[usehername]

What can I do?? My daughter will not be able to start meds until at least 1/24, but only has until 1/3 to complete about 65 assignments. She is failing every single class. She got behind because she was asleep for three weeks solid. She was awake for long enough to explain this to her teachers, and I've worked my butt off to advocate for her during this, but they are going to kick her out of school if she doesn't get her GPA up to at least 60% by 1/3 when winter break is over. She has so far been asleep for all of winter break. She already drinks coffee every morning (she's 14, it was suggested by PCP who thought maybe it would help her wake up in am and then crash at night thus regulating sleep - nope, but she is addicted). I'm seriously considering doing the work for her because this is not her fault. Medicaid failed her.

[leejosepho]

Originally Posted by usehername

I'm seriously considering doing the work for her because this is not her fault.

Neither is Medicaid responsible for her GPA, but that is a different matter. How important is it to your daughter that she not be discharged from that specific school? Doing whatever you might be considering to help keep her there is between the two of you, in my own opinion, but are both of you certain that would actually be helpful? Pulling her out for the remainder of the school year to give her some time to respond to treatment and possibly adjust meds so she can stabilize and then do some catching up in preparation for next year (even if a year behind her current classmates) is something I think I would seriously consider and discuss with her.

[usehername]

Medicaid denied her the services that she needed repeatedly. That is why she is failing. She is fighting hard, but her illness is severe.

It is mandatory for her to attend school. She would go to juvenile detention if she didn't.

[usehername]

I cannot stress this part enough... she is not CHOOSING to sleep instead of doing her schoolwork. She is physically unable to stay awake. The ups for her are several weeks of not being able to sleep and massive hallucinations.

[Artchic528]

Does your daughter have Kleine-Levin Syndrome, or a syndrome similar to that? I've heard of this syndrome before, believe it or not, from a TV show on people who go through strange symptoms and later are found to have sometimes very obscure illnesses or disorders that account for them.

Kleine-Levin Syndrome is often referred to as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome because the sufferers will go through periods (usually weeks long) where they sleep for 20+ hours a day only rousing themselves awake long enough to use the bathroom or something. When they are awake they are in a state of being not themselves. The disorder usually goes away once the sufferer is past adolescence. In other words, they appear to grow out of it. The only known treatment is to be prescribed Lithium, which is why you're on the Bipolar forum of this site, right?

I truly feel saddened that Medicaid has failed you and your daughter.

I found this webpage focusing on supporting those who suffer from KLS and their families, so maybe it might help you. http://klsfoundation.org/

I'm sorry I can't help any further.

[usehername]

I have not heard of that before... does it have the up periods, too? She had a complete psychotic break this time last year due to acute mania from not being able to sleep for 2.5 months. She's been in intensive outpatient since then, but the shrink assigned to her refused to see her more than the first time (while she was still psychotic and hadn't slept yet). She should've been inpatient (my opinion, hers and the docs at the ER who boarded her involuntarily), but was denied.

[Artchic528]

I'm not sure if it has up periods or not. Sorry.

[usehername]

Hmm... according to that website, it is hypersomnolence or "normal". She definitely does not have normal periods... that's very interesting, though. Thank you.

[MistressStayc]

If your child has a mental illness she should be receiving special education services and is protected under IDEA. I would talk to her school about these special services which include hospital homebound schooling.

[MistressStayc]

I should have added - It does have to be severe enough to interfere with her progress in the General Education setting which it sounds like it is.

[usehername]

That's what I've been working on... I have not found any support... the school she goes to is kinda rigorous, which is good for her intellectually... she was supposed to be placed on a penalty plan for falling so far behind, but they decided that would work against her and discourage her. I don't think they should be able to kick her out, because she IS disabled, but it's a "choice" school. Not really for her... she can't do brick & mortar for obvious reasons... online is really her only option.

[usehername]

Originally Posted by MistressStayc

I should have added - It does have to be severe enough to interfere with her progress in the General Education setting which it sounds like it is.

Yes, very much so. I went to Becca court for her in third grade because I was taking her through the entire morning routine while she was asleep and setting her up with breakfast and they kept making her tardy when she didn't wake up. That was interesting to explain to the judge. The other 100 absences were entirely medical, and often it was THEM sending her home - MH & asthma. I should add that for every day she wasn't in school on days they hadn't sent her home, the school had a note for it.

The last brick & mortar threatened us w Becca, too, even though again, 100+ days, they sent her home.

[Victoria'smom]

That's redoculous, they sent home packages of work? Online school won't work if you can't trust her home alone.

[usehername]

The brick and mortars would not send her schoolwork home. But she tests very well and is way ahead of grade level, so she's always done well anyway. The last one, she couldn't pass without the homework, so I walked in to the office every day and threw a fit (very literally) until they finally caved. She has been on a 504 since second or third grade.

I can trust her home alone, I just can't keep her awake, but whether I'm here or not doesn't change anything. I can't wake her when I am. I've jumped on her for hours before with no response. Her symptoms are just SO BAD. It's unbelievable... she's pretty much on another planet when she's up... her therapist sometimes wonders if she might be dealing with schizophrenia. While she's the one with the training, I see her at home. Her thought process is more ordered than that, but she's pretty out there sometimes. Especially when she's hallucinating, though she can play it off like she isn't in front of people.

[Victoria'smom]

Try online school it's more at her pace or if your up for it homeschool. It's not fair but for at least a little while getting better has to be number 1.

[usehername]

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

Try online school it's more at her pace or if your up for it homeschool. It's not fair but for at least a little while getting better has to be number 1.

She is in online school. She has been most of her life because she's always had problems. MH & physical.