Now 19, Vasha still remembers the first time she snorted Adderall. She narrowly escaped being kicked out of school completely and pleaded to be given another chance. Although she had to meet with a counselor on a regular basis and stay out of school for a few days, she knows it could have been worse. Still, she wishes that she never listened to that bratty kid Spence who talked her into trying. Even though they got caught in the act, she remembers going home that night and feeling so out of control that she tried it on her own. Then, she was hooked. From there, it was a gradual progression of things to try to help her deal with her emotions and impulse control -- first, she tried some Xanax that she got from Spence -- she was so "out of it" that she can barely remember what he tried to do to her. She thinks that they didn't have sex, but she's never been sure. She just knows that she made the decision right there and then not to hang around him anymore.
She found plenty of other kids, though, who kept her supplied with downers and amphetamines. She would alternate these to try to manage her moods. School became a blur, and her grades dropped substantially in a short time. She was seen as a "bad kid" -- beyond reaching, beyond help. Her "choice" to try snorting Adderall was something she wishes she could go back and change. She got suspended again when, in another state of mind, she threw a punch at a teacher. At that point, the school placed her in "alternative school" and essentially washed its hands of her. She managed to graduate and has been living with her mother, working odd jobs and generally wondering what comes next.
Her latest boyfriend, Chad, was her supplier. Chad and Vasha would have huge fights and then collapse into a mish-mash of marijuana smoke and sex. Chad never told Vasha that he was HIV+, and she didn't find out until long after she learned that she was pregnant.
* Given Vasha's diagnosis of ADHD, why would the school have been able to do what they did? What is the problem with that course of action?
* What could Vasha's mother have done when the school was not meeting her Special Education needs regarding her disability? Why do you think her mother did not advocate for her daughter? Provide some hypotheses.
* What do you think accounts for Vasha's choice of partners? Why doesn't she just make better choices?
* If she were willing to participate, what services would you recommend for Vasha? Where could she go to get these services? How would she pay? Is she eligible for Medicaid or other public assistance regarding medical care?
DECISION POINT:
What does Vasha do now that she is pregnant?
1. Given Vasha's diagnosis of ADHD, why would the school have been able to do what they did? What is the problem with that course of action?
ReplyDeleteThe school may have been able to put Vasha in an alternative school since she has a disability. About 12% of those in alternative school have a disability. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) protects the enrollment of students with disabilities in alternative schools. Students with disabilities who are expelled or suspended for more than 10 days must continue to receive services in an Interim Alternative Education Setting (IAES). These settings must allow students to continue their current curriculum and fix the behavior that landed them in alternative school. By the school washing their hands of Vasha, I’m sure they will not look into her progress and development in alternative school (Lehr & Lange).
Alternative schools are designed to meet the needs of both existing and potential drop-outs. They are for those students who are not succeeding in their regular high school and need smaller classes with stricter rules. The students who come to these alternative schools include those who are academically failing and need a different learning environment, those who are a parent or expecting a child, those whose needed employment interferes with a regular school day, or those who are disruptive (Foxx).
Vasha’s school may think this is a good idea since she will have more attention from the teacher in a smaller class and learn to behave with stricter rules, but in reality it will just make matters worse. By the school placing Vasha in this school, they are putting her in an environment that she is trying to get out of. Instead of being with “normal” individuals at her regular school, she is now going to be surrounded by the “bad” kids. In the list of individuals that attend alternative school, none of them seem to be on the right path to success. These are the types of kids that got her in trouble in the first place. Vasha will most likely succumb to their peer pressure and continue her drug use. It’s hard to stop doing something when everyone around you is doing it.
Foxx, S. Alternative education programs. Retrieved
from http://www.doe.in.gov/alted/altedlinkpg.html
Lehr, C.A., and Lange, C.M. (2003) Alternative schools and the
students they serve: Perceptions of state directors of special education. Policy Research Brief (University of Minnesota: Minneapolis, Institute on Community Integration), 14(1).
2. What could Vasha's mother have done when the school was not meeting her Special Education needs regarding her disability? Why do you think her mother did not advocate for her daughter? Provide some hypotheses.
ReplyDeleteAs a child with a disability, Vasha is entitled by law to receive additional services or accommodations through her school. As stated in the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, federal law provides every child to receive a free and appropriate education in the least restricted environment. Three main laws that entitles Vasha to such support are, The individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These laws provide children with disabilities school accommodations and enforces that schools cannot discriminate against children with disabilities.
A child with ADHD needs a support system and guidance from not only his or her family but from their school as well. Parents and schools need to work as a team to help achieve successful for the child. Because Vasha qualified for special education services, she should have been provided with an IEP. The school should have assessed Vasha’s strengths and weaknesses and worked with her mother.
As a parent with a child with a disability, Shura has the rights to receive notice regarding identification, evaluation, and/or placement of Vasha. She is allowed to examine relevant records pertaining to Vasha as well. Parents are allowed to change or alter the report for the IEP if they do not feel it is best. Shura should have had a meeting with Vasha’s teachers and her IEP team to discuss goals for Vasha’s school success. Shura, as a parent, has the right to control what happens to Vasha during each step of the process.
When the school was not meeting Vasha’s needs, Shura as a parent and important contributor to Vasha’s IEP team, could have stepped in and met with teachers and staff and required a change in the set plan. Shura also could have written to the local district coordinator and complained about the lack of appropriate behavior from Vasha’s school. Kidshealth.org states that as a parent involved with an IEP program, Shura has the right to disagree with any of the procedures and is provided with attorneys and paid advocates familiar with the IEP process that will represent them if needed.
