S01.E02: N-E-NEW A-I-AIDE

[Drogo]

Maya struggles as Kenneth takes over as JJ’s full-time aide. Loving his new freedom, JJ avoids attending a physical therapy appointment, and Maya automatically blames Kenneth, using any excuse to confirm her misgivings and moves to fire him. Meanwhile, Jimmy struggles to teach Dylan the family way to not be so neighborly.

[memememe76]

I will give this show one more episode. That scene where the family displayed their idiocy and or meanness to the neighbours pretty much turned me off. I am so tired of all these politically incorrect characters. 

[Maharincess]

I liked it too @17wheatthins!  I don't want my sitcoms to be politically correct and boring,  what fun is that?  I like my sitcoms and sitcom characters to be over the top,  not unrealistic and fun and that's what this show is for me.   If people were like that to their neighbors in real life, that's not funny but this show isn't real life. 

Edited September 29, 2016 by Maharincess

[Crs97]

I hope this is going to be a hit with the mainstream audience because hubby and I are crying with laughter and don't want to lose it.  My favorite part was the physical therapist analyzing Ray's gait, and we texted our son's PT to make sure she's watching.  I actually choked on my ice cream I was laughing so hard at that.  We've also hit the teenage years, and stepping back is the hardest part - not because I want to be the center of his life, but because I want to wrap him in cotton and not let anything or anyone else hurt him.  Again, I loved Maya and Jimmy's conversation about whether to fire Kevin when he told her to step back and think about why she wanted him fired.  This show is so cathartic for us; please let it air for many years!

[kathyk24]

I loved it the scene in the principal's office cracked me up. The scene with JJ and the cheerleaders was hilarious. I felt so bad for Maya when she admitted that she has a hard time letting JJ be more independent.

[dungeonwriter]

I know I should disapprove of the laser pointer to the posteriors but I love showing that he's a regular teenage boy with hormones. 

And the scene in the bathroom left me sniffling, when Maya realizes how gentle and kind Kenneth is. 

The rest of the family needs better writing. 

[bros402]

I liked the episode. The family admitting they are idiots, instead of letting another neighbor take the blame was great - it shows that they are noble idiots, and not jerks.

 

The principal is great.

[Tiger]

Why doesnt Minnie's husband have a job? Or at least take care of his house? 

[alexvillage]

The show has great parts but then, it just propagates ableism.

"idiot" is the same as "retarded". Just because everyone uses it all the time, it doesn't lose its meaning - if it did, than there would be no reason to push for the end of the word "retarded", since it would lose its meaning too. Not saying it is not being politically correct, it means not using the word used to describe people with intellectual disabilities (also "moron" and "imbecile"). There are many words in the dictionary that can be used and still be funny, effective. People can invent stronger terms and still be effective. "Jerk" is actually more appropriate in the context, because they were doing that as a prank, not because "they are like those 'idiots' who cannot learn, who are not 'all up there'"

I know some will say that it doesn't have the same meaning anymore but especially in the context it was used, it is has the exact meaning.

The father explains why not "jerk" (= mean). Then explains that "idiot" is ... (everyone thought "retarded")

I wonder what do people think, what is the image that comes to mind when they use "idiot". Is it a different image than the one the comes to mind when they use/hear "retarded"? The way I see people using this word, it is just the same image.

Not willing to keep watching. Let's see

[LisaM]

I'd like to see more of the daughter. Loved the scene with Maya overhearing Kenneth talking to JJ in the bathroom. 

[Crs97]

When I hear the word "idiot," I think "foolish" not "special needs."  I know the term was once used to classify people with cognitive issues, but I never think of it in those terms.

I thought that part of the show was silly and rude and didn't work at all, but to be fair Jimmy quickly realized the daughter misunderstood his explanation of how they treat the neighbors.  Now the sensible thing to do would be to run outside, tell the pizza delivery man that they made a mistake and to deliver the pizzas to their house, and apologize to the neighbor for the inconvenience.  However, this is a comedy show and sensibility can't show up 10 minutes into the episode.

[vibeology]

1 hour ago, Crs97 said:

When I hear the word "idiot," I think "foolish" not "special needs."  I know the term was once used to classify people with cognitive issues, but I never think of it in those terms.

