GreatGrandparents for Autism Advocacy. IA. Muscatine, ggPaa HOME

School Bullying, K - 12

Please Consider being Involved at Your School

Introduction:
This e-mail is to express our concerns about current school bullying and verbal harassment with our Autistic Great Grandson Cub Blocker and other similar students in our educational facilities.

We are Culver and Sandy Kuhens, Great Grandparents and Legal Guardians
( Permancy Order Juvenile Court No. JVJV004320 5-16-04) of Cub Blocker a Sophomore at Muscatine High School. Cub is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, other PDD symptoms, ADHD and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Cub's curriculum is guided by an IEP program with AEA-9.

Prelude-
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Preface:
This is our humble and sincere request to seek help, advice, recommendations, support and approval to establish a program to cure the cause of school and community disregard for students and ohers with simular Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Laws and punishment will not cure or stop the Autism harassment situation.

We feel it will take a combined and concerted program of advocacy, awareness, education, understanding, social kindness and consideration to cure and irradicate this ugly problem.

It is to this end that we beg and plead to you all and others, in the community, state and nation to join minds, hearts and hands in a united cooperation to begin a project to eliminate Bullying!

Discussion:

We would like to propose to proceed with a small group to present PDD advocacy and wareness education to our local High School and District personnel in short discrete meetings at their convenience. From there we might expand the audiences to Teachers, Student High School Councils and student assemblies.

We do not intend to say Sandy and I will do this alone. We are just interested advocating proxy parents. We have middle school and starting high school parental experience combined with a sincere effort as our group, Great Grand Parents of Autism Advocacy, with some dicussion group leadership, web sites*, avid attendence to Autism Society of Iowa Conferences and Professional Seminars and conferences sponsored by other Professional Speakers Programs since we started as Cub's Legal Custodians in October 2003. Great Grandma Sandy has been a significant part of his entire life.
*Websites: (www.kuhens.org & www.neighborhoodlink.com.org/autismadvocacy

The Newly formed Advocating Awareness Action Group would most likely be comprised of a School Official, AEA Autism/Psychology Professional, area Social Group representative, a community Clergical representative and parents.

If the Governmental Secrecy and Privacy regulations would allow some volunteering PDD students to participate it would be very instrumental. Sandy and I have signed release affidavits with all groups and personel involved with Cub's case to communicate and discuss openly as needed and required.

This e-mail is just a "nest egg", "sparkplug" to get such a program started in the Muscastine Community School District. We need your help, cooperation, ideas, interest, approval and support to consider building and launching this project. This IS NOT a hypothetical subject to be muttled, mumbled and turned over to a stymying committee to pigeon hole.

We students, parents, school officials, government support groups like AEA and IDEA ASK, City Fathers, Fraternal Organizations, Churches and Synagogues, Psychological Therapy and Social Groups etc. need to rally and energetically get the Ball Rolling NOW!

Please step up, step in and reply now. We need Action and Interest from ALL of you for our students and community!

Conclusion:
We Know a system like this will work! We have seen and observed it three times the past few years in Muscatine Elementary, Middle and High Schools. It was accomplished by three individual Teachers that took the interest and exception to discuss the situations of special education students with Autism to their Classrooms! It was a huge success in each and every case for the students involved. Unfortunately it was not given wide acknowledgment and exposure.

We must unite, Fan these Flames and Spread it all around, show our appreciation, encourage this type of care, education and interest.

Help Eliminate Bullying and Harassment!

Thank You. Sincerely,

Culver and Sandy Kuhens and Cub Blocker
9 Albany Park
Muscatine, IA., 52761

Ph# 536-264-1793
Clk Cell# 563-260-6778

E-mail:- 2oldies@machlink.com and 4ASD@machlink.com

www.kuhens.org and www.neighborhoodlink.com.org/autismadvocacy

November 4, 2007