to expect primary teaching staff…..

[Mollyweasley]

….to know and answer to the basic needs of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (including Asperger's syndrome).
to inform themselves if they don't, prior to the beginning of the school year when they know they will have a child with ASD in their classroom.

Autism is an invisible condition, it is not a reason to ignore it…. .

Have you seen the Autism Education Trust's minimum standards for Autism for schools Molly?

www.aettraininghubs.org.uk/

It's fairly new and only in some areas at the moment, but looks like the plan is to roll out the training nationally for schools and early years nurseries and preschools by 2015.

bonbon that is good news. What can we do to accelerate this change and make sure that every teacher has a basic understanding of how to support children with ASD in the classroom?

sorry hadn't seen the last 2 posts!
rumble no i haven't will have a look,thank you.
down i think you are absolutely right.

I teach secondary, so maybe it's not relevant, but as well as training I'd welcome more time with the parents. I teach about 25 students who have SEN, and I'd love to get more insight from the parents. Maybe the INSET days at the start of term could include meetings with parents because they are the ones who usually know how to get the best from their dc.

Why would you think it's not relevant at secondary?

You are asking teachers to know how to communicate and teach your child on ASD spectrum by reading up on it before they start, but its not a one size fits all approach that works. You need to get to know the child and their needs. Open mindeness of the teacher and communication is the key. All children are individual.

You can't have it both ways, all teachers trained to 'teach ASD pupils' in one way so 'prepared' and also be adapting to each child's needs. In a good school teachers and sencos communicate, but children react differently to different teachers and classes. It's not an exact science.

I hope it gets better for your child and yourself. Keep talking to the teacher. Contact parent partnership if you have it in your area.

We do have cpd on teaching and managing special needs.

Sorry Molly for my late reply, have only just caught up with thread.

My rule of thumb for teachers? Seek advice, don't expect training courses to have all the answers, do your research starting with googling the Autistic Society. Read up on the subject. But most importantly, talk to the parents.

I would expect the teachers in my team to spend more time with parents of any child with SN giving feedback and crucially, listening to the parents. The parents may not know the best strategies for class based but they know their child best.

But I'm sad to say that my school is a bit different. We've just been awarded our Inclusion Quality Mark and parents in the community know that we include every child. And we work damn hard for them. It should be the same in every school, but sadly it is not. There are teachers, and crucially Headteachers who are driven purely by results. They see any child with SEN as a potential dip in their results.

But, I do see a big problem looming on the horizon. As more and more parents choose our school because we have a good reputation with children with ASD, we may well reach our limit. There is only so much we can do. I have a dream. i want to get funding to build a "base" within the school grounds for SALT, OT, play therapy, a specialist teacher, a quiet zone, sensory garden. A place where ASD can have the best of both worlds. Appropriate, indiviually tailored support and therapy in a mainstream setting. Fingers crossed but I know we will have a fight on our hands.

What drives me in my quest? You've probably guessed I have personal experience of ASD. My sister is on the spectrum so it's all I've ever known.

We have iqm too finola. I agree, communication is the key.

Yes communication is the key. I'm just a bit angry at the mo as more than 1 school local to mine aren't pulling their weight IYSWIM.

I meant it might not be relevant cos the op specifically asked about primary teaching.

I do think lack of funding is a major problem btw. I have one student who's parents feel he needs one to one support, and in class he constantly wants / needs things explaining to him individually. However, his sen isn't deemed severe enough to get extra funding, so while I try to help as much as possible, I know he isn't getting the support he needs in class. In addition to that, I spend so much time with him during lessons that I know the other students in that class aren't getting the attention they need / deserve. It is a lose-lose situation, brought about by lack of funding for TAs in secondary.

I think if there are children with special needs in a classroom, there should be a teaching assistant who is trained and prepared to deal with those needs. Expecting a teacher to handle everyone's kids fairly and equally when some of those kids will need extra care sure is asking a lot of people who aren't paid much and have 30 kids to cope with.