I think Shura did not advocate for Vasha because she was unaware of all the rights she had as a parent apart of an IEP program. Perhaps the school did not educate Shura of the plans and goals for Vasha in her IEP program as well as inform her how big of a role she has as a mother of a child with a disability. The school should have informed Shura of her rights as well as allowing her to have the final say in what Vasha’s plan would be.
ADHD- A Guide for Families. (2010). American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Retrieved November 2, 2011. From http://www.aacap.org/cs/adhd_a_guide_for_families/supporting_school_success
A Parent’s Guide to Section 504 in Public Schools. (January 2010). Great Schools. Involved Parents. Successful Kids. Retrieved November 2, 2011. Fromhttp://www.greatschools.org/special-education/legal-rights/868-section-504.gs
Individual Education Programs. (1995-2011). KidsHealth. Retrieved November 2, 2011. From http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/learning/iep.html#
3. What do you think accounts for Vasha’s choice in partners? Why doesn’t she just make better choices?
ReplyDeleteVasha has experienced a lot in her life and not every teenager grieves in the same way over a loss of a parent. Vasha most likely does not remember her father considering how young she was when he passed away. This could have an effect on her choice in partners. She did not have a male role model to look up to except for her brothers who are much older than she is, they maybe haven’t been around too much for her. Therefore, Vasha is struggling with the need for attention. She is acting out in a negative way because negative attention is better than no attention at all. Vasha had many chances to escape from being kicked out of school. Maybe she thought in the back of her mind that she would continue to get these chances and not suffer any extreme consequences such as expulsion. Unfortunately, Vasha has been hanging around with the wrong crowd who has been having a huge influence on her behavior and development. Maybe if Vasha hadn’t been doing drugs because of Spence, she would not have wanted to have sex for the first time at such a young age.
“When drugs enter the brain, they can interrupt work and actually change how the brain performs its jobs. These changes are what lead to compulsive drug use, the hallmark of addiction. Drugs are chemicals. They work in the brain by tapping into its communication system and interfering with the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. Some drugs, such as marijuana, activate neurons and ‘fool’ receptors, so the neurons wind up sending abnormal messages through the brain. Other drugs, such as amphetamine, cause the cells to release excessive amounts of natural neurotransmitters or prevent the normal cycling of these brain chemicals. This leads to an exaggerated message in the brain, ultimately wreaking havoc on the communication channels.”
Vasha’s drug use is impairing her brain and affecting her decision-making. The drugs could have permanent damage to her brain, especially if she does not seek treatment and become sober.
Vasha is conscious of her actions since she wishes she could go back and change the first time she decided to snort Adderall.
“Each drug of abuse has its own individual way of changing how the brain functions. While the initial decision to take drugs is a choice for some, a physical need replaces that choice.”
Vasha’s first time snorting Adderall was a choice, but now with the combinations of marijuana and amphetamines, her drug use is becoming an addiction that she cannot break.
Brain & Addiction. October 2011. NIDA For Teens – The Science behind Drug Abuse. Retrieved November 3, 2011. From http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_brain1.php
4. If she were willing to participate, what services would you recommend for Vasha? Where could she go to get these services? How would she pay? Is she eligible for Medicaid or other public assistance regarding medical care?
ReplyDeleteIf Vasha was willing to participate, I would recommend that she go to a Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Center. Vasha would have the option to do an inpatient treatment program, a residential program, an outpatient program, or short-stay options. At a rehabilitation center, Vasha could receive individual counseling, 12-step programming, sober recreational activities, peer recovery group support, mental health treatment by a physician, life skills training and other preparations for life after treatment. She would be able to talk to people about her problems and will be able to meet people who are experiencing the same problems that she is. In the program, Vasha would be taught how to function without the drugs, how to handle cravings, how to avoid drugs and situations that could lead to drug use, how to prevent relapse, and how to handle relapse if it occurs.
Eligibility for Medicaid is primarily for individuals falling into particular categories, such as low-income children, pregnant women, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and parents meeting specific income thresholds. In the year 2010, 47% of the expenditures for Medicaid went to people with a disability. Since Vasha does have a disability she could be considered for Medicaid. However, to be eligible for Medicaid you also need to have a low income. Since Vasha’s family is financially stable, she might not be able to receive services. Medicaid does cover some substance abuse services, so if Vasha was able to get it she could use it to pay for her rehabilitation.
Drug-Rehabs. Treating Prescription Drug Addiction. Retrieved November 3, 2001. From http://www.drug-rehabs.com/prescription-drugs.htm
The Virginia Medicaid Program at a Glance. January 2011. Who is Covered By Medicaid?. Retrieved November 3, 2011. From http://dmasva.dmas.virginia.gov/Content_atchs/atchs/va-medprg.pdf
Decision Point:
ReplyDeleteVasha has decided to keep her baby. After everything she has previously put her mother through, drugs and getting kicked out of school, she decided to respect her mother’s wishes of keeping the baby. In the Hindu culture, abortions are an act of cruelty and ruining a souls progression towards god. Shura is extremely religious and Vasha knows how important keeping the baby would mean to her. The risk of keeping the child is he or she may be positive for HIV. Knowing the risk Vasha still believes the best thing right now for her life would be to keep the baby and receive help from her mother in raising the child.
Abortion is Bad Karma: Hindu Perspectives. (Fall 1998). Feminism and Nonviolence Studies. Retrieved November 2, 2011. From http://www.fnsa.org/fall98/murti.html
Questions from Group 7:
ReplyDelete1. Can Vasha continue to take her ADHD being that she is keeping the baby, or will this medication affect the health of the unborn child?
2. What programs can Vasha can get involved in to become more familiar with teen pregnancy? How can Vasha find information on the potential of her child to have HIV and what can she do to become more aware of the affects HIV could have on both the baby and her health?
3. What role will Chad play in the life of his and Vasha's child? Could this child help to improve the choices both Vasha and Chad make?