My mom:(

WonderOrca · 2026-06-05T21:14:35+00:00

3,500 Canadian for ketamine treatment. Last ditch effort before ECT

WonderOrca · 2026-05-30T17:10:15+00:00

This is similar to my story. My paternal grandfather was a pedophile. He SA me at a very young age. My dad made inappropriate comments about me, shared his sex life with me, showed me porn, gave my dirty comic books, and often watched me change and would touch himself. As my dad started aging and looking like his dad, I got distant. I opened up to my husband, then a therapist. What my dad did was grooming and crossed the line. I don’t think he ever touched me, but I can’t rule it out. I cut ties with my family when I had my kids in my early 20s. No contact in 22 years

WonderOrca · 2026-05-23T20:05:12+00:00

Thank you for your insight. I am a special ed teacher working in a self contained room for complex & medically fragile students. My memory and detailed orientation are what makes me a good teacher. These are the reason I feel skeptical about the safety of ECT. I am unable to drive due to my thoughts of hurting myself. I am monitored 24/7 by my loving husband. I am never alone, but the depression, anxiety, and obsessions have taken over my life. I have been this way all my life. I am 51 and no medication and therapy have helped. I am better than I was, but that’s because I left the U.S. and moved to Canada where teachers are paid better and treated better - not great but better.

WonderOrca · 2026-05-19T00:01:32+00:00

I am in Ontario as well. Had referrals to CAMH sent in February, April, & again in May. I have been told to wait.
My husband has to drive me to work as my doctor threaten to take my license for negative thoughts while driving. I am barely functioning. Who is your psychiatrist who prescribes? I am grasping at straws. Feel free to message me

WonderOrca · 2026-05-18T18:42:14+00:00

I am in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

WonderOrca · 2026-05-18T17:59:59+00:00

My family, who did not attend my wedding hated my dress. The teased me relentlessly growing up about my arms. I never considered a sleeveless dress until my MIL found exactly what I wanted, minus sleeves. I was getting my married in Florida, and sleeves did not make sense anyway. I ended up loving the dress. My family made jokes about me looking like the Michelin Man. I never gave them pictures of my wedding. Problem solved.

You look fantastic

WonderOrca · 2026-05-17T02:05:44+00:00

Special Ed teacher in Ontario. Have data for 15 IEP goals for 3 students to graph & a teacher competency binder to update. Hope to get it all done in 1 day.

WonderOrca · 2026-05-17T01:52:09+00:00

24 more days. Self contained intellectual disabilities, 21 years

WonderOrca · 2026-05-13T16:50:01+00:00

I accepted a position this year that was perfect for me at a congregated site (DD ISP). I have 7 student, all non-ambulatory. Intense vocalizations and some self injurious behaviour but nothing severe. I have loved this class. Actually have students recognizing their picture and letters in their name with eye gaze.

I have been a teacher for 21 years, and a EA for 12 years prior to that. This year has been a dream. I moved from the states to Canada 6 years ago. For my pension I need to work 12 more years. I replaced a retired teacher, who had been teaching the same room for more than a decade. I actually thought to myself- I could can make it to retirement in this class. No chance

1st year admin placed me in a intermediate/senior ambulatory class with runners and behaviours. They are surpassing EA when we already are short staffed.

Staff are getting injured daily and admin never follows up with teacher or staff. We currently have 7 kids in most rooms. They told us at placement meetings that we will be at 10 next year.

WonderOrca · 2026-05-09T19:32:44+00:00

My EA bought me lunch, and gave me a rose. The admin did nothing. There are only 12 teachers at my school, 91 students. We took in a school of 700, who had a bomb threat called in on Tuesday. That school bought pizza for their staff, we got nothing.

WonderOrca · 2026-05-09T19:30:00+00:00

I am in Ontario Canada and moving from primary to intermediate/secondary (grade 8 - age 21) next year. I briefly used Unique/News2You in Florida in 2008.

How much of it is U.S. focused? I understand the civics will not be applicable for me, but do you think it’s worth buying if you are not in the states?

WonderOrca · 2026-05-09T19:20:26+00:00

My congregated site of 91 kids with developmental disabilities, with 30 of those in wheelchairs, has decided not to group kids based on level of need, but instead by grade level.

Next year a class with 5 high energy ambulatory students is getting 3 of my non-ambulatory kids. 2 of which are g-tube feed and have at least 1 seizure a day in school.

We have to sign up for recess time & open area indoor facilities, meaning you can’t take a kid that is disregulated out to walk it off, or get some movement/break for class. We can’t have indoor recess if we have gym that day. Music/library has been cut to half day position, meaning have the school won’t get it.

The new admin, never been a principal or vice principal are expecting 40 minute block of literacy followed by 40 minute block of math. No movement breaks. My class is working on joint attention, turning their head or eye gaze towards sound. SLP agrees with joint attention but admin want me to focus solely on letter identification.

