about those on the autistic spectrum in mainstream schools?

[OverbearingHouseSitter]

Basically I've read so many threads recently about those on the autistic spectrum being completely let down by teachers and senior staff in schools.

I mean punishing those on the autistic spectrum in incidents when it is entirely inappropriate, and the lack of understanding of some teachers that you cannot use the same behaviour strategies on some children who require a different approach due to SEN.

And then there are times when punishment should not be given at all, such as when a child who is on the autistic spectrum behaving in a way that the teacher doesn't like, yet the teacher not seeming to realise that this behaviour is part of their SEN!

My mother was a teacher and I realise how hard being a teacher is. She got signed off sick with stress... it's a bloody hard job. But AIBU to think that some teachers and school staff- NOT all- seem to be consistently failing those on the autistic spectrum and those with other SEN, whatever these may be?

This is not just from this forum either! There have been instances from people I know I've heard about and with friends kids.

For example, a friends child was recently punished as he did not understand something the teacher said, ie, it was some form of light sarcasm the teacher used, friends DS with SEN did not register this, did what the teacher told the pupils sarcastically not to do and was then mortified and confused when the teacher punished him.

So AIBU?

I also apologise if I have used an language around people with special needs that you do not like/prefer not to use. My friend prefers the term "on the autistic spectrum" opposed to "autistic child" but if I have said anything wrong please tell me!

YANBU

my son’s teachers are lovely but they don’t have a clue how to deal with non NT children. It’s frustrating x

I work in education. One of the latest criticisms levelled at me is that I am too focussed on helping struggling and SEN children, and not paying enough attention to the nt children. Others don't seem to realise that when you plan for the SEN child, everyone benefits. This is why I am leaving education.

I like the idea of Finland, where most schools have a SEN classroom.

For my son, he needs

• a very small class size
• quite different ‘teaching’ than normal - one totally suited to his SEN needs
• a high ratio, ideally one to one

So ‘inclusion’ for him in a mainstream class would actually be ‘exclusion’ in my eyes. He would be failed utterly. He is quite clever, and becoming verbal, so could easily be wedged into a mainstream class and I guarantee he would not learn anything but fear and inadequacy stuffed into an environment that is not going to nurture him in the way he needs...

It’s so scary isn’t it - I’ll have to fight all my life to get him an education that suits him.

The diagnostic criteria for autism has changed. Children who once would not have met the criteria do now.

We had tears last night at home. DD had complained to the teacher in yard about bad language being used towards her in soccer, another DC came over and started complaining that she tackles rough all the time, she walked off as she was upset but did come back when the teacher called her.

SHE was the one who got the yard slip for walking off (but had returned - that is real progress in her case!), whereas neither the boy who told her to fuck off nor the boy who came up getting her mad got into any trouble. And she cried that this was why she never says anything about what they say to her - because it's always her who gets in trouble.

These are 11-12 year olds, btw. DD has ADHD and aspergers, I am not aware of any issues with either of the 2 particular boys (there are with a couple of others but not these).

I think it's difficult to meet everyone's needs in a one size fits all education system with such limited funding. It's also impossible for a teacher to know everything about every possible disability and the strategies for dealing with each. Even SEN teachers, doctors and other professionals don't know everything about all disorders, hence why there are specialists. Special needs schools are very expensive, with very limited capacity. Also it is not necessarily the best placement for all children. I think teachers are under so much stress and pressure that it's really a significant burden when they have to deal with individual curriculums.

I say this as a mum or two children with special needs, one of which has been badly let down by the education system. I am not saying what I said above is right, it's just the reality. Schools need more money, significantly more money.

My eldest was without a school between February and September as there were specialist placements and the local school (illegally) refused to take him. He's been illegally excluded on almost a daily basis, school refused to make reasonable adjustments. It massively affected his self esteem, I had a very young child being told he was a bad boy and then would hurt himself as he was so frustrated.

Schools needs more access to specialist advice, children need really intervention and faster and easier assessments, plus access to therapies and support. As do schools. They have such limited resources, they only get so many educational psychology hours per year and it's never enough, it's a case of priorities who is the greater need and those with less impact on the entire class get pushed to the back. They may be in more need but because the issues impact less on the class or school as a whole they won't be given a slot. It's just frustrating. Surely, while there always needs to be a list of priority, but surely every child with a need should be seen as often as is needed.

I'm lucky, we moved house and the new school is now like a breath of fresh air. The children still have their issues but with the right support and understanding they are not seen as a problem to be fixed but rather a child to be embraced and welcomed.the school work with me and them to achieve the best and find solutions to issues whole addressing any problems we come across.

Funding is desperately needed.

13 years I worked in a specialist school and it's hard work. My son has Autism but he would not fit in a specialist school but needs a bit more help in mainstream.

If you think about it, the mainstream classroom and mainstream curriculum is designed for a certain type of child to do a certain type of work and behave in a certain type of way. If a child with autism walks in and cannot perform in the way they are required to remain in a classroom or cannot complete their work according to the curriculum, then the mainstream classroom cannot be the best option for them.
This is a hard fact but it's also true. A teacher with 30 kids has to work hard to push the 30 kids through expectations and reach certain goals, however a child with autism would quite likely not be able to meet expectations or reach mainstream goals. If the expectations are less and goals more realistic then yes I believe a child with autism can fit into a regular classroom. Without this I would say it's very hard.
Just to add, being on the autistic spectrum varies a lot s you all know, so not all children would struggle to that degree in a classroom, but I think this is why some teachers and some classrooms aren't working for some kids. The curriculum generally is too much for some children on the spectrum and getting a child successfully to A levels (the goal of most kids who go through main stream school) isn't necessarily an option. Yes some with the right support or right specialist school might get a levels or some a levels or some GCSEs but not all will be able to. This is why I think mainstream schools and general classroom teachers cannot on their own help a child with special needs (or autism here). And this is where TAs come in (to help) and where IEPs come in useful (to set specific behavioural and educational goals).

So I'm choosing to detonate a thought on here but I wonder whether it's not that we have had an increase of autism in the last 30-40 years (and I believe we have seen more cases for sure) j wonder whether if you think about classrooms, teachers, behaviour, expectations and goals were much simpler 30-40 years ago. School was a place to play, learn the basic maths and learn to read at beginning of primary but nowadays we have huge expectations of kids being pushed to be geniuses and to fly through school and get top A level results. We lush for all sorts of academia and learning that don't suit all kids. I wonder if a change of direction on this and less emphasis on creating geniuses or having less push for kids go to oxford or university but more emphasis on finding learning that develops healthy kids to become healthy adults. Why is academia pushed as the best thing a kid can get from school?
Hundreds of years ago kids never had school, they worked day long manual labour jobs. Then it was decided it was safer to have them in school and more beneficial to teach them literacy. How did we get so stuck in academia though? For a lot of families without special needs in the UK you see kids taking tests from 11 years old (also aged 7 and 9) just to get into certain schools.. Parents often hire tutors and put their kids in phenomenal amounts of extra curricular activities just to build them towards success. Whatever happened to kids being kids? Sorry had to throw this in there as I've been thinking this of late. I wonder if we need to turn education around a little for ALL kids.