Agreed. I feel like it's been so long since "idiot" was used as a medical term that it just doesn't carry that meaning anymore. I think of idiot as someone who is foolish and doesn't put the effort into thinking things through. It doesn't necessarily speak to someone's abilities so much as it does their actions. Again, that could just be me. Whether or not I'm right for thinking that way and if we as a society are going to start challenging those words is something I'm open to exploring, but I'm not going to write off a person or a show for using the word "idiot" now when it's something that lost its original context long ago.

[Indy]

I'm still enjoying it. Didn't love the bits with Jimmy and the daughter (it seems like the show isn't quite sure what to do with those characters yet) but I enjoyed Ray the petite walker and JJ with Kenneth.  

There's something about Ray that reminds me of a less-broody Ephraim from Everwood, which is probably why I like his character. 

[Lady Calypso]

I didn't like the Jimmy/Dylan part of the story, but I also had no issues with the term "idiot" being used. Maybe it's naive of me, but I'm a young adult who grew up using the word as a non-medical term, so I'm definitely ignorant in some cases. However, I can see why Jimmy making the family the neighbourly "idiots" could be insensitive with his son being physically disabled. I actually just stopped to think about how that can be perceived. But I guess, at least they didn't involved JJ directly. If they had, that could have been worse.

I'm less enthused for this show than I was last week, but I still enjoy some aspects. JJ/Kenneth, Maya, and Ray are definitely shining points. I don't actually care about Ray's crush, but I like him a lot as a character. JJ is a typical teenage boy, which is entertaining but could grow old and irritating later down the road. I like that he's more than his disability, but that means he should get called out when he does something wrong or gross, such as the laser pointer to the girls' butts. Hopefully we can get to that point where Maya sees JJ more as her disabled son that she needs to protect. 

I like Jimmy and I like Dylan, but it does seem like they're struggling to find them storylines. But it is only episode 2, so maybe they'll find their footing soon. 

Man, if we could see some continuity with the neighbours all hating that family, that would be fantastic. 

[emma675]

I didn't laugh as hard as I did during the pilot, but I still enjoyed this episode. 

And I'm another one who didn't equate the word "idiot" with physical or mental challenges, I just think of it as someone being deliberately stupid or foolish. 

I love Kenneth and JJ, I love Maya's attitude towards stepping back from being JJ's main caregiver at all times, I loved the dad teaching the daughter to not be mean, I loved the PT and the other son and how she ruined his gait in less than an hour. It's a sweet, funny little show and I hope it sticks around.

Edited September 29, 2016 by emma675d

[Drogo]

No politics, folks.

[alexvillage]

But "foolish" is related to "mental capacity".

Just an analogy:

Imagine someone saying: "We don't really think it is a good idea to overturn Buck v Bell because we don't want more idiots being born in this country"

This Supreme Court decision is the one that allows (to this day) for the sterilization of people considered "feeble minded". The term "imbeciles" (which was/is used in the same manner as "idiot" and "moron" - classifying people by perceived mental capability.) was the term used by the eugenicist movement, and Hitler, to get rid of disabled people

Maybe I am just disappointed that a show who does something really good for the community still decides to use language that was used, historically, to eliminate people 

[Andrew Wiggin]

The Context always maters and here Idiots meant stupid ,and as others have said nobody uses Idiot as a synonym for Mental Handicapped anymore.

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

I really like this show for the most part, but it bugs me so much that they didn't just make Kenneth an actual, trained aide from the get-go. He's obviously kind and empathetic, with good instincts, but leaving him to be the primary caretaker for someone with significant health issues when has NO formal training is incredibly irresponsible. I've been an aide for ten years, and while JJ is a dream kid to work for, this job is hard. Having a good heart is essential for this line of work, yes, but you also need skills, just like being a bookworm doesn't make you a librarian or being a great cook doesn't mean you should open a restaurant. 

[Drogo]

This is a forum about this week's episode.  This is not a forum to debate what words mean. 

If you think a post is crossing a line, report it and do not engage. 

[tennisgurl]

On to episode two, and I am still liking this show quite a lot, even though I didnt really care for the Jimmy/Dylan stuff, or the ending. I mean, it had funny parts, but I just tend to roll my eyes when characters act rude to people who are trying to be nice to them. The neighbors would probably notice they had three kids, one of whom has special needs, and would understand they dont have time to do a bunch of renovations. I dont know, it was a weird plot.

