Wwyd? School issues

[notsureyetcertain]

My son is autistic, he is 9 in mainstream school. He has a ehcp and higher level funding, he has a full time 1:1 for his emotional regulation and processing issues. He is working at or above age related.
until this year (year 5) he has managed quite well in school in fact last year he had an amazing year, no issues at all he enjoyed going to school and did well. I’ve never had any major concerns about how they manage him.
This year he has a new (to the school) teacher, unfortunately there was a mass exodus last summer and there are 7 new teachers (in a junior school where only 11 teachers are employed) All three of the year five teachers are new. He had have his 1:1 from the previous year though.
initally there were a few minor issues (messing about, shouting out), I spoke to the teacher each time and made suggestions to support him (based on what had worked previously) these were ignored. He then got bullied by a boy in the class (with other children joining in). Thankfully that boy left the school. Since then there has been a few issues of hitting that’s been mentioned. (3 in one term) They also have issue with his echolalia, I’ve asked about strategies they can use but again not sure it’s being implemented. He hates school and doesn’t want to go

Recently I’ve been given a behaviour management form to sign saying they will use restraint where necessary. I’m concerned that that would be extremely distressing for him (as a person who doesn’t like to be touched) and I’m concerned they are not being honest about his behaviour and what’s happening in school. (He doesn’t tell me anything)

I’ve lost trust in the school and I’m also aware they brought a new extremely strict behaviour policy in this year and there has been 12 exclusions since all Sen children.

Would you move schools? Bear in mind there one year left.

Does it actually say they'll punish echolaliea? That seems very wrong. Have they not tried other strategies? I see that in class of 30, one child repeating a sound could be distracting, but that's not a reason to restrain. It should be removal and distraction until ready to return.

What does your dc want to do? Is he open to moving schools?

Id actually be a bit freaked out about being made to sign a form about physically restraining my child.

I don't understand this. Restraint is only allowed to be used as a last resort where your dc is at risk of hurting himself or someone else. They are telling you as a courtesy because they don't need your permission.is your boy autistic? Ime year 5 is when behaviour problems in boys with SN really ramp up.

Do not give them permission to use ‘restraint’ on your child. I’m disgusted that a school would have the audacity to ask a parent if they would give permission for their child to be manhandled by random school staff who probably haven’t been trained otherwise they wouldn’t have worded it like that.

@24Dogcuddler is spot on.

I’m sorry that this is where you are. The fact that he disliked school and you feel that you’ve lost faith suggests that a new setting would be useful.

In the meantime, I’d be asking:
who would be laying hands on your child? What training have they had? Does this include de-escalation techniques? Ask to look at the recording methods for physical intervention. Staff are legally allowed to do this, when there are risks to the child of others, with particular techniques which should be taught and assessed. However, there must be a robust recording process.

What are the “issues” with echolalia? Is your child a gestalt language processor? Do the staff need additional training to understand and support?

Sensory breaks: are these being supported? There should be a better plan than “letting him out of the room”! Are there sensory circuits or a sensory diet in place? With a 1:1 these could be facilitated quite easily and could help before a crisis is reached.

Sorry! Feels like a bit of an essay. I’m a teacher in a specialist setting, I’m very keen that children should have the support they need to access learning!

You are living in cloud cuckoo land! The school have a duty of care to other children and staff, they cant let a child go round assaulting others, trashing the school and other people's things, or making it so others can't feel safe and learn. The school do not need the ops permission.

Echolalia (a asd trait)

being unable to complete work when upset

Being rude to staff

Why on earth would any child need to be restrained in these situations? (Unless I've misunderstood OP's post!) I understand the need to restrain a child if they are posing a physical risk to themselves or others but surely they don't feel the need to restrain him for the above? It sounds to me that the new teacher doesn't understand how to work with OP's DS or simply doesn't have the capacity due to how teachers are being stretched at the moment. I say this as a secondary school teacher who is seeing an ever increasing number of students with SEN in their groups. There's something not right here OP, I wouldn't agree to my child being restrained for the above reasons! I'd either be going in to see the SENDCO or looking to move schools. That percentage of teachers leaving in one year is also very worrying!

Ok I've read through the posts again (sorry I'm tired!) and I can see they've said from warning to restraint so I'm assuming the restraint is where someone is in danger. I still don't think it's right to punish a child for echolalia and being unable to complete work when upset. Surely if a child is upset, they need support, not warnings and punishments. I'd be worried that this school is no longer equipped to meet DS's needs and I say that as someone who feels like I can't always meet the needs of my students due to the pressure I'm under. I have students with ASD who struggle to sit still because of their needs to stim. If I'm honest, I find it distracting at times but I wouldn't punish them for it as they can't help it. Same with the echolalia.

It’s listed as one of his behaviour issues

Maybe because it's mainstream?

Yes he was diagnosed at 3, school have always supported pretty well up to now. This is the thing I don’t know if he’s deteriorated due to the teacher/staff, the new stricter behaviour policy staff are following or if it’s his age.

Thank you I’ve made notes. My dd is a TA in a Sen school (where behaviour can be extremely challenging ) and she doesn’t understand why this is happening/necessary. Obviously home life is set up better but we never have to touch him to get him to do what we want even if he’s overwhelmed.

Sorry if it’s not clear. So the plan listed those behaviours. Then gives a list of actions -
Ask to stop
remind of rules (quote behaviour policy)
remind of earlier positive behaviour
Escort (if needed)
Restrain (if needed)

All the talking will make my son overwhelmed and being held against his will, will cause meltdown.
I assume what the plan is saying is that when he does these behaviours this is what will happen. So they would only go to restraint if needed but a first response.
Then there’s a bit at the bottom to sign saying we give permission to restrain as a last resort when all other actions have been taken.

