What do I do?

[j8h]

I am an art teacher at a secondary school. I am autistic and 2 of me three kids are too. I’ve just started teaching an art class of year 8s because their teacher has gone in maternity leave, and I have to cover. There’s a girl in that class who is showing a lot of autistic traits, and she hasn’t been diagnosed. She makes no eye contact whatsoever, doesn’t talk a lot, her coordination isn’t amazing, I once watched her snip all the tags out of her uniform and get really agitated about the label stubs, once, she came into class crying because she ‘hated being wet from the rain.’ What would breaking point be for you, and should I talk to her form tutor and/or HoY. She could well be allistic, but I don’t know what to do at this point, I really need some advice!

What on earth do you mean by “breaking point”? Do you mean the point at which you’d raise the issue?

When you say you’ve “just started”…. How long?

If you're her teacher surely there's a procedure you follow for things like this? Parents evening perhaps? SENCO team? I'd assume (and hope) as a teacher you'd know exactly how to raise these concerns.

It doesn't feel like it would be your role to do anything. Surely a subject teacher shouldn't be acting on speculations about pupils' possible neurodivergence?

If you felt worried about her welfare you could mention it to her form teacher, but nothing more than that. It isn't necessarily helpful to be seeking to label her, and you don't know what steps her family might already be taking.

At that age, I was working hard with my son to try and get him to accept a CAMHS referral that had been offered but he didn't want to.

It wouldn't harm to mention it to their form tutor, just factual observations, no speculation or diagnosis as that's not for you to make

I’ve been teaching her year 8 class since they came back from Easter.

Art… so once or twice a week?

Twice but she also does art club which I run because my colleague has gone on maternity leave. I think I’m just going to have a chat with her form tutor because my dd16 didn’t get diagnosed until she was 13 and she felt absolutely awful, and I want to try and get any autistic child diagnosed. The SEND policy is that the parents can talk to the department with a valid concern, a form tutor/head of year/head of section can go, but a subject teacher who has >2 hours of teaching time with that student must raise it with the child’s other teachers of form tutor first unless they believe it is urgent.

Sorry I didn’t see this thread! Yes, sorry, that’s basically what I mean.

I want to try and get any autistic child diagnosed

That's what worries me about your post. It isn't your call to 'get a child diagnosed'. If you have concerns for her welfare, that's one thing, but this feels like an intrusive personal mission.
People have different opinions about the value of seeking diagnosis and of getting a diagnosis -- see for example the recently published book on the subject - https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/mar/12/the-age-of-diagnosis-by-suzanne-osullivan-review-do-no-harm.
It doesn't seem to me that it is an art teacher's right or responsibility to step in here.

Op there’s something a little… odd about this

tread carefully

I reckon she just hates art!

You write an email to your senco mentioning your concerns . They will have background or will look into it . I’m not sure why you don’t know the send procedure in your school .

Op this thread does seem a tad strange, hoping that you’re not incompetent and you’re a just qualified maternity cover. Talk to the form tutor and it’s good you’re trying to get kids diagnosed I guess?? (Currently trying to get two of mine diagnosed) but this just seems a bit weird to me.

I hope the school did a DBS check….