A Brockton mother says she has spent years fighting to get her 13-year-old son the education and mental health support she believes he needs. Brandie-Jo MacLaughlin says navigating the school, court, and mental health systems has left her frustrated and searching for answers.
With resources, she spoke with Boston 25's Lisa Greshy about
her son's frustrating journey.
The boy's mother says it's been an ongoing battle to get him the care
and education he needs since the third grade.
He's now in the eighth grade.
It's frustrating because it's like it's right there
and I feel like I'm always gaslit.
It's a paper trail Brandi Jo McLaughlin never wanted to keep.
All of it telling her 13-year-old son Anthony's story.
Everything from Brockton public school records to doctor evaluations
and medication lists to court paperwork.
Because while Anthony can be your typical fun-loving 13-year-old boy
who loves sports, especially soccer,
he also struggles with his mental health and regulating his emotions.
He's had a lot of diagnoses over the years.
His first one was ODD and stress-induced anxiety.
Anthony's had to be sectioned six times.
Then there are the countless incidents both at school
and home where police have had to be called,
leading his mother down every avenue imaginable
to get him the right help.
The school system sends me to the juvenile court system,
and then the juvenile court system's sending me to the school system.
According to a neuropsych evaluation from Mass General,
it's recommended Anthony should have access
to a more therapeutic learning structure.
McLaughlin says she's submitted everything
to Brockton Public Schools for them to sign off on
and has been waiting for an update
to his education plan since May of last year.
She says the Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education has been involved since the third grade,
but with him testing well, it's been hard to get him on the right IEP.
And now she's been given advice by the courts she can't imagine taking.
She's telling me that my best option
is to voluntarily open up a DCF case,
voluntarily sign him over, and have him placed in a group home.
If it doesn't work in 30 days,
then they have no choice but to implement the therapeutic schooling.
Knowing she can't be the only mother
with a child struggling with their mental health,
She's hoping the school will start to work with her because she feels
those eight hours and the right education can provide Anthony
with the real chance he needs.
It's sad because just watching this beautiful,
fun-loving little boy just lose himself,
slip through the cracks of all the systems that are supposed
to be there to help our children, and then just being turned away.
And then the fingers pointed at me to do everything.
And it's like, I've done everything. I don't know what else to do.
Because it's taken this long to get this far,
her fear is that Anthony will end up turning 18 and slip even further.
Because if he's considered an adult
and completely aged out of the public school system,
she knows she won't be able to advocate for him as much.
I'm Lisa Greshey for Local Station, Boston 25 News.