Restraint should be used as a last resort for safety of all concerned.

If they need to use restraint then that needs to go alongside putting support in place to reduce or eliminate the need for it.

Mu concern wouldn’t be so much the use of restraint but rather its plan for use alongside their lack of implementing suggested strategies and the evidenced exclusion of children with send previously.

What you’ve probably had to sign is a new behaviour plan where they’ve added restraint as part of the plan because the planned strategies may not work. Legally they don’t need your permission to use reasonable force or restrictive physical intervention and currently the law means they aren’t required to inform you if they do - it’s guidance as good practice.

Id also be asking them if they’ve sought training from a registered provider on safe positive handing if they are planning on using restraint. Again the law doesn’t require them too but its guidance of good practice where you think it may be used as planned intervention rather than an active reaction to a one off situation. (When we grab our own children because they are running off this is restraint/ reasonable force so it’s not always a bigger a thing as people imagine).

When’s his AR due? I would be making sure the EHCP is watertight and section F is as clear as can be. But if you don’t feel they can meet need then I’d be moving even if it is only for a year. I made the mistake with my DS of keeping him somewhere I knew was damaging because I always hoped if I advocated enough for him and kept mentioning the Sendcop they’d change. But the truth is a poor environment is an ethos and we won’t change that single handedly. It’s infuriating and worrying for our young people.

The only occasion listed there where they might have to handle him is the ‘altercations’ with other children, and they wouldn’t need your permission on such an occasion. I would be very concerned if they were putting hands on him to make him comply with moving on in any other circumstance.

It sounds like they desperately need some advice from a specialist teacher/other professional as to how to manage things in an inclusive way so that he can be supported effectively. Ask them to make a referral to your local team, usually called something like ‘specialist inclusion services’.

Sorry, hadn’t seen this when I replied.

They should not be simply implementing the behaviour policy as it is written for everyone else. They need to detail what support they are providing to help him and making adjustments necessary that show they understand his neuro differences. Tribunals have found that such blanket applications of policies in school are likely to be illegal under equality legislation.

Thank you for helping me. I do want him to stay in mainstream as he is pretty academic and a maths wiz. He wants to go to university to study maths. I worry if we go down the sen school route he will have reduced opportunities. There is a school for asd kids locally , they have two routes the first they sit some GCSEs (usually around 5). And the second is life skills. But I’m concerned he wouldn’t get enough to follow his dreams.

I started reading your post and knew it would be a new teacher issue.

I have seen some kids do great with teachers who understand and really poorly with new teachers.

His 1:2:1 needs to take charge here - I have been a 1:2:1 with these children

He needs to build a relationship with his new teacher - a bit late in the year though

His 1:2:1 need to ensure he gets his break, runs off some steam, run some break classes - be on his side when things go badly -

I always noticed if they were inside they were easy to deal with, but could be stubborn if they felt aggrieved - which then spirals.

I gave up being a TA as I was fed up of being undervalued - the lad went into spiral mode and was excluded after I left, I think he missed the support I gave him! He had a TA in year 6 he hated so started off badly.

My advice would be to get the TA inside ask for a meeting with her, see what the issues are from her perspective - and stop focusing on the teacher. She needs to be empowered to do her job.

.

Where is the class support? His 1:1 are they new?
It is a shame things changed so much. But there is stress and oressure on the teachers. Brand new, fewer staff, less experince. It is unfair to expect them to deal with it.

I have a BFF who has an autistic child in mainstream but no funding for support but he has issues and will be excluded if it continues in hsve suggested to her to home school as she is the only one who can truly manage hum. So I can only suggest it here with you. Home school and Forest school

Unfortunately it’s next March. I’ve had 4 meetings with school last term. His Sen plan meeting, parent teacher meeting, EHCP review and a meeting to discuss the bullying. Not once was behaviour raised as a concern.

i emailed Tuesday and at Tuesday pick up dh was told he drew on a child’s book and Wednesday pick up that he had pushed the same boy (child he sits next in class) I feel like they are now telling us to prove the point it’s needed. Ds wont say much but he did say the boy who sits next to him talks when he’s trying to work and it annoys him.

So he had a 1:1 in year 4 who came u to y5 with him he had a great relationship with her, she left at Christmas. They were supposed to hire a new 1:1 but had to suspend 5 of their TA’s (no one knows why not even me and I’m on the BOG) so he ended up with a 1:1 who has worked at the school about twenty years, he knows her and had her for a while in y3 . It seemed like the best option as the other option was agency staff which would be a nightmare. He’s had this 1:1 since January, she’s lovely but not sure how knowledgeable she is about asd behaviour.

Other children and staff can be moved. We don’t restrain children unless absolutely necessary for their safety and there is no possible other way of keeping everyone safe.

This is astonishing. Have to question either the management of the school, or the effectiveness of the BOG if 5 TAs have been suspended and with no explanation.
Sounds like there’s more going on there than how they are handling your son and other SEN children.
I’d be looking to move 🥴

OP just to be really clear, it is unlawful for a school to use physical force for non compliance with rules.
It is only ever 'reasonable' (this is the key legal term) when it is the only way to keep him or someone else safe in the moment. Even then , the level of force used should be the absolute minimum required to ensure the safety of him or others.
I would start a formal complaint process and I would also be making contact with your LA SEND team and asking for an EHCP review now ( you don't need to wait for the AR).

Thank you I will clarify at the meeting. As far as I can see the behaviours listed only the running away (which he doesn’t do that I’m aware of) and altercations (which is vague) with other children are the only potential reasons