of special attention...? Or maybe dual income homes..?

Growing up in larger city schools, only a small group of kids were tagged with special needs and they held hands going to the lunchroom. Sure there were a bunch of others who were a pain in the a** for one reason or another...billy was always hitting kids...sally would set her lunch bag on fire on the playground from time to time..but they were still part of somebodies social circle and they acted fine most of the time. But back home in the neighborhood I can't recall one kid who didn't come out to play ball and socialize. None of us were on medication.


Part of my interest stems from the fact that I'm not a fan of pharmaceutical companies but most of it is interest in whether this area is cornering the special needs market for some reason or is that a common thread in life and/or the fora and if I ventured into other areas I would find the same. So anyway, there are a few questions and a little bit of opinion in there..feedback appreciated!


Disclaimer - The last time I asked a simple question everybody thought I was picking on snowflake so if you have a family member with special needs, please understand that this question is NOT AIMED AT YOU. I don't know you or your family and have no interest in insulting you so don't get your shorts in a bunch, your hair in a tizzy, or your dander up.

[gsp4ever]

I don't have the answers for your questions. Maybe it's just those individuals (a small percentage of the overall population I'm sure) who posts on the boards. The State TN Board of Education reported in January 2009 that 15% of the state's students receive special education services. That doesn't seem like a lot. Of more concern is that 55% of the state's students are considered to be economically disadvantaged by federal guidelines.
state.tn.us/sbe/.../II A StudentPerformanceReport.pdf

I was able to run down Science Hill's reported percentage of Special Ed students--13%. It's a bit difficult to find some of these percentages (hidden in system data and you really have to look for it) so I won't take too much time to look for other schools numbers.

It does *seem* that more people have disabilities, special needs, etc. but really, maybe it's just that there are channels to be more vocal about these individuals and their situations. Also, maybe diagnostic measures have improved or changed over the years. I do not recall a lot of special needs students in school with me in the 70s and 80s in the Tri-Cities. .

Last night hubby and I were laughing about how so many people who post on city data (particularly on the Southern forums that I frequent) apparently want to relocate where they'll have:
1. great schools
2. great paying jobs
3. low crime
4. cheap housing
5. low taxes
6. lots of entertainment/activities (however a person defines that)

No area has all of this. Maybe for a *very* few but basically people are unhappy and are looking for Utopia.

[DubbleT]

Special needs kids are showing up in larger numbers everywhere. There is a sub forum devoted to the topic in the parenting forum. It's not unique to this area. I have to wonder if some of it is a result of more chemicals in our lives. Pollution in the air, the water, the ground, pesticides and hormones affecting our food. Immunization shots out the wazoo for kids nowadays. IMO that has to be having some kind of affect on people.

"Would we really have all these special needs if we didn't have pharmaceutical companies and psychiatrists and specialists telling us they can treat whatever we have even if it's not a real problem? "
I think we would still have special needs, but perhaps it wouldn't be so pervasive. I think a part of it is easier diagnosis and more available treatment. For some people it's not so much they "need" a particular drug, but they function better with it. (I'm one of those) For other people I suspect they like the idea of being able to slap a label on a problem and hoping for a fast and easy fix. BTW that last applies to doctors as well as their patients.

[SarahSal]

What great posts above! I have nothing to add but praise for and concurrence with all your comments.. SS

[jabogitlu]

For other people I suspect they like the idea of being able to slap a label on a problem and hoping for a fast and easy fix.

Very much so. I was waiting on a doctor one day (a very detailed specialist) and he walked into the room with a prescription for ... a really good pain med, lol. I was like what!? I've not even TALKED to you yet! I don't want your freakin meds!

However, back to special needs. Are there parents and maybe even educators abusing the system here? I'm sure there are, just like in all other facets of life. However, I tend to think that the majority of special needs kids and adults really are special needs. My mom (a K teacher) has seen many improvements in kids through altering of teaching patterns and/or figuring out correct dosages of medicines designed to correct learning and behavioural problems.

Why so many more now? A convergence of factors. Research into behavior, especially that of children considered "only hyper/mean," is fairly nascent. As more and more people are diagnosed with certain problems, they find each other through support groups and start being more vocal (this goes for parents of diagnosed children, too).

FWIW I think drugs like ritalin are extremely over-prescribed. However I think diagnoses of people with ASD etc. are just increasing due to better knowledge about these ailments.

Think about the old stories or series on TV. Sometimes they would feature a character described as "just slow," or in really older times, "an idiot." Take the beach-dwelling character in du Maurier's Rebecca, for example, though I've forgotten his name. Today he would likely be diagnosed as autistic or something similar.

