first day as SEN ta, ASD icebreakers?

[Flojo1979]

Hi, I start a new job tomorrow as a teaching assistant in a primary school for a 9 yr old girl with Autism. i know nothing about her, other than its the first time shes had funding for a 1-1, so i presume she is quite high functioning. I'm so scared!! Any ideas for first hour of 'getting to know u' when i know so little about her!

[MangoMonster]

Find out what her favourite things are.

[cyb]

I would hope you have been told a lot about her already! You should know if she has a visual timetable, what her routine is, if there are any sensory things she likes/dislikes. Also friendships, issues around playtimes etc. Speak to the SENCO who should know her pretty well

Let the girl tell you about herself, as mango suggested. perhaps you coudl make it into a book together. But I know schools, they will probably expect you to be in lessons with her straight away, with a whole table to lower ability children to look after too!

Good luck!!

[Flojo1979]

Hi, yeah I'm being thrown in the deep end. They expect me to be in lessons with her first thing tomorrow morning and her class teacher is off til tuesday.

[cyb]

That's not great. Obviously you can't learn to work with a child by reading about them, but there might be some fundamentals you need to know

Could you get a quick look at her statement IEP if the school has ever done one of those for her? Have you met her parents?

[Flojo1979]

She must be statemented to get the 1-1 funding, i assume, but by the time I drop my kids off and race to work I'm straight in the class, cant really then get a copy and read it until at least break time. No i havent met her folks or anything. Straight in to class first things tomorrow when some sort of introduction activity that i'm supposed to have thought up when i know nothing about her for an hour, then break then straight on the literacy hour, then lunch then science afternoon.
Surely I should at least know the behaviour policy, her exactly needs and what to do if the fire alarm goes off, prior? but clearly not!

[cyb]

Schools eh? As long as the box is ticked saying she's got support, you could be locking her in a cupboard and forcing her to listen to Steve Wright

I woudol make it clear you need LOTS of info about this pupil. But I think a gentle chat somewhere quiet will let you get the measure of each other. She will know what she finds hard

[cyb]

How did you get on?

[Flojo1979]

Hi, sorry its took so long, been sooo busy this work!! No time for anything now I'm working!!
It went well, i think!
The staff where lovely, there expectation of me r quite high so i need to push myself and live up to them!
My 1-1 is quite a handful, we made a 'getting to know u' book, thanx cyb
She tends to suddenly decide shes had enough and wants to go home and becomes quite vocal about it, and by this point doesnt respond to bribes rewards! But all in all its been a good getting to know her wk, got next wk then its half term.

[nikos]

Gosh as a mother to a child with asd am really shocked how little info you were given. Did they not even say a bit about her at your interview?