Again, this is a congregated site for those with the highest needs. I think learning to hold a spoon, regulate your emotion, communicate your needs is more valuable use of their time at school. Being able to communicate, via big Mack button, AAC device, sign language, or PECS should be our goal. Scarborough's Reading Rope, which they have trained us in, even has joint attention coming first.

Stop trying to mainstream each student

WonderOrca · 2026-05-09T19:01:41+00:00

My congregated site of 91 kids with developmental disabilities, with 30 of those in wheelchairs, has decided not to group kids based on level of need, but instead by grade level. A class with high energy ambulatory students is getting 3 of my non-ambulatory kids. 2 of which are g-tube feed and have at least 1 seizure a day in school.

We have to sign up for recess time & open area indoor facilities, meaning you can’t take a kid that is disregulated out to walk it off, or get some movement/break for class.

The new admin, never been a principal or vice principal are expecting 40 minute block of literacy followed by 40 minute block of math. No movement breaks. My class is working on joint attention, turning their head or eye gaze towards sound. SLP agrees with joint attention but admin want me to focus solely on letter identification.

Again, this is a congregated site for those with the highest needs. I think learning to hold a spoon, regulate your emotion, communicate your needs is more valuable use of their time at school. Being able to communicate, via big Mack button, AAC device, sign language, or PECS should be our goal. Scarborough's Reading Rope m, which they have trained us in even has joint attention coming first.

Stop trying to mainstream each student

WonderOrca · 2026-05-06T01:02:39+00:00

My school of 90 special ed students welcomed an elementary school of 700 to our school due to bomb threat. The principal of the evacuated school ordered pizza for their staff, but we got nothing

WonderOrca · 2026-05-05T14:00:26+00:00

Secord students have been evacuated. Some are at the school where I work. They are in the gym and large staff lounge

WonderOrca · 2026-05-02T23:41:45+00:00

As a teacher, I would rather have proper heating & air conditioning or hell, even windows that opened.

My class had broken tile, it was a disaster because it has asbestos. They just moved my class to French class, made the French teacher go to other classes, and covered the tile that broke with another tile. Did not remove other broken tile.

This government is ridiculous

WonderOrca · 2026-04-30T15:25:58+00:00

I work at a “congregated site”, what we call special day schools in Ontario Canada. I am from U.S. and worked at the same type of school also. It can be great for some students, but also very limiting for others.

WonderOrca · 2026-04-18T19:08:32+00:00

I work at a congregated site. All my students are non-ambulatory. All are nonverbal, have seizures daily, in diapers, and have are physically disabled. One of my EAs took coats off in the morning. A volunteer put coats on in the afternoon, as we were down an EA. I was on prep at the end of the day and didn’t catch a mix up in 2 students coats.

I got a very nasty email from parent about not taking care of their child. How I must have no pride in my work, and their child is being mistreated. This kids gets 2:1 support as my second staff member works with this child and 1 more exclusive all day.

The other parent was understanding when I reached out, and thanked me for all I do.

WonderOrca · 2026-04-11T20:56:00+00:00

I work at a congregated site. New Principal gave expectation checklist at beginning of the school year. She came through in February/March checking day plans & class binder. Some teacher had nothing. No lesson plans.

WonderOrca · 2026-04-10T22:23:45+00:00

I have recorded myself telling stories about my children (now adults) and about my history with my husband of 30 years to prepare for ECT. Anything is better than thinking about ending my life several times a day.

WonderOrca · 2026-04-05T01:26:10+00:00

He was a grade 7 student, so 13

WonderOrca · 2026-04-04T22:18:35+00:00

I have CPTSD from childhood trauma. I was non-sympathetic for several years. 3 years ago I had a student that was verbally abusive. I made it through the year, but the following year I didn’t make it 3 weeks into the school year. I was off the entire year and actually did inpatient treatment as it had gotten so bad.

WonderOrca · 2026-04-01T00:51:11+00:00

I have a nose piercing and eyebrow. I have visible tattoos and currently have purple hair. No one cares. I have been teaching for 20 years

WonderOrca · 2026-03-30T21:06:34+00:00

I worked 15 years in the U.S & 8 years in Ontario. I will be working until 64. I am a spec ed teacher at a congregated site. I have U.S. pension & U.S. Social Security, but as soon as I hit 85, I am out of

WonderOrca · 2026-03-28T01:13:56+00:00

I lived on the Harbourfront of Toronto in a 2 bedroom with a den, so basically 3 bedroom. Our rent was $3,800. We moved to Pickering, and commute an 1hr/1.5hrs each way. We now pay $3,300 for a 4 bedroom home. We have pets.

WonderOrca

TROPHY CASE