AIBU to be really disgusted at this teacher in the news?

[user1477282676]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3944882/Nutter-Fort-Primary-School-teacher-snatches-microphone-autistic-boy.html

It's a DM link sorry....this teacher in a US primary school....she SNATCHED the microphone from a little boy who has Autism right before he said his line.

:(

It's made me really sad...it seems that some people have not moved past the 1970s in attitudes and think squashing children emotionally is "ok"

Some comments have said "she thought the play was over" and that the child had other lines in the play.

SO??? His face is devastating! He was really distressed! I'm inexplicably angry over this...a child so far away and yet he could be any child who has Autism....it's not ok!

Very illuminating article .Voodoo Good to see the tide has turned somewhat.

Potato

Sorry, I thought you meant it was from an article linked here

Haddock

I think the part you are referring to is this?

"I’ve noted that some parents of disabled children are so defensive of their children that they actually feel entitled to special privileges. And yet, they also claim they don’t want their children to be treated any differently than other children."

It says some parents, not all parents so it's not "a nasty little dig at parents of disabled children" as far as I can see. Yes, some parents (thankfully not many) do think that way, just the same as some parents of NT children think they are entitled to special privileges.

No worries Voodoo

No good deed goes unpunished.

Indeed.

I imagine if the school had refused to allow him to take part then the parents would have used that as a hammer to beat them with instead.

Sad situation for Caleb and a sad situation for the teacher.

But what if every child had decided not to attend rehearsals. I don't understand why he was allowed to take part.

Voodoo - Parents of disabled children ARE entitled to think there children should have reasonable adjustments - that is part of equality law. She has chosen to call them special privileges and is implying they shouldn't happen. The old disablist 'can't have it both ways' argument.
I think the mother is wrong in putting all this on social media. I don't support what she has done. Her child has probably been treated reasonably by the school. It is possible to support the teacher without being disabilist but some people (like in the article) seem to be unable to manage this.

honkinghaddock

I'm not talking about reasonable adjustments, I'm talking about parents who demand over and above which is how I read the "special privileges" comment.

I may well be wrong there because I've imposed my own interpretation of it. If so then I apologise and wholeheartedly agree with you.

I spend a fair portion of my working day ensuring my (adult) clients get the reasonable adjustments they are entitled to. I know that it can be a hell of a fight at times and sometimes parents simply aren't listened to. Because I come at it from an 'official HCP' angle I, thankfully, always get listened to. I do feel for the parents who don't have that kind of back-up though, some people/organisations are still very ignorant.

I had friends really foaming at the mouth over this.

I didn't comment because something didn't sit right...and lo and behold she's a scam artist

Christmas all paid for with her sob story and a teachers life probably ruined

Voodoo- The 'not treated any differently' sentence made me think she was referring to reasonable adjustments as special privileges.

Apparently Caleb turned up in a Scooby Doo costume.

I think special privileges and reasonable adjustments are two completely different things.

Reasonable adjustments are putting extra support in place to enable a child with SEN to be part of everything that is going on in the school. So maybe Caleb would have a buddy on stage with him to make sure he is in the right place to play his part in the play. Or maybe a teacher could be there to hold up pointer cards for him.

Special privileges is not returning the permission slip, not turning up for rehearsals but turning up on the night of the play, insisting your child is in the play as a turkey (which isn't even a part of the play) and then kicking off when said child is not allowed to do whatever he wants because a) he has no idea what's going on (having not attended rehearsals) and b) probably never has 'No' said to him at all (basing that assumption on his bat shit crazy mother).

My DD is being assessed for ASD, she may not be as severe as Caleb, she's very probably high functioning and has a fair understanding of rules. However, she can still have her moments when she has a meltdown over not having things go the way she thinks they should go. Do I demand that everything revolves around her? No, I explain to her that actually she can't do a/b/c because that's not happening today. I help her best by preparing her well in advance for any changes, any new activities and making sure she fully understands what's going to be happening.

I can't say to Dp that we can go and do something next weekend without sounding out DD first. I'm not saying she runs the house but I need to let her know in advance if she is going to be ok with whatever we plan. There's no point me insisting on putting her in a situation where she's going to struggle massively unless it's absolutely vital.

I think Caleb's mother failed him. She claims that teachers need to be trained in disability awareness yet in this case, she, as his mum who declares knows him best, has massively let him down by failing to ensure that he was fully prepared for the play.

11.5k signatures now!!

Bloody fantastic!

Voodoo- The 'not treated any differently' sentence made me think she was referring to reasonable adjustments as special privileges.

You could well be right there hh

I tend to see things through the lens of my own work, where reasonable adjustments are automatic rather than having to be 'thought about' or 'put into place'.

I should know better really considering the times I've had to point out to GP receptionists that yes my client is entitled to a double-length appointment, and yes my client is entitled to accessible information in a format that is meaningful to them.

I've even had to advocate for partners of my clients in the past. For example insisting that it's minuted that the partner has ADHD and this needs to be taken into account. So, tapping his fingers on the table, rocking his chair back and forwards, getting up and walking around etc. is not evidence that he isn't taking the meeting seriously.

The GP surgeries and social workers in my area probably hate me especially now I can quote the Accessible Information Standard at them along with reasonable adjustments

Autism is not a learning disability.

Yes it is virgin. It is not an academic learning disability although it sometimes involves those. It is a social learning disability which is just as disabling.

Autism is not a learning disability.

In the UK autism is a learning/social difficulty; NICE have a clear definition of learning disability. In the US learning disability seems to be more of an 'umbrella' term so I imagine it would be referred to as that when reporting about Caleb?

I don't think of it as a disability. I think my beautiful, intelligent son just happens to think differently to others, and that one day, we'll live in a society where that's ok.

I have autism. I do not have a learning disability.

Seriously I am socially awkward. Nowt wrong with my learning though .

I'm getting a bit confused now.

Where did the idea that autism is a learning disability come from?

Was it one of the articles that has been linked? If so, that's because the terminology in the US is different to the UK.

I don't think of it as a disability. I think my beautiful, intelligent son just happens to think differently to others, and that one day, we'll live in a society where that's ok. And DD's friend in a wheelchair just gets around differently and we will one day see that enabling him to do that is the actual issue; not his legs. This is true of all 'disabilities' which is why it might be better to think of people as people and their needs as their needs.

FWIW autism is considered a developmental disability here in Canada. Not all posters are in the UK.

MrsTerry

That's what I was trying to say - different countries have different terms. I believe there is a push to try and 'join up' the terminology in the case of learning disabilities. Unfortunately I think the suggestion is 'Intellectual disability' which I personally dislike.

In the meantime it seems Caleb's Daddy has a medical bill from earlier this year that needs paying off. His attempt to sue for food poisoning didn't work out as he hoped. Call me a cynic but those well-wisher's cards containing cash must be very welcome right now.

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209592486386758&set=pb.1166025773.-2207520000.1480018604.&type=3&theater

They seem to like shouting about injustices on social media don't they?

Call me a cynic Moi aussi!