I did like all the stuff with Kenneth and JJ, but I do feel weird that Kenneth does not have any aid training, but I guess its still a sitcom, so it works alright. I like that JJ is a normal teen, and has normal teen hormones. I would be interested in seeing how, with Kenneth around to help, the family has to treat him more as a normal teen than a kid with special needs. 

[LekoBoy]

Too much Minnie Driver.  I'm out.  Canceled the season pass.

[LakeLover]

I'm still enjoying the show via DVR (although the AAC set up JJ's using kills me - so many better systems, but I get why they're doing it) but why does JJ have his aide outside of school and why is he driving JJ to school? Why the hell did the mom barge into the boy's/men's room? Just no. As ridiculous - a physical therapist just picking up and working on someone without a plan of care and a doctor's referral. Bye bye, license. And I have no respect for a parent who argues about paying for a therapist's time. I understand poetic license, but it's not hard to get it right while telling the story.

[CarolMK]

The show has been picked up for 22 episodes, and I'm excited about that. I really want to see where they take the characters and storylines. So far I'm enjoying it very much and I think I'm also learning a few things along the way.

[Big Mother]

My favorite part of this show is the actor playing JJ. He is so expressive just with his face and his laughter; I am pretty sure he's loving every minute of his gig.

I have some confusing questions about Kenneth and JJ and so forth; I guess shows like these can't be exactly, precisely true to reality, but still:

JJ says "he's never had an aide" before. Um, really? So who helped him in the bathroom in school until now? Of course he's had an aide. Unless a teacher's assistant did all this until now?

Next: Why is Kenneth also hanging around the DiMeio's house? are they paying him after school to be his home health aide, too? Or did he just drop him off?

Why does he have to pick him up in the morning? Disabled students get special busing.

In this episode I was able to see more why JJ's mom is such a driven, controlling, helicopter mom, and I'm able to understand it more. I do think she is way too controlling and JJ just wants to have a 'normal" life, which doesnt mean more physical therapy which won't help much anyway, but chilling a little. His mother is too uptight.

The dynamics with the neighbor have nothing to do with raising a special needs child. They *are* jerks.

[bros402]

9 hours ago, ZuluQueenOfDwarves said:

I really like this show for the most part, but it bugs me so much that they didn't just make Kenneth an actual, trained aide from the get-go. He's obviously kind and empathetic, with good instincts, but leaving him to be the primary caretaker for someone with significant health issues when has NO formal training is incredibly irresponsible. I've been an aide for ten years, and while JJ is a dream kid to work for, this job is hard. Having a good heart is essential for this line of work, yes, but you also need skills, just like being a bookworm doesn't make you a librarian or being a great cook doesn't mean you should open a restaurant. 

I hope they'll address the issue of the lack of training - maybe he already had some training.

 

4 hours ago, LakeLover said:

I'm still enjoying the show via DVR (although the AAC set up JJ's using kills me - so many better systems, but I get why they're doing it) but why does JJ have his aide outside of school and why is he driving JJ to school? Why the hell did the mom barge into the boy's/men's room? Just no. As ridiculous - a physical therapist just picking up and working on someone without a plan of care and a doctor's referral. Bye bye, license. And I have no respect for a parent who argues about paying for a therapist's time. I understand poetic license, but it's not hard to get it right while telling the story.

JJ's AAC set up is a good low tech solution. Maybe with the aide they're doing a cost-sharing - maybe the DIMeo's have him start a bit before school - to drive them there - and stay a bit after school to handle appointments like PT?

The PT plot was a bit odd, but hey, it's a comedy.

 

3 hours ago, Big Mother said:

My favorite part of this show is the actor playing JJ. He is so expressive just with his face and his laughter; I am pretty sure he's loving every minute of his gig.

I have some confusing questions about Kenneth and JJ and so forth; I guess shows like these can't be exactly, precisely true to reality, but still:

JJ says "he's never had an aide" before. Um, really? So who helped him in the bathroom in school until now? Of course he's had an aide. Unless a teacher's assistant did all this until now?

Next: Why is Kenneth also hanging around the DiMeio's house? are they paying him after school to be his home health aide, too? Or did he just drop him off?

Why does he have to pick him up in the morning? Disabled students get special busing.

