School email on the coming consequences

Hi Deb,
Interested to hear how Julia is doing/ did today.

I had a long talk with our psychologist on our IDS team. She strongly suggests upping the consequences of Julia's scratching so that she experiences the consequences. I admit to being reluctant to do this -- I want her to succeed and not "fail" but for her to remember and to realize how important the consequences of her present course is, I have to agree. We have three weeks before winter break and this may be a very good time frame for this experiment. That is, if it doesn't work, we will regroup and try some other strategy next semester. She suggested that Julia lose chances in school for scratching/picking, and that she also lose a chance when she picks in the bathroom, or any time that someone notices that she has picked on a scab. At the same time, she will lose dinosaurs at home when the therapists or I observe her scratching or when I see that a scab has been picked. (I do have a plan for dino reprieve every so often so we don't run out of dinosaurs.) How do you feel about this? Do you want to check with the school team and see if they are ready to go to this extreme, knowing that Julia will probably be sent home a number of times in order to learn.

I'd also ask that if we do this, that you send home some work sheets -- cursive, spelling, math, anything really -- so that I can spend her "school time" at home doing school-type work.

Question: Do you have any idea where the salve (in a little tin) that I sent to school yesterday went to? Julia was supposed to bring it home at the end of the day. I wanted her to have it to use both at school and at home and right now I just have one tin of it.

Finally, and on a much brighter note, Julia is really sounding out words now! She did it by herself and without any prompting for her spelling words and as we were reading last night. I didn't know if it would ever happen and I know that I have Shannon and all of you to thank for incredible perseverance and hard work. Listening to Julia put sounds together and make words is incredible music to my ears!
Suzanne

Hi Suzanne,
Julia is doing okay from what I have heard, but she gets to her scabs so quickly that they start bleeding before we can even give the first redirection. We can start that tomorrow - I think having to go home may make her realize this, but we will see. There is a sub for Ms. Stork (she has been pretty sick lately), so the morning was a little different for her. So far she has had one chance taken away.

I will send home the salve today, I had shown it to the nurse and she had it in her office (I have to do that with anything that comes in from home). We are going to keep it in her locker and send it home each night.

I will get together a folder of activities she can work on at home if she gets sent home. How about I send it with you today and you will have it there as needed? Does that work?

Glad to hear she is sounding out words! She seems to be improving so much . I was so happy when she did the reading to herself and answering the questions on sticky notes on Monday!

We have a presentation this afternoon so I will back up Julia's things to have ready so she can go to the office from the LMC.
Talk to you soon,
Deb

Suzanne,
Just want to clarify - she would lose a chance if she even picks/scratches (no opportunity for alternative).
Is that correct?
Deb

Deb,

Yes. She loses a chance when she picks and scratches without an opportunity for redirection.

And I understand about how quickly she can bloody herself. Part of the problem is that her scabs are so fragile but just rubbing them rather gently can cause them to burst open.

I am not looking forward to this but I think we must do it. I am ready to pray hard for realization and change. Thank you so much for all your support.

Suzanne