Can a teacher get in trouble for telling you your child is faking her disorder?

Question

My daughter has bipolar disorder and PTSD. I've been working with my daughter's kindergarden teacher and she has a 504 plan. Anyhow, now when I email the teacher she never reponds. I also sent her an email asking her if we could set up a parent teacher conference. She never replyed to that either. So now I try to catch her before class or after class to talk about Tara. She trys to cut me off short and walks away. Today I felt like she was trying to imply that my daughter is faking her disorders because when I made a suggestion to help her get my daughter on task in school she said she would try what I suggested but, it's up to my daughter if she wants to manipulate the situation or not. I feel like emailing her and asking her exactly what she ment by that and if she says she believes my daughter is faking her disorder, to report her to the principle.

Answer 1

Yes! report the teacher to the principle and if necessary take it higher in the school district.

Answer 2

I think you should absolutely bring this up with an authority at school. Not only can is there no legal reason to disclose a disorder at all, but when you make a teacher aware of a disorder, it is their duty to do all they can to accommodate the child accordingly. They especially may not imply that they are faking. That is just extremely unethical. Educators are held to standards for how to treat students with disabilities. I would try to get your daughter transferred to another class, and definitely make the principal aware that this teacher needs to be reminded about how to treat those with disabilities.

Answer 3

I'd be taking this higher. It sounds to me like this teacher either is not interested in your concerns or just plain can't be bothered.  Report her.

Answer 4

It is unfortunate that your daughter's teacher doesn't have time to communicate with you.

However, what she said doesn't necessarily mean she thinks your daughter is faking.  Students with bipolar and PTSD are just as capable of manipulative behavior as anybody else.

So I don't know what she is thinking, because she isn't communicating well.  It's possible that she is very busy.

I also don't know whether you are meddling too much in shool matters.  But I would think that it's important to work closely with the teacher in view of your daughter's difficulties.

Maybe you need to talk to the principal or school psychologist about this difficulty?  Don't complain about the teacher or imply that she is handling things wrong; you don't know that, and you want good relations all around.  Ask naively whether they can maybe arrange a meeting between you and the teacher, because you are having trouble getting ahold of her when she has time to talk.  [If the teacher treats you this way, no doubt she does the same with other parents, and school staff are no doubt aware of it, so you don't have to be too graphic.]

Answer 5

Set up a meeting with the principle and take it from there.

Answer 6

You need to request a meeting with the principal, the person in charge of 504 plans for the school, and probably 504 for the district, too. You should express your concern that Tara's teacher has not responded to your multiple email or personal attempts to speak with her about your concerns. You do need to involve the teacher also, but you can let the principal decide when to bring her into the meeting.

Bring your email evidence to support your claim, but don't wave them around in the meeting just coolly refer to this date and that and you received no response. Point out that your child is in kindergarten and it is important for her to get the best start on her school career. Statistics show that bipolar students are dropout candidates so this first contact in school needs to be positive.

As public institutions, school systems have to archive email, so the teacher cannot claim she responded.

Answer 7

I don't know about reporting the teacher to the principle but you may be able to get him/her to mediate betwwen you. Maybe this is a problem with either one of you not really understanding what the other one is up to or wants to do. I don't know what a 504 plan is (I live in Australia, and it seems to be something in American Special Ed) but has your daughter got an IEP. This will outline goals which all parties concerned have agreed on for your daughter including her teacher, principle/special ed facillitator/advidor, yourself and any medical personell who are involved such as psychologists.

The bit about whether your daughter wants to manipulate the situation or not may be that her teacher feels like she is not doing all that she can and is getting those around her to do stuff (and possibly using her problems as an excuse.) Everyone manipulates a situation in a certain way whether it is positive or negative (claiming they can't so something because it's too hard etc. or just not doing it until someone else does it for them)

Another thing does your daughter's teacher understand bipolar and PTSD. If not you may want to give her some literature on it. You probably have some from when your daughter was diagnosed or you can go on the internet or to a library and look for stuff on these disorders. Then the teacher may understand your daughter a little bit better.

Answer 8

It's not right that the teacher has not returned your e-mails or didn't stop and talk to you after school.  I realize that teachers are busy people.  However, when you requested a parent teacher conference, she again, should have acknowledged your request, by e-mail, letter or phone call.

When you suggested to the teacher if she could keep your daughter on track in school and the teachers answer to that was, she would try to that, but it's up to your daughter if she wants to manipulate the situation or not.

It's the "manipulation" that's in question here.  I don't believe your daughters teacher is implying that your daughter is faking her disorders.  

Your daughter probably spends most of her time at school/in the class room, manipulating situations.  She may be asking to go to the bathroom when she already did this before class. She may be telling the teacher that she's sick and needs to see the nurse.  There are all kinds of ways to manipulate whatever if going on at the time.  

The fact is, your daughters teacher recognizes the manipulating that's going on.  If the teacher hasn't already discussed this with you, she should have.  However, the fact that the teacher does recognize the manipulating is a good thing.  To clear your mind about what's going on in the class room, make an appointment with the teacher so that you can get a better picture of the situation.

My daughter, along with family (I'm grandma), have been dealing with her daughters manipulating for years.  She also has Bipolar and PTSD thrown in with a few other disorders.

It's difficult at times to distinguish truth from manipulation.  I have been very involved with my grand daughter and support to her mom.  She used any excuse to get out of class....the nurse, bathroom, "mom can you pick me up from school, I"m sick?"  This manipulation doesn't only happen a school.  It also happens at home and most other places.  Manipulation is hard to deal with, because you love your children and want to believe what they tell you.  It's has nothing to do with whether they love you, because they truly do.  I suggest you get more information on the subject.  Talking the the right people and maybe picking up some books at the library or looking it up on the computer will help you understand.

Best of luck.

Answer 9

First of all, isn't this a little young to have either as a diagnosis?

If the child were mine, and the diagnosis were indeed correct, I'd be more inclined not to have her in a public school.

I wouldn't trust a teacher with a definitive assessment unless this person had an advanced degree in psychology.

Answer 10

well i don't know how much 'trouble' she could get into. you might be better served trying to get your daughter moved to a different class with a teacher who is more willing or able to work with you. keep in mind the teacher's perspective: very few general ed classroom teachers are qualified much less comfortable working with special needs children. often times these kids are placed in a general ed class in the name of inclusion. but the teacher is given no additional help, no additional aids, no additional training or resources to help deal with a special needs child. and when a teacher has 15-20 other kids to also worry about dealing with a special needs child can be very overwhelming.

it may be that this teacher is not equipped to handle your daughter's special needs. so before you attack the teacher try to get as much info about the situation as possible. talk to the special ed facilitator at your school and see what additional resources are available to help your daughter.

Answer 11

I would certainly question her, but not in an aggressive way. You want to be on good terms.  

Also, just because your child has a disability, it doesn't mean she isn't capable of manipulation.  There are two sides to every story.

Answer 12

it depends if the teacher has tenure-

if not -i would hope she would not be kept on

if she does have tenure-the best you could hope for is a written reprimand-and possible reassignment to a less desirable position

you may want to talk to the school board about providing in service training for all teachers on empathy and proper communication with parents as well as responsibilities according to 504 plans