In this episode I was able to see more why JJ's mom is such a driven, controlling, helicopter mom, and I'm able to understand it more. I do think she is way too controlling and JJ just wants to have a 'normal" life, which doesnt mean more physical therapy which won't help much anyway, but chilling a little. His mother is too uptight.

The dynamics with the neighbor have nothing to do with raising a special needs child. They *are* jerks.

I was also wondering who helped him in the bathroom. Maybe the school nurse helped him? Though a teachers aide helping him would also make sense - i've applied for some jobs where I had to decline interviews when I was told I would have to assist with toileting. I think by aide, Maya means a 1:1.

I'm operating under the assumption they are paying him after school.

Busing can be put as a related service in the IEP, but it isn't required. Given how shocked this school was at having a wheelchair bound student, they probably don't even have an accessible bus.

Maya is controlling, but she seems to recognize she has to let go, but can still have small things like watching The Bachelor.

They can justify the dynamics as it is how they blow off steam. Though I prefer the watching cars bottoming out method of blowing off steam. It sort of reminds me of Malcolm in the Middle in that respect.

[Empress1]

8 hours ago, Big Mother said:

My favorite part of this show is the actor playing JJ. He is so expressive just with his face and his laughter; I am pretty sure he's loving every minute of his gig.

I have some confusing questions about Kenneth and JJ and so forth; I guess shows like these can't be exactly, precisely true to reality, but still:

JJ says "he's never had an aide" before. Um, really? So who helped him in the bathroom in school until now? Of course he's had an aide. Unless a teacher's assistant did all this until now?

Next: Why is Kenneth also hanging around the DiMeio's house? are they paying him after school to be his home health aide, too? Or did he just drop him off?

Why does he have to pick him up in the morning? Disabled students get special busing.

In this episode I was able to see more why JJ's mom is such a driven, controlling, helicopter mom, and I'm able to understand it more. I do think she is way too controlling and JJ just wants to have a 'normal" life, which doesnt mean more physical therapy which won't help much anyway, but chilling a little. His mother is too uptight.

The dynamics with the neighbor have nothing to do with raising a special needs child. They *are* jerks.

Agree about him never having an aide before - did Maya just attend school with him until now? Is that allowed? Is she allowed in the men's room? It was jarring the way she just barged in there. I had dinner the other day with a friend of mine who's a special ed supervisor and I meant to ask her about this show but I forgot. (I doubt she's seen it, she doesn't watch much TV.)

Also, like someone else asked, does the dad work? Because he should, so they can get some furniture. And, you know, eat and stuff - how are they paying for therapy?

The sister needs more to do. She's supposed to be a talented runner - can they explore that?

And yeah, don't steal your neighbors' packages or swim in their pools when they're not home. That's assholish behavior (not to mention criminal). Not funny. 

What WAS funny was the other son and the therapist's horror at his gait. I did laugh at that. Also the lost and found wardrobe montage. "We said we'd try. Now we know."

[Chit Chat]

Quote

I mean, it had funny parts, but I just tend to roll my eyes when characters act rude to people who are trying to be nice to them. The neighbors would probably notice they had three kids, one of whom has special needs, and would understand they dont have time to do a bunch of renovations. I dont know, it was a weird plot.

I found it odd that they chose to be "idiots."  What's the point? They've got 2 able-bodies kids who could go out and at least mow the yard and bring in the trash can.   Why go this route of having a decrepit looking house when you can at least cut the damn grass and make it look presentable?  That didn't make sense to me.  The last scene with the family and the neighbors?  Yeah, that's my definition of being "jerks."  Other than that, I really like the show. 

[Big Mother]

I get that this is comedy and therefore it's over the top. But waht's the point of presenting this family as "We couldnt care less about the neighborhood, the neighbors, or the world, because WE HAVE A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD." They couldn't have it more wrong. Instead of being flippant, "This is who we are, suck it," they shouldve explained that they wohn't have time to do the normal neighborly things bc their child takes up so much of their time. They're behaving with a mixture of defensiveness, black humor, and "We're better than you because you don't know what it's like to raise such a child"-itis. It irks me. There is a way to be proud, accepting, and loving of one's special needs child without being @$$holes to the world.

Sigh.

[Indy]

3 hours ago, Empress1 said:

What WAS funny was the other son and the therapist's horror at his gait. I did laugh at that. Also the lost and found wardrobe montage. "We said we'd try. Now we know."

