AIBU to think teacher should have consulted about this?

As a teacher, you don't know her background. She may have extensive ASD training/awareness/experience. And in 8 days, she may well have chatted to your son a few times, or his previous teacher, and found a solution that works

Regarding outside activities, we have found beavers/cubs/scouts incredible for our ASD son. Honestly, he still prefers to work alone in the classroom, and his socialising is on his terms only, and not what I would class as socialising (but like a pp cahms told us if he is happy, then it's OK, and he's happy) but Scouting has really made a huge huge difference to him.

I can't see the problem if he is happy? Surely it's better than wearing ear defenders or going to the library?
Perhaps try to instigate some things outside of school - could he join cubs or something like that?

Does your ds have an ehcp and if so is this included in it?

If your child is happy then I wouldn’t worry at all. Does he distract other children & effect their learning in any way? That could be another reason why the teacher moved him.
It’s the schools job to educate in a secure environment where each child is able to achieve. I would thank the teacher rather than question why you were not informed. Be grateful. If you’re worried about social interaction, sort that outside of school.

@SofiaAmes - had similar experiences myself 🤬

I'd still just arrange a chat with the teacher for the start of the year and agree to meet half termly to catch-up and that you'll both be in touch to share relevant information and updates.
She gains the benefit of your insight as his mum and you are open minded to hearing different approaches.

I made the mistake of assuming that my dc's teachers would be trained in special needs and/or differentiating in the classroom. What a gross mistake. Between the two of them they each had one teacher during their 6 years of elementary school who had a clue of what to do with a child with significant learning differences. I very much regret making the assumption that my dc's teachers were "highly qualified individuals" who were trained, competent and experienced in recognizing every child's needs, particularly in the case of outside the norm children.
My experience included a teacher who sent for 3 weeks straight (until I found out) my ds every day for break and lunch to the principal's office as a "punishment" for not focusing on his schoolwork. Obviously it was not effective, but ds loved it. He was bored in the classroom and the principal's office was the only place where he could read ahead in his books without being disturbed. I sent him for private testing after that where he was diagnosed as having a genius IQ and very very very low processing and active working memory. If the teacher had bothered to speak with me first, I could have given her several suggestions as to how to get him to not disturb the class and move ahead in his studies. His teacher the following year figured out what he needed and asked me if it would be ok and was extremely successful for him and with him in her classroom.

Personally I would request a meeting with the class teacher and SENCO - and this would be one of the things I would want to discuss. And I wouldn't react until it had been discussed.

I also doubt that any seating arrangement is for "the rest of the year" unless the teacher is very rigid in their thinking. Most seating arrangements get modified over the year and with topics.

...because the tone of some of the posts struck me as lacking awareness of this - do you feel that it undermines a teacher's professional role if they have to work with parents, in making certain decisions, in order to ensure that a child with SEN has their needs met?

In my experience, the really good (primary, in particular) teachers realise that one of the best way to get to know a child is by engaging with the parents. The really good teachers also realise how important this is for specific strategies and support put in place for pupils with ALN.

A brand new teacher in a school with a new ALNCo does not know OPs son at all. Yes, she will have some information on paper. She may well have done some reading on ASD to supplement that reading. She did not know this child.

Communicating with parents is a key parent of any primary teacher's job. Communicating with parents about individual children's needs and the best way to support them is utterly, utterly central to any ALNCos job. I sympathise with the workloads of teachers. I sympathise with trying to balance the needs of 30 individual children in a classroom. But that doesn't change the fact basic communication is required between teachers and parents. For a child with ASD who needs individualised support, that basic communication involves any changes to that support.

This was my ds in year 5 too.

It was like his dream come true! He always wanted his own desk away from others and was as proud as punch when he got it.

He attended a nurture group 2 afternoons a week.

Camps said to me not to judge ds social intersections by what I wanted for him or the norm - but whether he was happy with the situation and it's what he wanted.

So social skills groups and interaction should be on his terms. He preferred working alone and socialising at break times. That was enough for him.
He's now 15 and tolerates people for longer periods of time as it was done at his speed and on his terms.

Tbh I wouldn't be happy with the way that was handled. No discussion with your DS or you (and I bet none with the SENCO either) would have me worried that it was an isolation desk as opposed to a desk for his needs. And there is a massive difference between the two - the attitude of the teacher is absolutely key to it. Especially if it goes against a strategy you had previously discussed with the SENCO.

You should absolutely ask the questions you have and find out more. It could be that the teacher is spot on - teachers who understand children with extra needs are so worth their weight in gold. We had one for my DD who revolutionised her school experience in less than a fortnight because she just got her! Fingers crossed yours is the same

Good luck!

If his classroom is anything like the classrooms I've worked in for the last ten years, he won't be far from the others' desks anyway and will be able to talk to them if that is what's going on at that moment. In year 5 they will mostly be working in silence anyway, especially for English and maths.

SisterSistine

The OP has been encouraged to have a chat to the teacher and can share any reservations she holds. Why not?

MyBlueMoonbeam

What was aggressive about it? I reminded some posters that the people teaching their children are highly qualified professionals, because the tone of some of the posts struck me as lacking awareness of this. To me, “aggressive” is calling people names, throwing insults, etc. Perhaps we just have differing definitions of the word.

@seaweedandmarchingbands what if their sensible rationale is wrong though? I've had a SENCO explain a very sensible rationale to me before for a proposed change. I sensibly explained my reservations based on what I knew. She took my experience on board and modified her proposal based on my information.

This is all the OP is suggesting. Teamwork. Collaboration. Which is incredibly important when you have a child with SEN. Because none of us are experts actually.

Clearly

MyBlueMoonbeam

I don’t see it. Sorry.

Mmmmm 🤔 not regard them as some idiot who happens to be babysitting your child while you are at work.

That sounds a tad aggressive to me

@hazeyjane - exactly

No aggression here.