To be fuming with ds teacher and speak to the new headteacher

[PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange]

Ds is asd also SN and has a statement. In general homework is a nightmare and despite him being in year 5 ( age 9-10) I can not understand his writing neither can the teacher.

This week after a lot of encouragement and tears and tantrum he learnt his spelling but come to the test he had 1 right. I have already told the teacher of my plan which involves financial gain if he got 1/2 right. In which her response is what went on Adam, how come it went pear shaped.

Now that left ds confused as with asd generally they don't get sayings and 2 why question a child like that.

The homework set this weekend in which he was made to write I can not understand in which the teacher replied that she could not either.

Should I complain as I feel like the teacher has no clue ( sorry to the teachers on MN I know 1 bad apple don't spoil an apple field)

I havent read the whole thread but surely a logical first step would be to make an appointment with the Senco and teacher to put together a strategy for homework. Spelling tests sound like worse than a waste of time, they aren't a good way to learn and on top are causing him angst.

Why would you go to the Head and not raise the issue with the teacher first? I don't think she has done anything terrible and if you have an issue you need to raise it with her before you go to senior leadership. YABU.

But we aren't perfect 100% of the time and learn from experience. I am also a teacher, who teaches pupils with asd, and am careful not to use idioms but sometimes I slip up. I am a human and not a robot.

Just to be aware, GCSEs in English, Geography, History and RS will have 10% of marks dedicated to spelling and grammar.

From January 2013 onwards, spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) is assessed separately in externally assessed units in GCSE English Literature, Geography, History and Religious Studies. This applies to all students taking these exams including those with special educational needs, dyslexia and disabilities such as a visual or hearing impairment.
(AQA)

OP - posting this is AIBU is probably a mistake, the special needs board is far more appropriate for this.

I wouldn't go in all guns blazing but I would want to discuss the issues with the class teacher. Does your son have an IEP, is it up to date and is the teacher following it?

I'm still bemused at the notion of going straight to the head about this. No wonder teachers can end up on capability so quickly if their face happens not to fit and / or the head doesn't like them or wants rid.

People with the OP's attitude who aren't prepared to consult with the teacher to find a way forward when there's as yet no evidence that the teacher has done anything wrong have a lot to answer for.

Using and teaching idioms has been on the IEPs for many children with autism I have drawn up. He should be learning them, they are part of daily life - if you took him to a shop would you expect the shop assistant to not use them? No, they are part of the language, and you need to expose him to them.

About the homework, I agree that spelling tests can be very difficult for children with asd (not all though, I can think of quite a few who flew at them), but do talk to the teacher about it.

IguanaTail thank you for reminding me why I needed to get my dc's out of the british education system. Although things are changing slowly here in the USA, they are far more advanced than in the UK with regard to children and adults with disabilities. This is especially so with regard to recognizing that there is more than one way to show that you have mastered a concept in school and that people with special needs will need accommodations whether those take the form of a wheelchair, or a keyboard.

With all due respect, a teacher is a human being and human beings speak naturally using the words that come to them at the time (safe for school, of course(. In this case, the words that came to the teacher happened to be an idiom. This does not make her a bad teacher or in any way reflect lack of understanding of ASD!

I have really got on well with most of ds teachers.

The trouble is if homework isn't done he will get a detention.

He is in a small class of 10 and at any given time 1 of them is with another teacher doing 1-1. This a special needs class in mainstream school.

I accept that I am being unreasonable, but will ask for a meeting with ds teacher about the homework

So he's actually in a SEN Unit? In which case his teacher should be fully aware of his needs and how best to meet them, especially as all the information should be in his statement.

That's not so say that she, like many of us on here have said, won't make the occasional slip up.

Do ask for a meeting and go through your concerns about his handwriting, the possibility of him starting to use a laptop and having help with recording his homework. If you can get him typing soon and it becomes his 'normal way of working' then he will be allowed to type for most, but not all, of his tests/assessments/exams. Ds1 started using an Alphasmart in Y5, a computer by the end of Y6 and has had a laptop since starting secondary a couple of years ago. His grades improved considerably as soon as he started typing, because the people marking his papers could finally read what he'd written.