I loved the wardrobe montage. The cowboy get-up and the bit with the shirt being a girls shirt because it buttoned on the other side made me laugh.  The chemistry between the actors who play JJ and Kenneth is great. 

[needschocolate]

I watched the first episode and have only watched about half of the second episode - I am not sure I will stick with it.  I get that parents with special needs children have to be pretty militant at times and often have to fight to get what they think is best for their child.   I also get that this is a comedy and that comedies generally exaggerate characteristics.  But this is also a "groundbreaking" show - a comedy about a family with a special needs child, which, unfortunately, means that it is also giving those who don't know any special needs families an idea of what life is like for them.  

My problem isn't so much how over the top the mom is, although she is, perhaps, too extreme, it is that they play up her obnoxiousness with the comments.  They refer to her as though she is the worlds biggest bitch and the husband makes it sound like he puts up with her because is it easier than risking her wrath. They take pride in how horrible she is to be around, and now they take pride in how horrible they are as neighbors.  

You can have a sitcom about life as a special needs family and you can have a sitcom about life as a a family of horrible people (Married with Children and, to some extent, Roseanne treaded those waters, as have others) but it shouldn't be both when it is the is probably the first exposure that many viewers have to special needs families.  It is a bad first impression.

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, Big Mother said:

I get that this is comedy and therefore it's over the top. But waht's the point of presenting this family as "We couldnt care less about the neighborhood, the neighbors, or the world, because WE HAVE A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD." They couldn't have it more wrong. Instead of being flippant, "This is who we are, suck it," they shouldve explained that they wohn't have time to do the normal neighborly things bc their child takes up so much of their time. They're behaving with a mixture of defensiveness, black humor, and "We're better than you because you don't know what it's like to raise such a child"-itis. It irks me. There is a way to be proud, accepting, and loving of one's special needs child without being @$$holes to the world.

Sigh.

Really, there's no reason for them (besides JJ) not to do normal neighborly things either. They have two other able-bodied kids who can and should contribute to the running of the household. I'm not that old, I promise, but damn, do kids not have chores anymore? The other two kids can take out the trash and put the trash cans back, they can mow the lawn. And stealing packages and trespassing has fuck-all to do with JJ. They're bad neighbors because they want to be.

(My mom, who has MS, has neighbors with a son with mild mental retardation and they're the best neighbors on the block, both in general and with my mom specifically. The son does lots of small outside chores for my mom - putting her trash cans back every single week, picking up branches and debris if they're on her sidewalk, etc. My mother has never asked him to do this - she called me the first time he put back her trash cans all "[Neighbor's son] just put back my trash cans!" and he refuses payment every time she offers. And their hedges are groomed and their lawn stays mowed.)

[OnceSane]

I loved the lost & found montage almost as much as I loved Mom telling Kenneth she trusts him now.  I would like to see him get some sort of training (maybe night classes?), though.

I love Minnie Driver as the mom; her OTT-ness may grate later, but for now, she's terrific.

IDK why the other two children couldn't do some yard work, it isn't difficult just time-consuming.  Or the dad.  Or the mom--what does she do when she isn't fighting for her son?  I think maybe she WAS the aide for JJ at his past schools; but then what does daddy do?  I assume someone has to have a job to support the family.

[Crs97]

I think Kenneth is going to get the training; I assumed the principal was going to blackmail her brother the superintendent to get the funding.

I sense the money aspect of CP will be hand-waved, which isn't realistic but would certainly take some of the laughs out of the show.

[Chit Chat]

Quote

You can have a sitcom about life as a special needs family and you can have a sitcom about life as a a family of horrible people (Married with Children and, to some extent, Roseanne treaded those waters, as have others) but it shouldn't be both when it is the is probably the first exposure that many viewers have to special needs families.  It is a bad first impression.

The show Life Goes On had a character with Down Syndrome.  I remember that being rather groundbreaking at the time.  I didn't watch it, but I think they presented that family in a positive way.   Again, I do think this show has promise, but I don't like how they presented them as being assholes to the neighbors.  It's not necessary, IMO.