[mbmouse]

Personally I think the terms "special needs", when used in reference to school age kids, is simply the term now used during this interim.
What interim you ask? Think about it: In the 50's through the 70's if a kid in school was failing they were also usually (larger percentage) the "trouble making kids" and got a paddle at school, detentions, and a beating at home for not doing better in school. They took corporal punishments out of school and told parents they would go to jail if they spanked their kids in the late 70's and 80's. So what was the school systems to do with these "trouble" kids who disrupted the class? They went around the system and found a way to expel them (which increased the drop out rate and boy that went over like a lead balloon because that obviously meant the school system was bad) or labeled them " learning disabled" and put them in special ed.....it got them out of the classroom of non trouble making kids right? Well that caused the school systems to hire more special ed teachers, who became very educated on different methods of learning. Suddenly in the late 80's there were more and more kids who were found in high school who could not read......all those years, no one realized they were dyslexic or what ever else was the reason because Mom and Dad didn't see it because this was also the full age of 2 income house holds. Then you had the ADD/ADHD label in the early 90's. Funny, suddenly huge percentages of school age children were on the wonder drug Rydilin. Then you had some parents go up in arms because of the scare of drugs (remember these parents were teenagers in the 70's and probably were on drugs or tried them and didn't want their kids to experience a trip! LOL!) This caused the medical industry to look a lot closer at how a child's brain works, you started to see "work centers" and other such teaching methods implemented in the schools and low and behold, all kids don't learn the same way. So we are in the midst now here in the 00's of this teaching/learning rethink and medical break down of more pigeon holed diagnostics of learning disabilities. Unfortunately, to diagnose and treat, according to the insurance Co's, you have to have a name to the "disorder". Boom, you are now labeled and able to have a reason for years to come to get the meds you are now hooked on and feel you need to get through life. The Dr's taught you that.
I believe with in the next 10-15 years, the term "special needs" will go away and the school systems will continue to adapt and just teach each kid in the way they can learn, ie: book learned, hands on, visual, audio, etc.
Note: My "special needs" son will graduate high school this year 100% med free...but that is becuase we dug and dug and found out that he just learns in a different manner than a typical classroom, but once HE knew what the deal was, he addapted. It's not like he knew what worked for him until we tried them all and then worked with it.

[HomegrowninTN]

To all who have posted.... this is amazing conversation and one I find particularly interesting for several reasons, 1) I am a native to the area, but left after college, headed west and 25 years later returned her to raise my children, because I was tired of "Big City Life. 2) Like Mouse, my child had trouble in school with reading , was dubbed learning disabled because the school said she could not read - in the first grade. After a lot of trial and error, she is a sight reader and not phonetic as they were taught in Johnson City Public Schools, she became an avid reader, an honor student and is almost ready to graduate from college with honors. 3)As a Social Worker, I have encountered my share of "special needs" kids and adults", and my theory as to why some people want to move here is because of the Medical School, They think medical care is free in a teaching hospital - NOT... or they think that because there is a University and Colleges in the area , the education may be better - not necessarily. Actually, the truth be known, there are fewer opportunities for those in this area than in others because there are fewer resources. It is much more difficult here in the Tri to get public assistance than in some states and the amount is quite low. My opinion for those who are looking for a place for special needs , go to a more progressive areas like in the Mid Western states, Wisconsin, Minnesota, not in the South. We are near the bottom in education and healthcare and the state spends less on mental health services than almost anywhere else. Heck, the only thing we got going for us is the beauty of the mountains, lakes, rivers and fresh air. Go figure......

[rccrain]

Originally Posted by HomegrowninTN

It is much more difficult here in the Tri to get public assistance than in some states and the amount is quite low. My opinion for those who are looking for a place for special needs , go to a more progressive areas like in the Mid Western states, Wisconsin, Minnesota, not in the South. Heck, the only thing we got going for us is the beauty of the mountains, lakes, rivers and fresh air. Go figure......

If folks are looking to get freebies, then indeed, they'll be finding that the TriCities is the wrong place. But in a way having less public assistance is a good thing - at least to this tax payer.

[mbmouse]

I have to say that except for speech therapy for any child over the age of 10 (was going to be a long shot anyway so not a big deal that it was not available in our particular case) my son has received FANTASTIC resources that he needed in the schools here, both middle and high. The changes in the IEP program, at least in the Washington County system, over the past 7 or 8 years have been really really impressive. The first and for most is allowing the parent AND the child customize the program for the needs of the child and the school has complied. The oddest thing in our situation was that we did not want reduced work,easier work, grade scale changes or anything like that. Just a few extra minutes on some things and an option for him to take tests somewhere other than the totally quite (which is what stressed him out and froze him up and couldn't pass a test) classroom. That was really all he needed, those two little adjustments made all the difference in the world. I know some school systems would not do that. Granted, this is not the situation for many "special needs" kids, but the services offered to us in this public, East TN school made all the difference in the world for my sons education. He is looking forward to college next year.
In FL, in kindergarten, they told me to put him on Rydilin or don't bring him back. Putting you child in a school system where the teachers and staff have hearts and really care about these kids is more important to me than how much money per child the school systems get.

[rccrain]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

In FL, in kindergarten, they told me to put him on Rydilin or don't bring him back. Putting you child in a school system where the teachers and staff have hearts and really care about these kids is more important to me than how much money per child the school systems get.

My wife is a teacher and concurs with you. About 75% of the ADD diagnoses and rydilin prescriptions are just band aid treatments; they are a lazy way to fix the true issues.

I think docs and parents are wising up recently, in that drugging your kid probably isn't the best solution. Cudos to MB for realizing that when most did not.