Nursery changing routine of Autist child

[hennaoj]

I have a 6 year old son who has just received his autism diagnosis and a 4 year old who is still going through his diagnosis but is very obviously autistic and has a micro deleltion in chromosome 15.
He has always been a handful at Nursery but more so recently, he's been refusing to get ready to play outside if he is already inside playing quite happily despite being given a warning sound that play time is ending.
The SENCO at Nursery has thus decided that he has to go outside to play as soon as he arrives at Nursery, including changing coat, putting on wellies and waterproofs. Of course this is causing a massive melt down as he cannot deal with this change. I've tried to send him in, in an old coat and his wellies but that was a complete no go and too much of a change for him and cannot wrestle them on him myself as he's almost the size of a 6 year old. This morning I took him in and said, just leave his coat and shoes on, the shoes are waterproof boots, it doesn't matter if they get wet and muddy. Doesn't matter about the trousers as bought for Nursery/his brothers old ones. of course one of the teachers who didn't hear comes over and in a joly voice tells him its time to get his wellies on, resulting in a meltdown. Took three of them to carry him to go outside, still insisting on him having waterproofs on.
I've told the SENCO he just cannot deal with this change but she insists he has to get used to it. I'm going to suggest visuals but he's so wound up by the whole process now I doubt its going to help.
Are nursery doing the right thing by insisting on this change? It's a council run Nursery will fully trained teaching staff.

[livpotter]

That sounds awful. Your poor ds!

My ds is also at nursery. We have a similar problem with clothes changes/wearing shoes. His nursery are very flexible with rules about his clothing and would also never make him go outside if he didn’t want to. Visuals may well help him. But they also need to be more patient with your ds and give him some time to adjust to the idea! It takes my ds quite a long time to process a change in routine and I would be really upset if they treated him in the way that you are describing.

[Sel82]

The famous line 'he/she' has to get used to it!' How do they expect them to if they their needs aren't being accomodated! I would talk about reasonable adjustments being made for him after all he does special needs

[Ellie56]

This sort of thing makes me so angry!! No they are not doing the right thing insisting on this heavy handed routine. Your poor little boy - no wonder he is stressed out if he keeps getting this kind of treatment. They need to work on one small change at a time FGS.

They don't sound "fully trained" at all.They've obviously never heard of autism, the Equality Act and the need to make reasonable adjustments.

I would have a word with the HT.

[Allthewaves]

Sound like he might need ft 1:1. Ds2 can't cope well with transitions without full adult support. Have the applied for echp?

[Violet44]

Why is it that he needs to go outside at set time? Are all children going outside at that time? Current good practice in early years for all children to have access to outdoor/ indoor curriculum and be able to wonder freely between areas as they choose. Also good practice to follow children's lead and interests and bring learning to where he's playing, early years curriculum is designed to be flexible. What is it that he's engaging in and enjoying inside, could they take some of his interests outside if they're so keen to get him out. I would question why he needs to be outside at set time.