[neuromom]

 My assumption is that they are getting a lot of their funding through the  regional center .  The first aide, that JJ didn't like was one that was assigned through the regional center.  As far as training goes, it may be a state mandated issue. There is not a lot of training  required to be a para educator for special needs in California. But then, it doesn't pay that well. Thankfully the jobs at my son school attract kind hearted people who have a desire to be around special kids . ( The ones that don't, don't stick around long )

i'm also guessing that Kenneth is an IHSS  caregiver in the home for JJ. And California you only have to attend a four hour class for that. I am my sons full-time caregiver. And every child  ( or disabled person that is on IHSS )  qualifies for different amounts of hours per week.  My son gets the maximum hours because he is very high maintenance due to his disabilities . 

 My guess is that Maya possibly  has been JJs full-time caregiver until now. So if Kenneth takes over that job, she will have to go out and get another job . ( I did the opposite. I had to give up my career to stay home with my child .) 

 As far as bussing is concerned,  you can have a written into the IEP and the district is obligated to provide it. They were more than happy to provide it for my son. But we only live 5 miles away, and with the bus route being the way it is,  they told me he may spend  anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes on the bus. I can drive him there in five minutes. Plus ,  A school bus does not provide proper leg support .  ( dangling your legs for extended periods of time without support puts pressure on the spine. But most of the other parents don't seem to care about that ) 

The "jerk" part of the episode  was annoying but I think that's typical sitcom .

 When Maya told Kenneth " this is hard for me. He's my world. " That was me. 

Edited September 30, 2016 by neuromom

[bros402]

10 hours ago, neuromom said:

 My assumption is that they are getting a lot of their funding through the  regional center .  The first aide, that JJ didn't like was one that was assigned through the regional center.  As far as training goes, it may be a state mandated issue. There is not a lot of training  required to be a para educator for special needs in California. But then, it doesn't pay that well. Thankfully the jobs at my son school attract kind hearted people who have a desire to be around special kids . ( The ones that don't, don't stick around long )

i'm also guessing that Kenneth is an IHSS  caregiver in the home for JJ. And California you only have to attend a four hour class for that. I am my sons full-time caregiver. And every child  ( or disabled person that is on IHSS )  qualifies for different amounts of hours per week.  My son gets the maximum hours because he is very high maintenance due to his disabilities . 

 My guess is that Maya possibly  has been JJs full-time caregiver until now. So if Kenneth takes over that job, she will have to go out and get another job . ( I did the opposite. I had to give up my career to stay home with my child .) 

 As far as bussing is concerned,  you can have a written into the IEP and the district is obligated to provide it. They were more than happy to provide it for my son. But we only live 5 miles away, and with the bus route being the way it is,  they told me he may spend  anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes on the bus. I can drive him there in five minutes. Plus ,  A school bus does not provide proper leg support .  ( dangling your legs for extended periods of time without support puts pressure on the spine. But most of the other parents don't seem to care about that ) 

The "jerk" part of the episode  was annoying but I think that's typical sitcom .

 When Maya told Kenneth " this is hard for me. He's my world. " That was me. 

What's a regional center? I've never heard of one of those, at least here in NJ.

For a para for a student like JJ, they'd have more than the typical requirements, I imagine, He'd need to be trained in all things JJ - feeding, toileting, first aid - to start. Since for posting an application for a para for him, they could put whatever they needed in terms of training, education, and skills.

Yeah, I had busing for ESY during the summer in elementary school - my mom worked part time during the school day during the school year, but during the summer, she was off and had to take care of me and my brother - so she had the district transport me to ESY. They wouldn't send the regular school bus for JJ, unless it was able to take a wheelchair. I know for the school district I went to, I had two wheelchair bound classmates in ESY, I was on the way to the school that ESY was held at, so the van that brought them to ESY would swing by and pick me up. They contracted with an outside company to provide the vans.

The jerk part of the episode was acceptable sitcom. With some of the comments above saying it makes them horrible people, or they are hiding behind JJ, I'd say it's more than they are the kind of sitcom characters who like to set low expectations for those around them, except for when it comes to their central concerns. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this family seems a lot like the one from Malcolm in the Middle - another sitcom where the family was not well liked in their neighborhood or the community. Although they were slightly better at maintaining their property - though. I'm guessing by the time episode 14 airs, the lawn will look at least a tiny bit trimmed (Since, well, they might change stuff for the back 9).