My DD1's class has three kids with special needs in her classroom - two behavioural, one mental/physical - and there are teaching assistant to help. I think it's disgusting that schools are underfunded at a time when that prick in charge keeps banging on about what a bright future we've got. Try comparing our education levels with most other countries at a similar level economically and prepare to be appalled.

YANBU - I had very little training during ITT (initial teacher training) but the second I found out there was a kid who was possibly on the spectrum I started to research it: via the TA, Internet and reading given by the social and interaction team. After he left my class he got a diagnose of aspergers but hopefully I helped meet his needs (his mum was very thankful). I was more than a little worried when his new teacher this year said he thought he was playing to it and a bit naughty. I informed the senco immediately and it is being monitored. But I can't understand why people think it's any different to other disabilities e.g. Hearing impairment and dyslexia (both in the same class as other child - and I researched there needs to because that is what you need to do!)

I think the pressure to seem like you know means teachers don't ask enough questions. I am a teacher and a parent of two do with ads and I am also v frustrated with the defensiveness and inability of teachers and school staff to say I don't know how to deal with this, what do you think? Even with all my experience personally I don't necessarily know what will help all the children in my care the best as they are so different.

We have just moved DD who has been diagnosed with Aspergers from one school to another because of their absolute inflexibility and refusal to listen to us. In their eyes beacuse she was compliant at school she had no problems even though it was hell sometimes at home dealing with the repurcussions of what may have happened in school. She is now moved to a great school that have taken on board what we have been saying, willing to listen and very supportive.

My biggest worry is the arrogance!

I have met too many teachers who dont think they need to listen to parents or outside professionals involved with children with Asd! They tell parents that they should just trust them but they don't even read information that has been carefully prepared for them

This is not just one or two cases, this is happening alot!

OP, you are DNBU

Cansu, the teachers I work with are always talking about how to deal with the kids. There are loads of conversations over coffee that start with 'Jessica is doing well in your class, what do you do to help her?' These sorts of low-key chats are hugely helpful, but only happen when teachers actually have time to talk during lunch, rather than (today for instance) spending lunchtime in a meeting about UCAS references (which is important, but perhaps shouldn't be scheduled over lunch).

PerfectFather I don't have an issue with how much I'm paid, my salary could be doubled but my effort wouldn't be - because I'm already doing my best. My only real concern at the moment is the lack of support for kids who need it.

In my ideal world teachers would have smaller classes, more TAs and more time to plan better lessons. But pay rises are not anywhere near the top of my list - I didn't move to teaching from engineering for the money! Tbh, I don't know anyone that chose teaching for the money.

YANBU but be aware that generally training for additional needs is shit.

Jessica they may talk to each other but maybe not enough to parents.

I think class sizes of 30 is ridiculous when those children all have different needs.

We tried to help educate the teachers. We were told they were quite happy for us to research and find out what worked for us at home but they would only take the advice that came directly from the pead as it was specialised (albeit general) and not from us. Therefore. Our knowledge about our child was disregarded leading or an unhappy child. We were sent on a parenting course. They still don't understand him.

Leading *to an unhappy child...

Totally agree cansu, I said earlier that I'd love more time with parents, regardless of whether children gave sen or not. This week I contacted some parents of ill-behaved children, who were all fantastic and supportive, and the behaviour in the next lesson was massively improved. So I contacted said parents with positive news and the students were impressively keen the next lesson! Teachers and parents need a much closer relationship across the board IMO.

1 teacher and 30 students in a class if fine - when that class is full of well behaved children without any complex needs. Now if only I could find one of those.

The Perfect Father I totally agree with you that we need more support in the classroom for special needs. I make sure I meet with parents of children with special needs regularly, along with the SENCO, to see how we can all work together to effectively help and support the child. However, when I am in the classroom on my own, trying to manage the needs of 30 different children, it is hard to meet all these needs.
Having a full time TA would make so much difference.