[dmmetler]

They mentioned in the first episode that they were moving because JJ would have an aide to be his voice-no more special Ed. I know it didn't sit right with many here (because since the 1970's, kids with physical disabilities were usually not placed in special Ed classes full-time, and the full inclusion movement of the 1990's made getting a child into full-time special Ed rather difficult even when that was what the parents wanted), but it was included. 

 

I do wish they'd made Kenneth another trained aide from the center-or even given a throwaway line like that he had been trained to care for a family member or in his previous job, as opposed to making him the school custodian. Not to mention that at least in my district, a building engineer/lead custodian (and Kenneth seemed to be in that role, as opposed to the people who come in to do cleaning) makes more than a 1-1 paraprofessional. 

[neuromom]

 There definitely is training for feeding and toileting. But it's all done on the job after the person is hired.   Of course for true medical issues, and medically fragile children, there would be an actual nurse assigned. And that person is a nurse full-time .  At least that's how it is in California .  My son has some significant disabilities,  But none are medical.  However, there are several students at the school that arrived with their full-time nurse that stays  with them  throughout the school day. 

Here inn California , Regional centers are nonprofit private corporations that contract with the Department of Developmental Services to provide or coordinate services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities.  They assist with providing services, therapy and other things that may not be provided through insurance.   I was able to get a tub lift for my son through the regional center because Kaiser denied the claim.

 One of the great things about the show is that it gets people at least thinking about people with disabilities and some of the struggles they go through.   And then they come to boards like this and discuss it. 

Now,  I would pay good money to get a good solid caregiver like Kenneth.  The bond with the child is so important! The training is secondary to that.

[Drogo]

I've created a special place where folks with a real life connection to disabilities and the educational system can chat in more detail when it's not necessarily related to the episodes. 

Hoping knowledge and experience can be exchanged and shared there.

Your loving Mod,

Drogo 

[atomationage]

The second episode met my expectations about the family dynamics and not spending the whole episode at school, so I'll continue to watch.   I like Kripke as the dad, and Minnie D as the mom.   The kid playing JJ is the cutest kid, so his brother and sister don't shine as much.  I like the daughter, but the other son is starting to annoy.  I don't know why they had to have 3 kids in a half hour show.    I did think the scene with the therapist was the funniest.  On the other hand,  I found some of the scenes with Kenneth and the personal care a little creepy.   

[Zanne]

This was 11+ years ago when I was an instructional assistant, but training for an aide mostly happened on the job, unless you were a health aide and had received previous certification as a nurse or other type of medical professional. Another qualification was relatively new at the time, but they required aides/instructional assistants to have an AA or BA so they could support students academically in their classes. Older instructional assistants who were already employed could take a test to excuse them from the AA/BA requirement. You used to need to get the CPR/First Aid training on your own dime, but the district began to provide it later. Even when I was a substitute aide, I was toileting and feeding the kids. It was seeing how well I handled it that got me employed full-time by the school. I was trained as backup support for health purposes, too, should the health aide be unavailable for some reason, and learned how to swap out an oxygen tank, just in case. District provided CPI training is also required, to restrain a child in a non-harmful manner when the child is posing a danger to himself or others.

Since the show is unclear on exactly who is responsible for paying/hiring Kenneth, I'm not sure what qualifications might be required. People hired from outside companies sometimes specialize in behavioral issues and such that District employees may not have the training for. However, a District aide would not be spending the night or having dinner at a student's house. Their job starts and is over at a set time. The District would not be responsible for what is needed at home, only what is needed at school (or to get to and from school). For example, JJ's physical therapy must be paid for by the parents/regional center/etc. since it happens after school. Otherwise it would happen during the school day by a school employee who is required to extend services to JJ a certain amount of minutes per week, according to the IEP he doesn't seem to have at this school.  There are, of course, the occasional exceptions to the school day service rule, but those are discussed at an IEP.

[bros402]

2 hours ago, Zanne said:

Since the show is unclear on exactly who is responsible for paying/hiring Kenneth, I'm not sure what qualifications might be required. People hired from outside companies sometimes specialize in behavioral issues and such that District employees may not have the training for. However, a District aide would not be spending the night or having dinner at a student's house. Their job starts and is over at a set time. The District would not be responsible for what is needed at home, only what is needed at school (or to get to and from school). For example, JJ's physical therapy must be paid for by the parents/regional center/etc. since it happens after school. Otherwise it would happen during the school day by a school employee who is required to extend services to JJ a certain amount of minutes per week, according to the IEP he doesn't seem to have at this school.  There are, of course, the occasional exceptions to the school day service rule, but those are discussed at an IEP.

I'm thinking Kenneth is paid by both - a cost sharing deal. However, he might be paid by JJ's health insurance - so the district and the insurance would talk back and forth about how they would pay each other.

The physical therapist was definitely someone private, given the request for the check.

[dmmetler]

One thing I love is that JJ is a teenage boy, and that he's not adverse to using the school's response to him to get what he wants. I also love that Kenneth realizes that a teen boy with neurological disabilities is a teen boy. 

Maya is over the top-but having trouble letting go and recognizing that your child who still needs you is becoming an adult and doesn't necessarily want you is hard.  

[juliet73]

I like this show and prefer the plots revolving around the kids way better than the ones with the parents. The we are idiots/jerks/crappy neighbors was stupid. I understand they are busy with a special needs child,  but from what I could see, neither mom or dad has a job.  Now that JJ has an aide with him during school (and maybe after), the parents can't cut the grass or clean up the yard in the 6-7 hours that he's gone? Plus, I would think the family would want a clear path for JJ.  He shouldn't have to maneuver around garbage,  bins, overgrown grass and shrubs just to get to the front door. 

I love JJ! He lights up every scene he's in. His smile totally makes me smile :) 

[Zanne]

3 hours ago, dmmetler said:

Maya is over the top-but having trouble letting go and recognizing that your child who still needs you is becoming an adult and doesn't necessarily want you is hard.  

Or a child who has special needs may not need the parent quite as much as they did when they were in elementary school. I'm dealing with that issue with a parent in my classroom right now. I understand it's hard for parents to let go, but it can be so frustrating to watch when you [the teacher] are working toward making the student as independent as possible and the parent still treats them like they can't do anything on their own.

What I do like about this is that Maya is trying to let JJ go and let him do things without her. True, he has an aide, but that gives JJ more autonomy than having Mom following him around would. I'm hoping to see more of that.

[BW Manilowe]

19 hours ago, atomationage said:

The second episode met my expectations about the family dynamics and not spending the whole episode at school, so I'll continue to watch.   I like Kripke as the dad, and Minnie D as the mom.   The kid playing JJ is the cutest kid, so his brother and sister don't shine as much.  I like the daughter, but the other son is starting to annoy.  I don't know why they had to have 3 kids in a half hour show.    I did think the scene with the therapist was the funniest.  On the other hand,  I found some of the scenes with Kenneth and the personal care a little creepy.   

Minnie Driver was on Jimmy Kimmel Live, promoting the show, the other night (I think it was Thursday, but may have been Wednesday--good interview, in my opinion, if anybody wants to find it online). Among the stuff she said in connection with the show was that it's based on the real-life family of the creator. If there were 3 kids in that family, then there's 3 kids in the TV version.

[bros402]

10 hours ago, Zanne said:

Or a child who has special needs may not need the parent quite as much as they did when they were in elementary school. I'm dealing with that issue with a parent in my classroom right now. I understand it's hard for parents to let go, but it can be so frustrating to watch when you [the teacher] are working toward making the student as independent as possible and the parent still treats them like they can't do anything on their own.

What I do like about this is that Maya is trying to let JJ go and let him do things without her. True, he has an aide, but that gives JJ more autonomy than having Mom following him around would. I'm hoping to see more of that.

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see JJ exercising his autonomy. I'm guessing we'll have a plot of Maya being ridiculously bored and maybe applying for work. I'm thinking the father has a job, but we haven't learned it yet.

Or, one of them had a wealthy uncle who died and they've been living off of that.

[Hanahope]

Half the episode was funny, half was not.  No, you're not idiots, you're jerks.

JJ is doing great, and has very good chemistry with Kenneth.

[SlackerInc]

On 9/30/2016 at 1:54 AM, bros402 said:

It sort of reminds me of Malcolm in the Middle in that respect.

I got a huge "Malcolm" vibe from this episode that I don't remember feeling at all about the pilot.  But for me that is a huge turnoff, so I went from being very enthused about the show after the pilot to being done after this one.  Too bad.